We think our nephew may be bipolar.

I am bipolar.I am more than willing to answer any questions you may have about it. I don’t know all the answers but I can help research with you. I you want more info from me feel free to contact me. Click on my name to see my profile.

Now to best answer your question I will give you some links below. These sites provide about the same information, it’s just presented in different formats. I prefer the first one, but it’s really a matter of personal preference.

Sincerely,
Terry

PS: Yasmin is 100% wrong. Bipolar Disorder is very real. It has had me angry at the world, depressed, suicidal at times, feeling like a failure, unable to hold jobs for very long, unable to establish or maintain personal
relationships. In other words, I hated life and living. I know I am not the only one, many other people report this as well. Now that I am on the correct medications, life is good. From my perspective, people are more friendly and polite and few things make me angry anymore. Yasmin needs to stop putting this bunk out to people trying to improve their lives and not advise people on something she/he knows nothing about. Pray for her/him and her/his ignorance.

I am very depressed and seem to be getting worse and am now wondering if I am bipolar? I have awful mood swings, get very aggressive and say things to people I don’t mean? I have alienated most of my Family because of it. Please help!

here this is a great article
Understanding Bipolar Disorder

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm

When you think of someone that is Bipolar, how do you perceive them. What symptoms do you associate with someone who is Bipolar?

high and low
fast and slow
up and down
very happy one moment
very sad the next day

Bipolar is manic/depression.

IT seems that everyone has periods of mania and depression, althoug maybe now as extreame as bipolar diagnosed people.

I guess I don’t understand this condition.

No, not everyone has Bipolar Symptoms. Everyone gets happy, enthusiastic, energetic, confident, angry and sad. Those feelings are normal. Mania and depression, by definition, are the absolute extreme of those emotions and others and is not something everyone experiences. If you want a quick rundown on bipolar look it up on wikipedia or google it.

I have a friend that I think is bipolar but I want to make sure before I say anything.

Manic behavior is one extreme, the other is major depression. The deep mood swings of bipolar may last for weeks or months, they cause great disturbances in ones life. Over time the disorder worsens and suicide rates are high. With effective treatment life can be enjoyable and productive.

Manic Phase: euphoria, estreme optimism, inflated self-esteem, poor judgment, rapid speech, racing thoughts, aggressiveness, agitation, risky behavior, spending sprees, increased sexual drive, decreased need for sleep, drug abuse in some

Depressive Phase: sadness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts or behavior, anxiety, guilt, sleep problems, appetite problems, fatigue, loss of interest in daily activities, problems concentrating, irritability, chronic pain with no known cause.

If your friend is seeing and hearing things that aren’t there, along with above symptoms, it has developed into psychosis.

Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar, the mood swings are not as debilitating as full blown Bipolar Disorder. Rapid Cycling is 4 or more cycles of mania followed by depression within 12 months.

What are the symptoms of being bipolar? Are there any sites I can go to, with quizzes that I can take and will help me determine whether or not I’m bipolar and what level I’m at?

Hi:

I suffer from Bipolar 1 Severe, anxiety, depression, and more. Bipolar is not a diagnosis that should be taken lightly. It is a serious diagnosis and can at times, be lethal. It is a serious condition.

Here is a quick overview of what Bipolar is.

Years ago people suffering from Bipolar Disorder were diagnosed as "Manic Depressive".

The best way for me to describe Bipolar is:

Imagine you are looking at a globe of the world. There are 3 specific areas to keep in mind and those are the North and South Poles and the Equator.

Equator respresents a "Normal" range
North Pole represents "Mania"
South Pole respesents "Manic Depressive"

The Equator is the normal mood/behavior range and this is where people are stable.

The North Pole or Mania phase of the cycle can be described with symptoms of restlessness, energetic, talkative, reckless, risk taking euphoric, grandois, spending sprees, impulsive/risky sex, BUT Mania can also have a dark side to it maybe things like irritation, confusion, anger, rage, and so on.

The South Pole or Manic Depressive phase are the opposite moods of Mania…sadness, crying, feeling worthless, no energy, no pleasure, either too much sleep or too little sleep and so on.

People with Bipolar Disorder will "Cycle" which is leaving the equator, visiting the north pole, south pole and back home to the equator. The completion of this is what is known as a cycle.

People who have Bipolar will cycle ar different rates and there are different degrees of bipolar. So depending on your degree of Bipolar will depend on the route your cycle takes. People usually cycle in days to weeks, others cycle in a few months and yet others as in my self, I can rapid cycle or long term cycle. I will cycle for long months in Mania and suddenly drop for mong months into depression and finally hopefully the out come will be that I get back to the equator safely.

Here are some links that May help you also:

www.medicinenet.com

www.webmd.com

www.bipolar.org

www.HealthyPlace.com

I hope this helped and should you need anything, please contact me, my information is in my profile please feel free to use it at your choosing

Be safe and be well