compulsiveness and bp - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

whitewingdove · 07-16-2006, 03:25 PM

hi,
i am bipolar and experience alot of compulsiveness. i do things taht i know are bad and i shouldn't do them but it's like i'm outside of my body watching myself and i can't stop myself. is this part of bp? has neone else experienced this and how do you stop? will take ne advice. it gets me in alot of trouble. i stole my mom's credit card and bought a bunch of stuff online and i knew i shouldn't and i would get in trouble but i couldn't stop myself. it's the same thing with shopping. everytime i go to the store to get tp or something i end up spending every penny on clothes. i'm on a oc med but it doesn't help with this. help plz.
thanx,
dove

fallen_angel · 07-17-2006, 02:57 AM

hi dove,
reading your post was just like reading about myself, i also have a huge problem with compulsive spending, ive spent about £90,000 in the past 4 years. and i also have stolen my mum's credit cards and used her bank account to buy online. i know my actions were absolutely unforgivable but like you, i couldnt help myself. clothes were my main downfall, and also, the same as you, i couldnt walk past a clothes shop without buying half the shop. i felt trapped by my behaviour and it has ruined the past few years of my life.
for years ive been told i just had an addiction to spending caused by low self esteem, but then in may this year i was diagnosed bipolar II. a lot of things started to make sense. compulsive overspending is a huge symptom of manic behaviour, i started to look back at the past and saw patterns. when i was depressed, i didnt want to spend. when i was "manic" or excessively happy, i couldnt stop. when i was spending i had a great sense of urgency around me and my heart would beat really fast, id be literally buzzing. if you can relate to this i would say this is a definitely a symptom of your bp.
have you actually been professionally diagnosed bp and if so what sort of meds are you on? anti depressants are very bad to take in most cases of bp as they can induce mania which in turn,induces the spending.i noticed that my spending became very bad everytime i was put on anti depressants, before i was correctly diagnosed. ive been taking lithium for around 2 months now, and have just had my dose increased. im finally starting to feel calm and have no urges to spend, or if i do, they pass almost immediately.
i think its just a case of trial and error with most meds to find the one that works for you, but i can totally relate to the pain this problem causes so i know how important it is that you get it under control.
talk to your pdoc, and hang in there, there is hope. im the proof

whitewingdove · 07-17-2006, 04:47 PM

hi,
thanx so much for your response. i have been diagnosed as bp and i am on abilify for bp and lamictal which is a mood stabilizer and luvox for ocd. the doc took me off my antidepressants coz we didn't think they were doing ne good for me. none of these meds helps with my compulsive spending tho. is the lithium working for that? i will take ur advice and talk to the doc about it and see if he can give me a better med for it. i'm so glad i'm not alone out there. thanx again
much love,
dove

coffeegirl2 · 07-17-2006, 05:31 PM

I too, am very impulsive when it comes to spending at times. It is due to the hypomania and Bipolar Disorder completely. There is not a sale rack that does not ever catch my eye, nor is there ever a shopping mall that I cannot seem to surpass around either. Mine goes in spurts with mood swings and hypomania levels, so my DH watches me and my spending habits, and tells me to slow down or will set me aside and ask 'what is going on?' if he sees that I'm spending too much. That is when I have to visit the pdoc asap for a med check or talk to the tdoc and sort out things that are going on in my life.

Credit and Debit Cards are dangerous along with check books. They should be held in high regards or locked up with others to where they are not in reach of those who have spending problems. A few people have mentioned placing them in the freezer- and it works. Just make sure to unthaw them naturally instead of using the microwave!

Hang in there and take care of yourself. Try different mood stabilizers until you can find one that works in conjunction with an antisychotic. You will someday soon find a combo mix that will work as there are many, many meds out there it just takes time to find the right combination to work. Give yourself time. Patience.

Hugs

Coffeegirl

fallen_angel · 07-18-2006, 05:30 AM

Hi Dove,
yes i feel the lithium is helping with the spending, when i first went on it i didnt notice much difference but i was only on a low dose at the time and i was also still taking anti depressants. im now completely off the anti depressants and have had my lithium dosage increased to 600mg, and just in the past week or so, things have been a lot calmer.
just this morning i had some urges to spend but it passed really quickly.spending was like my drug but i dont feel its like the end of the world anymore if i dont buy that dress or those pair of shoes, the compulsion isnt taking me over anymore. i have bought a few bits in the past week but they were all things that i needed, i also looked in a clothes shop without feeling i had to buy half of it. the temptation isnt even there when i look online anymore. i can actually "wait" to get things too, which i never used to be able to do. my shopping habits are becoming like a normal person's now and i feel in control and free. im actually starting to wear the things i buy now too, i used to just hang them in the wardrobe with the tags still attached because i was scared they'd get ruined.
im terrified it will all come back again but im trying to stick to the meds and stay positive. i found it impossible to believe that a tablet could keep all this under control but the right meds will do that. talk to your doc and dont give up!!
its also great for me to talk to someone who shares all of this, many of us do. if you need to talk im always here,
Angel x