The only way to get a proper diagnosis is from a medical specialist. That gets tricky when you suffer from depression, because depression is a big part of bipolar and many of the people on this board were misdiagnosed for years. The best thing you can do is keep track of your moods (ups and downs) and things like your dreams and impulsive shopping and bring all of that to the attention of your doctor. Ask questions. As I said, it is sometimes a hard diagnosis to make. I am not an expert on BP. I am bipolar II (that dx was just recently changed from cyclothymia - a milder form of bipolar) and my father was bipolar I, so I have done a lot of reading on the subject. The mania that comes with bipolar sometimes involves impulsive spending, but also frequently includes other kinds of impulses... inappropriate sex, drinking, smoking, drugs, etc. and a distinct feeling of being, for lack of a better word, invincible. Sometimes it includes anger, anxiety and 'mixed' feelings of depression and anxiety at the same time.
There are some really good websites with lots of information out there...
www.nami.org National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
and there are several good ones for bipolar (just do a search for bipolar and about five good sites will pop up...)
Are you add/hd?
God could not be everywhere, so
Hi Christine,
The only way to get a proper diagnosis is from a medical specialist. That gets tricky when you suffer from depression, because depression is a big part of bipolar and many of the people on this board were misdiagnosed for years. The best thing you can do is keep track of your moods (ups and downs) and things like your dreams and impulsive shopping and bring all of that to the attention of your doctor. Ask questions. As I said, it is sometimes a hard diagnosis to make. I am not an expert on BP. I am bipolar II (that dx was just recently changed from cyclothymia - a milder form of bipolar) and my father was bipolar I, so I have done a lot of reading on the subject. The mania that comes with bipolar sometimes involves impulsive spending, but also frequently includes other kinds of impulses... inappropriate sex, drinking, smoking, drugs, etc. and a distinct feeling of being, for lack of a better word, invincible. Sometimes it includes anger, anxiety and 'mixed' feelings of depression and anxiety at the same time.
There are some really good websites with lots of information out there...
www.nami.org National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
and there are several good ones for bipolar (just do a search for bipolar and about five good sites will pop up...)
Hope this helps.
Catherine
Hey Christine,
I'm soooo sorry I am just posting back, but I was gone for a week.
Honey, we've talked about this before, and I know you're scared.