Who digs bipolar disorder?

[Entropy Smith]

And let me start with this disclaimer...bipolar disorder, manic-depressive, borderline personality disorder, cycylothymic rythym disorder, whatever silly label you wanna give me from the DSM diagnostic manuel (i wonder what addition they are even up to now) I'm not buying it...thats just who i am...ya dig.

 

We are living radically different now in the past 100 or so years than we did for basically thousands of years and forget about the last 15...not every one's gonna adapt...

 

...and living in this world with that personality of manic highs and deep valleys was a rough ride as a kid..but as an adult...if you can just get a hold of it...not even control it...just surf it...and back off just enough before you crash into the breaker...man you can do anything.

 

Of course the ironic thing is that once you have that unshakable confidence people say your manic which of course is true. But sometimes the mask becomes the person and if its a high octane mask all the better.

[Timebandit]

I am under the impression, that people who cycle between manic and depression, are at an even greater risk to fall down into deep depressions later in life, which is why controlling bipolar with medicine is important.

[Entropy Smith]

Somebody better respond soon...there are no mods on duty to save you now...I'm running this show...WHO RUNS BARTER TOWN? Alright maybe...i'm alittle manic...

[Entropy Smith]

I am under the impression, that people who cycle between manic and depression, are at an even greater risk to fall down into deep depressions later in life, which is why controlling bipolar with medicine is important.

 

I can surf it dude. Besides i'm my own best pharmacist...

[love4life]

I think I see what you're getting at here. And I actually hate these labels, so I'm glad to see this thread. As humans, we're blessed with having a wide range of emotions. And I think it doesn't matter how high or low we are as long as we're aware of our current state and can switch back to a calm, controlled, pleasant manner when circumstances warrant it. It's the people who AREN'T aware when they're severely depressed or manic that need help.

 

I recently dated a medicated bipolar and he was very calm and controlled all the time. That's fine, but I saw pics from his college days before he was diagnosed and I have to admit, he looked like he had a lot more personality and would have been more fun to hang out with than he is now!

 

As long as someone isn't capable of harming themselves or someone else because they're NOT aware of their highs and lows, then I say, bring it on! I enjoy colorful people!

[Miss Firecracker]

I like them colorful, just not psychotic.

 

It's depending on how severe your disorder is whether you should medicate I suppose. But it is YOUR life, so do what you feel is best.

 

What are you prescribing for yourself?

[NewPhillyGuy]

I have no problem with people who are bipolar. I deal with some depression and anxiety myself. I dated a girl who was bipolar a few years ago, and man, she really took me for a ride and washed me up on shore.

 

I hope that you are taking care of yourself and following the direction of your doctors. That's the most important thing.

[JadedStar]

I have never met a person who truly suffered from bi polar who dug it. It made their life very difficult. Even if they felt great during the highs the lows were extremely tough. Maybe you are one of the few who digs it. Maybe they are more and i am just unaware of it.

 

I guess everyone knows their bodies best and if you think you can manage wihout meds more power to you. Most need the meds to live a normal life. It's much harder on those with families who have to go thru the highs and lows with the bi polar person - the bipolar person may think it is all ok but the families go thru a lot of tumultuous times.

[Timebandit]

I can surf it dude. Besides i'm my own best pharmacist...

 

My point was just that untreated bipolar can become much worse later on, even if you are currently able to ride the highs and lows.

 

Its not that I am that great a fan of medication, and we should not try to medicate everyone into 'normality'. But sometimes you also have to think about long term consequences.

[Entropy Smith]

I like them colorful, just not psychotic.

 

It's depending on how severe your disorder is whether you should medicate I suppose. But it is YOUR life, so do what you feel is best.

 

What are you prescribing for yourself?

Simple w--d. I don't start though until I know I'm in for the night.

[Entropy Smith]

I have no problem with people who are bipolar. I deal with some depression and anxiety myself. I dated a girl who was bipolar a few years ago, and man, she really took me for a ride and washed me up on shore.

 

I hope that you are taking care of yourself and following the direction of your doctors. That's the most important thing.

The last thing i'm going to do is follow the direction of a doctor...

