Please state your diagnosis and predominant mood.
a) How would you describe your "normal" state?
b) What % of the time have you been normal in the last year?

Please state your diagnosis and predominant mood. BP 2/depressive

a) How would you describe your "normal" state? Normal for me is upbeat, motivated, energetic without frenzy, content with life, able to identify warning signs of an episode onset and control my behavior before it becomes full-blown, able to experience good and bad days without the world ending or euphoric revelations occuring. :cool:

b) What % of the time have you been normal in the last year? Less than 20% - clarity finally came in April '05.
:wave:

Please state your diagnosis and predominant mood.
a) How would you describe your "normal" state?
b) What % of the time have you been normal in the last year?



Diagnosis-BP2
Predominant mood-depression
Normal state-happy, humorous, outgoing, focussed and productive, reasonably self-aware
Percentage of "normality" in the past year-50%. Well until september, then a manageable depressive episode for a short while, fine until january then (decreasingly, due to meds) calamitous from mid january to late may.

Diagnosis: BP2 rapid cycler depressive

a) My normal state? I have no clue! I have always been wound up but moody and cynical even before my dx. So I think I've been symptomatic longer than I've really known and as such I really don't think I have a perspective on "normal" The way I was before the meds sounds pretty symptomatic and I haven't been stable since.
b) 0%

Diagnosis: BP2 rapid cycler depressive

a) My normal state? I have no clue! I have always been wound up but moody and cynical even before my dx. So I think I've been symptomatic longer than I've really known and as such I really don't think I have a perspective on "normal" The way I was before the meds sounds pretty symptomatic and I haven't been stable since.
b) 0%EXACT SAME THING for me.

Please state your diagnosis and predominant mood.
a) How would you describe your "normal" state?
b) What % of the time have you been normal in the last year?

A: Upbeat, while remaining logical and clear.

B: 25% of the time.

Thank you for your replies, Reesie, V-05, Leo and AOMS! It seems like "normal" is so fleeting or nonexistent that I just have to ask -- how many times have you experienced identity crises due to your lack of perspective?

As a teen, I always thought "...if only..." As in, if only I lost 10 pounds ,I'd feel better about myself. Or - if only I got into a good college, I'd blossom and the "real me" would finally emerge and be successful. This continued into adulthood, but the self-loathing became sharper because I'd finally experienced normal yet couldn't understand why I never stayed that way.

So, I'd have to say I've had at least 6 real identity crises -- as a teen, a college student, a lonely 20-something, an unemployed 20-something, a "happily" attached woman and a mother. A lot of inner turmoil before my BP diagnosis was made and suddenly explained the method to my madness. It's like you suddenly smack your head and say, "Duh!"

Does this sound familiar to anyone?