Jekyll & Hyde ...is he bipolar? What do you think? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

BreeP · 12-21-2006, 01:13 PM

Hubby is very "moody" to put it nicely. He gets excited about things and overly happy, then in a moment he becomes a very rude a****hole. He tries to find happiness through material things, but then they never really make him happy. He always has to have a quest! He will obsess and do whatever it takes to reach his goal (usually buying something) then the object will be meaningless to him almost immediately. He blows up easily but when I try to resolve our conflicts he will decide that "it's over, drop it!" and won't discuss it anymore. The next day he will treat me as if nothing ever happened. I've been on this rollercoaster for almost 3 yrs now and feel hopeless that he will get help b/c he doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. He stays more on the low end as far as his moods go, but there are definitely swings. He's also very impulsive. He devistated me by leaving me once. I love him and really think this may be his problem. I know he's depressed b/c we are in a bad situation right now, but he's always had these tendencies.

Does what I say match up to bipolar? Thanks a lot.

cstep · 12-21-2006, 01:59 PM

I can't tell you if your husband has bipolar, but as a person who has it I would say he sounds like it, a lot. I have type two (diagnosed a year ago) which is a less severe form. I grew up with a father who is bipolar type 1-the most severe form. I take medication for it and it is controlled very well. Unfortunately, a lot of peole with bipolar are in denial that anything is wrong. Sometimes, even when the person is diagnosed, they have a hard time accepting it. Could you imagine walking into a docors office and being told that you have a disease that has no cure and you will have to continually take meds, and change them over time, just to be almost normal. It can be a bit overwhelming, but once a person can accept this, and start treatment and see a difference-it doesn't seem too bad. From what I hear it seems like your going to have a problem with him accepting he might have a problem. I wish you all the best. You may want to check out the thread that reads 'unfortunately I think it's too late' there are a lot of comen problem you may see in there.

NutshellNutter · 12-22-2006, 04:51 AM

Only a quick reply as I'm in work at mo so apologies...

but, yup!! I am diagnosed BP 2 and fully identify with everything you have described - the constant quests, the obsessiveness, the immediate dropping of arguments on my say so and then acting that nothing ever happened, the impulstivity, never feeling satisified even when I get what I think I need, even being called Jekyll and Hyde as you've put in your title belive it or not!!!

Now after years of calling myself a complete freak as I never understood why I just wasn't seeing the world the same as most, I am on meds (antidep and mood stabiliser), don't touch alcohol at all - it made me very dangerous and am under the supervision of a very good psychiatrist. Now, I have my life back, my partner has his life back, we both have a happy life together again - even my cats get an easier life living with a medicated me!!!! lol

I would recommend talking to your OH about your feelings of having researched BP and try to get him seen by a psychiatrist. Unfortunately this mightn't be easy as he probably doesn't think he has a problem - in fact he probably thinks it is you with the problem - this is exactly what I done. It took for me to be put into hospital against my will to recognise that there was something that needed fixing in my head.

I wish you both the very best of luck. If your OH is diagnosed as BP there are meds that will give him his life back, and you yours.

Nut.