[Entropy Smith]

Amen sister...awareness=empowerment!

[lukeb]

You can't make blanket statements like this for everyone. I would say medication to control highs and lows would be a last resort. I want to find out what the reasons are for these highs and lows and being able to deal with these emotions more effectively. I lived with someone diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and let me tell you it isn't pretty. If you're happy where you are in life and can live with these emotions well the more power to you. Some of us need help though, to live life to a fuller extent.

[AntiLove_SuperStar]

I'm in first stage of my academic/qualification quest to be a therapist right now, and one of my aims is to use labels as little as possible. I'm officially Bipolar, as so says the sig, but really its all very silly. Like childbirth, normal emotions have been medicalised, and its all very subjective ultimately. Obviously if you are wondering around thinking you are Princess Diana or wanting to dive off skyscrapers some urgent assistence is needed...even then, I'm not sure where the obsession with categories came from. Oh wait, its the human need for order, isnt it?

 

On side note, people have told me they love my *unique* and *colourful* personality. It can be those, yes.

[lukeb]

Is it the human need for order, or do some take comfort in knowing what it is that is wrong with them? I guess the first step in trying to fix a problem is identfying it, and for that you need labels. Labels are what makes language work.

[Sweet Buttabean Jellayroll]

i didnt know such a thinig was digable

[itsallgrand]

If the emotions are running the whole show, no, I don't dig that.

 

But if you, me, anyone is happy and not a slave to their emotions making rational thought like some distant memory or joke that someone is playing, then whatever label had is probably way over emphasized.

 

The labels are just to help to guide to what you need when you can't see it for yourself anymore. Or at least, are supposed to.

 

Me. I'd trade those manic highs ( am choosing) and jawbreaking lows for something more moderate and secure.

 

But if you are still in charge and riding it - not broken up from it - it's all good.

 

Then again, would most people know when they are breaking up from it really? Not usually til after biting the dirt for a while.

 

Rambling, yes. The thread invited a bit of it.

[toshiba]

Entropy, you're feeling good about being bipolar because you're in a manic phase of it (from what it sounds like). When someone who is bipolar is manic, they usually love their disorder and they feel empowered. This is why many of those who are bipolar don't like to take medicine to treat it. They don't want to get rid of their manic moments.

 

It would be great if that's all there were to it, but that's not the case, which is what makes being bipolar such a devastating illness. Things might seem great when you're manic, but it won't stay that way.

 

To the poster who described it as a unique and colorful personality, she's right. Manic people can be extremely entertaining. So can an alcoholic though. Both can be colorful, lively and lots of fun to be around. But it's temporary and they crash and burn quickly. It's like driving a fancy sportscar at 100 mph....it's lots of fun and it's exciting.....but wait till you have to turn a sharp corner.

 

lukeb, you said:

 

I would say medication to control highs and lows would be a last resort. I want to find out what the reasons are for these highs and lows and being able to deal with these emotions more effectively.

 

Bipolar disorder isn't like depression which can sometimes be caused by traumatic childhood events. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder and you can't you can't wish it away or cure it with therapy. It is one disorder that requires medication without question. There's no therapy that can cure it...only medication that can help to control the symptoms.

There is no reason for the highs and lows. They're due to chemical malfunctions in the persons body.

[Miss Firecracker]

Wonderful post! It is like your brain goes into high gear for no reason at all. And you can't slow down. My son is in bed right now. I asked him if I could turn off his reading light because he was obviously going to sleep from his pills. He said to leave it on because he is thinking about reading. If he didn't have his medication he would be up each and every night, ALL NIGHT LONG! He never slept, only a couple of hours at night. Then he would crash after maybe two days and sleep forever. It was a living nightmare.

[toshiba]

Wonderful post! It is like your brain goes into high gear for no reason at all. And you can't slow down. My son is in bed right now. I asked him if I could turn off his reading light because he was obviously going to sleep from his pills. He said to leave it on because he is thinking about reading. If he didn't have his medication he would be up each and every night, ALL NIGHT LONG! He never slept, only a couple of hours at night. Then he would crash after maybe two days and sleep forever. It was a living nightmare.

