Bipolar I, & BPD. - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

BipolarPrincess · 05-06-2009, 06:58 PM

Wonderful. I have both. I'm in denial mode, I'm in panic mode, and CONFUSED.

#1 WHAT is the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II ?

#2 Am I going to suffer forever with this pain? I'm majorly depressed, irritable, and anxious.

Going to start intense therapy 5 days a week, you meet with a psychiatrist once a week and can have one on one with a therapist.

I'm so scared I won't get better from depression. I wish I was 'manic' or 'hypomanic'..at least I'd experience some joy. I get none. I'm dead inside right now.

dreams in neon · 05-06-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BipolarPrincess

Wonderful. I have both. I'm in denial mode, I'm in panic mode, and CONFUSED.

#1 WHAT is the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II ?

#2 Am I going to suffer forever with this pain? I'm majorly depressed, irritable, and anxious.

Going to start intense therapy 5 days a week, you meet with a psychiatrist once a week and can have one on one with a therapist.

I'm so scared I won't get better from depression. I wish I was 'manic' or 'hypomanic'..at least I'd experience some joy. I get none. I'm dead inside right now.

1. BPI is characterized by full blown mania and severe depression. BPII is characrerized by hypomania (mild mania) and severe depression.

2. Since your diagnosis is new, it will take some time for you to accept which is normal. You will also need to find the right med combo to help with your depression. If your anxiety is severe, your psychiatrist can give you a med to deal with that as well.

As far as mania and hypomania are concerned, not everyone feels happy during this state. I don't. I start off feeling wonderful, but by the middle and end of an episode, I "crash" into extreme irritability and severe depression.

BipolarPrincess · 05-06-2009, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams in neon

1. BPI is characterized by full blown mania and severe depression. BPII is characrerized by hypomania (mild mania) and severe depression.

2. Since your diagnosis is new, it will take some time for you to accept which is normal. You will also need to find the right med combo to help with your depression. If your anxiety is severe, your psychiatrist can give you a med to deal with that as well.

As far as mania and hypomania are concerned, not everyone feels happy during this state. I don't. I start off feeling wonderful, but by the middle and end of an episode, I "crash" into extreme irritability and severe depression.

So, I have the worse of the two? I've had 2 full bown mania's, which the first one I quit paxil cold turkey and it happened and was using drugs, the second time I was using lots of drugs and messed with my medication again. SO, how does my therapist figure I'm bipolar I from that? That's what I'm trying to figure out right now.

dreams in neon · 05-06-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BipolarPrincess

So, I have the worse of the two? I've had 2 full bown mania's, which the first one I quit paxil cold turkey and it happened and was using drugs, the second time I was using lots of drugs and messed with my medication again. SO, how does my therapist figure I'm bipolar I from that? That's what I'm trying to figure out right now.

Hmmm. Usually bipolar isn't diagnosed when someone does illicit drugs. Note that I am not judging you in any way. I'm just indicating what the DSM (a manual that psychiatrists use) says in regards to this.

If you became manic after being taken off of Paxil, it's possible you're bipolar I since it caused you to have a manic episode. Some people do become manic or hypomanic if they are withdrawn from an anti-depressant.

I have a question. When you were on Paxil, were you also on a mood stabilizer? If not, then Paxil caused your manic episode. When people with bipolar take an anti-depressant without a mood stabilizer, it can cause mania.

BPI is technically considered more "severe" than BPII but only when it comes to mania vs. hypomania.

However, BPII can be just as severe (if not more) due to frequent severe depressive episodes.

Most pdocs consider depressive episodes to be of more concern than manic episodes for obvious reasons. Manic episodes pose a great danger themselves due to promiscuity, gambling, shopping sprees and impulsivity, but it does not result in the same problems that depression can cause.

Also remember that just because you have BPI does not mean your case is more "severe" than someone who has BPII. I know someone who has BPII who has very severe depression (she is someone I know on a deaf and hard of hearing message board I used to participate on) and she was far more symptomatic than I was even though my pdoc and tdoc consider my bipolar to be "severe" due to my voices, delusions, paranoia and rapid cycling.

Long story short, the severity of bipolar and how it affects each of us varies from person to person.

katlin09 · 05-06-2009, 07:42 PM

I have to agree with Dreams, I have BPII and BPD, and my hypomania's are not always "pleasant". they may briefly start that way, but then the quickly turn into irritability, stress, agitation and anger. One thing you might want to know is that once you get on the right meds and on a regular therapy schedule the depression will be manageable at times. I won't lie, you will have times when it does get the better of you, but for the most part you should be able to have some control over it with the help of your pdoc and tdoc. I know a little about this as my formal diagnosis is BPII w/severe med resistant suicidal depression. So I get depressed, severely depressed quite a bit, but my docs and meds help me to get it under control sooner or later.

kat