Can I be bipolar

Hi Cilly,

Happy to see you posting here again. I am sorry for the reason though.
How are you feeling today?

You are correct. We cannot diagnose you, but we can offer our support to you. Only a psychiatrist will be able to do a proper evaluation and make a diagnosis. Have you visited your psychiatrist recently and told them how you have been feeling?

How long have you been on the same meds? Maybe you need a dosage adjustment or even a med change. Sometimes, our meds stop working after a file as we need to get them adjusted.

I would suggest you remember to use your coping techniques as well. I practicing journaling when I can. Just by writing down my feelings and thoughts, whether negative or positive, it helps me feel a bit better. Deep breathing also helps when I am overwhelmed.

Mania is marked by periods of great excitement or euphoria, delusions, and over-activity. The below link has more information on mania in Bipolar:
www.helpguide.org/articles/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-disorder-signs-and-symptoms.htm
I hope you find it helpful.

I hope you will feel better soon. Please know that we are here for you. Feel free to post or vent anytime.

UA

Cily:

You can be anything you want.

I think it's good to inquire about that.

I'm manic-depressive, and I have a lot of the same symptoms that you do.

You say you have:

1."Can't sleep in night." (I have trouble with that, also, and I take my meds (anit-dep: Mirtazapine and Lithium) I also take health food store and net stores, Power to Sleep; Alteril is another such health food store sleep aid that I've heard recommended.

2. "I am not a morning person." I'm not either. I used to think those who are morning people are well, and those who aren't are sick. Now I'm not so ashamed of being not a morning person.

3. "I talk a lot." Me too, which is seen in these posts. Not a bad trait.

4. "Too much debt." I know what that's about also.

5. "I am extremely emotional most of times." Me too. That's not a bad trait, either.

6. "I have no anger." As a manic-depressive, with my Lithium, which brings down anger and helps lift depression, I can get very angry. With my Lithium, it helps control it greatly. When I'm balanced, I can take some verbal abuse and I do not give it back. So I know what you're talking about.

7. "I have extreme anxiety most days." I used to have a lot of anxiety. What helped was Lithium. When I took my first Lithium pill, I felt like the air had been let out of an over-inflated balloon. I didn't know I had been that tense all those years. It's the Lithium that relaxed me. It's not like a tranquilizer, which I find sedates me. Lithium just calms me down with no feeling of being knocked out.

8. "I was always a loner but like to go to public places and strike conversations." Me too. If I meet someone on the steet wakling my dog, I can talk quite a bit. But I don't generally go into social situations.

9. "I am disabled ..can't work." Me too.

10. Depression is horrible...I do not know what mania is ?
I tend to ignore my family and including my parents?as according to me they need parenting skills which they lack though they are very loving and kind towards me."

This too applies t me, sorta. I have been depressed. But the Mirt ant-dep. help, as does the Lithium. Do anti-dep. help you get out of depression?

If you don't know what mania is, you haven't really lived.

11. "I am a perfectionist in day to day life?" I can be that way.

12. "I do not have OCd about neatness of home ....disorganized is my world. I have never been neat organizer type person."

I do not have Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, either. I am not organized.

13. "My parents never objected or rectified me."
They are cool and easy going...but my dad is high strung and strict which I never liked."

My dad was uptight and over critical. My mom was the opposite.

"Too much personal info but I am curious soul so sorry ....."

"That's me I am just reflective tonight."

"In high stress situation I freeze.which I hate." (I can freeze in rough situations, also.)

"I had extremely stressful childhood as I guess my parents are neglectful and need parenting skills .I was learning disabled kid I am sure now." (I learned I was learning disabled when I was in school, and later, and still have that.)

"My mom is extremely laid back but my dad is opposite ...high strung and anxious...I have bad genes from him that I have anxiety. cry this is my story ."

"Sorry for long rant but I want to know ,I know all of you are not docs here but I am struggling even with so many meds so I wanna know."

Since you don't have mania, it doesn't seem like you have bi-polar.