 

I've known several people who have been bipolar and have read a great deal about it. I remember one article which said that they believe that those with BPD have something gone awry with their circadian rhythm because most of them tend to want to stay up all night and (when they sleep) sleep during the day.

Most with BPD take (at least) an antidepressant, a mood stabilizer and something to help them sleep.

[Poe]

I have yet to meet someone with bi-polar disorder who I did not think needed serious therapy or medication. I would have serious doubts about claims of being able to "surf" it, control it yourself, and ESPECIALLY NOT "being your own pharmacist"

[love4life]

But here's my question. As humans, we all have a range of emotions. Some of us have a "wider" range, so to speak. How do you know when the range is TOO high that a person needs to be medicated?

 

I still feel like if a person is aware of their highs and low, they're not doing harm to themselves or others, and they're happy with their situation, why medicate them? Just to make other people feel relieved?

[Miss Firecracker]

love4life,

 

My son needs it to make HIM feel relieved. He is ill enough that there is no doubt what he has to do.

 

toshiba,

 

You mentioned reading that most people with this disorder stay up all night and sleep during the day. My son has done that for as long as I can remember. Until he was put on meds, my husband would find him still wandering upstairs until 7 a.m. It works fine until you have to be on the go with work, school, etc. Then there is no time to do the makeup sleep. The psychosis creeps in.

[Miss Firecracker]

I have a sister, 44, and a brother, 39, who are both bipolar. Both their lives are pretty much down the drain, and they are addicted to alcohol and illegal drugs. I guess they would say they prescribe their own medication.

 

My sister has been married four times and has children she hardly knows. As of now, her husband and my father are trying to have her committed.

 

My brother lives in a shell of a house, and if it weren't for my dad he would have starved or frozen to death by now. I just visited him, and he rambled on and on about his two ex-girlfriends who are in the penitentiary in the same cell block. It's the saddest thing you can imagine to see your own brother in that shape. His dishwasher is gone, his stove is also. He said he caught it on fire.

 

If anyone who has bipolar disorder could see my siblings I think they would want to get all the help the doctors could provide.

[toshiba]

But here's my question. As humans, we all have a range of emotions. Some of us have a "wider" range, so to speak. How do you know when the range is TOO high that a person needs to be medicated?

 

I still feel like if a person is aware of their highs and low, they're not doing harm to themselves or others, and they're happy with their situation, why medicate them? Just to make other people feel relieved?

 

 

BPD isn't a "range of emotions". It's not feeling happy one minute and sad the next--it involves much more than that.

 

It's having thoughts racing through your head a mile a minute going in different directions. That makes it pretty hard for them to keep a job if they're not medicated.

It means lack of sleeping--staying up all night still full of energy. Again, that makes it hard to keep a job because fatigue kicks in during the wrong time of day.

In many, they become extremely irritable at the slightest thing.

Many engage in compulsive spending, so much so that they go into incredible amounts of debt.

Many engage in promiscuous sex -- which makes them more prone to diseases.

 

I'll give you an example of a woman with BPD that I used to be friends with. A very smart woman but she couldn't keep jobs which many of them cannot. She talked incessantly and sometimes this would be the cause of the problems on her jobs because she often wouldn't be getting any work done. Her mind was often going in too many directions. She shopped constantly and had very expensive taste. Since she didn't have much money, she charged things and went into a lot of debt.

 

She got to the point where she was going to PayDay loan places for money. She got to know one of the owners of one of the loan places and one time she cried to him about how a company was after her for writing a bad check and how they were going to send her to jail (which was true) and he gave her the cash to pay it. She told me that if she had to she'd have sex with him to pay him back. He was a sleazy looking guy.

She then went immediately to a store and spent the money he gave her ($120) on makeup. I was with her and was amazed.

 

She was 40 years old and had slept with over 40 men that she could remember. (and that was between ages 25-40--before that she was married and before that a virgin.)

 

She stays up all night and lays around all day and her place is so filthy that you can't even find a clear place to sit down and I can guarantee you that she has roaches due to the trash, unwashed dishes, cat feces, etc....that are strewn about.

 

THAT'S bipolar disorder.