I have a HUGE family history of BP, not sure what type of bp but my twin sis and father are diagnosed. I have in the past year went through highly stressful events, and with that being said have experienced some depression. I just put this as being normal due to the situation I experienced and have worked on my moods without medication. After visiting this site I am now questioning whether or not I may have cyclothymia bp. I have had a very tragic life with my family and losing loved ones and moving cross country twice, along with the diagnosis of my twin's bp and her crazy behavior and two of my siblings dying at young ages tragically. I now recognize some of the symptoms you all speak of as my own, even though I have done tests and have been told that I am not mentally anything. Even though I experience some of these symptoms I can go a VERY LONG period of time without feeling any of these sypmtoms (although I do not feel "normal" in this time). I have been told by many people that I act like I am ADHD because I jump subjects in conversation and can not focus or concentrate. I went through a phase at age 14 of being unable to sleep (my parents were divorcing at the time so I thought it was due to the changes in my life at the time, along with moving across the country and having no friends), and I just felt unable to relate to anyone my own age. I gained some weight then, but the next year I safely lost the weight and seemed to regain my footing, but I NEVER regained my self esteem or self respect. I then began dating and that started my heart ache and seemed to cause some depression, especially when the love of my highschool life left me heartbroken.
To my question, I am finally getting in tune with my feelings and emotions, and I just wondered if anyone here with cyclothymia has experienced periods of no symptoms at all without medication? I just want to be sure I am doing myself justice, and that maybe I am just experiencing stress that surface as bp symptoms rather than experiencing bp. I want to be the person I know I can be, but do not want to spin a doc's wheels if there is no need to. I do not have a lot of money to give a doc, so I want to know that I am not wasting my time or money. Any suggestions anyone?
According to the DSM-IV to have a diagnosis of cylothymia you must have both periods of depression and hypomania lasting at least 2 yrs., experience periods of feeling normal lasting no longer than 2 mos. Also, Individual has experienced no major depression, manic or mixed episode during the first two years of symptoms.
Given your history, what you are experiencing perhaps is normal. Have you looked into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
What I read about cyclothymia it seems some people manage to go without medication while some opt to take meds. I know that isn't helpful but at least you will have a choice if you do have cyclothmia.
I, too, have had a very traumatic past. My husband was killed in an accident, my father committed suicide, as did my uncle, my brother died recently from the effects of alcoholism. I feel I have never "snapped" back and there is a saddeness about me that never goes away. I will never be the same, regardless of having Bipolar, the grief and sadness will never go away.
I hope I was of some help, don't hesitate to write if you need help.
Thanks batmatic. I just want to get out of whatever has affected me, but I know that you are right when saying that once you have tragedy you just really do not become the person you were before. It just seems unfair to have these types of reactions, like I am broken. I have not had any debilitating phases, just things that were important to me before are now not so important, but life has a funny way of showing you what is truely important. I just get so sick of people telling me that I have 'old eyes' because since I was 22 people who notice can see that I have knowlege beyond my years. I guess I can consider myself lucky, I have learned to appreciate the small things in life faster and it really doesn't take much to make me happy. I am sorry for your losses, I understand how frustrating it can be to lose people you love like that (and you feel so angry because they could control it but chose not to).
To pose another question, due to my close family history of bp, do you suppose it is possible that I react to life altering events like a bp person would? I always wondered if part of my reactions were due to who raised me and what I was exposed to as a child. Learned behavior and the fact that I have a predisposition.
According to the DSM-IV to have a diagnosis of cylothymia you must have both periods of depression and hypomania lasting at least 2 yrs., experience periods of feeling normal lasting no longer than 2 mos. Also, Individual has experienced no major depression, manic or mixed episode during the first two years of symptoms.
Given your history, what you are experiencing perhaps is normal. Have you looked into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
What I read about cyclothymia it seems some people manage to go without medication while some opt to take meds. I know that isn't helpful but at least you will have a choice if you do have cyclothmia.
I, too, have had a very traumatic past. My husband was killed in an accident, my father committed suicide, as did my uncle, my brother died recently from the effects of alcoholism. I feel I have never "snapped" back and there is a saddeness about me that never goes away. I will never be the same, regardless of having Bipolar, the grief and sadness will never go away.
I hope I was of some help, don't hesitate to write if you need help.
My first diagnosis was "Cyclomythia" a milder form of BP, but then when i was given Celexa anti depressant for depression i went completely manic and my diagnosis was changed to BP1, although i have also had a history of PPD after the birth of my children , which i understand now is part of the mood disorder family according to my pdoc
Also i am diagnosed with PTS, the symtpoms of PTs were much more threatening to me than cyclomythia... and it should be treated ...
PTS is like ground "Zero" and many other disorders can come from PTs if not treated. PTS is horribe , I write poetry as a form of healing and it does help
hello, those sympmtoms that you re experienceing are just lifes daily stresses, everyone feels those things at certain times, certain circumstances, beleive me you would know if you were bipolar or not, trust me. the mania the mood swings are such a factor that you cant wonder if you are bipolar without experiencing the crazy that goes with it, you sound normal to me, you may mimick bipolar becasue your dad and sis, but the doc probably has them on many meds. iwent off all meds 4 years ago aand desided to just deal with the situation, i feel that meds just opens a whole new can of worms and you can never really get to the bottom of it unless you are not under the influence of any meds, im not into cover ups, but anyway thats just me,,,, i think your nice and you seem normal to me. by the way im doing fine , have my bad days but still function quite well> take care kimber lee
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