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He went to that psychiatrist several times because he got several different meds and they either made him angry or tired.
It was more than a 15 minute appointment, I think it was about an hour and he had to fill out 20 pages of paperwork about his mood/suicide/family ... etc. etc.
So this week he was depressed and anxious all week. I dragged him to the gym two nights ago and he did well there and enjoyed it.
On the way home his eyes got small again and he didn't even want to stop for gas - I had to drop him off at home and apparently he was laying there for the rest of the day.
He is always worried that one day he doesn't snap out of it and it stays like it forever.
I have a sleep disease and gave him my meds yesterday - Nuvigil (it gives energy to people with sleep disorders). He felt instantly better. So now we don't know if it was the pill or if he just coincidental snapped out if it anyway because it has been 4 days already.
In the evening he was super hyper (probably not from the pill, it must have worn off by then) and super happy and all out there, awake until midnight. I actually rather deal with his lows as with the highs, since it is a bit too much for me.
Do highs follow the lows immediately on bipolar people?
He WAS hyper yesterday right after being super depressed for 4 days.
Yes, he DOES have anxiety and OCD and he does think he has bipolar.
But he doesn't want to see more doctors because all the different meds they gave him, made him feel worse. He almost punched a guy at work from the one med and then almost fell down a ladder because he was dizzy from another med and he slept too much while on them or just kept getting angry all the time.
He was on a low dosage of Lexapro for 5 years but quit taking it half a year ago because it apparently helped in the beginning but then no more.
I was just wondering, if you guys are depressed, is it really mostly in the stomach? I always thought it is mostly in the head (feeling sad and worthless).
Anyone who can read knows the symptoms of bipolar.
OP's friend does not display manic symptoms = NOT bipolar.
Doesn't matter, you CANNOT diagnose over the internet and ESPECIALLY through a third party over the internet. Even you should be able to understand that cinderslippers Come on you just posted about the importance of not diagnosing over the internet and you promptly start making random diagnoses or overruling therapists etc.
He sounds like he has Anxiety, which of course he does, he has OCD.
No he's NOT bipolar.
Stop trying to diagnose.
I first presented with severe depression 4 years ago and finally after investigation they've found an underlying comorbid disease or 14.
He probably has LAYERS of mental illness that needs personalized treatment.
From a team of qualified specialists, not a friend who Means Well.
Internet can help a lot. For 15 years I ran from one doctor to the other, trying to find out what is wrong with me. Then I came here and CD helped me figure out I have a simple thyroid issue. I have been diagnosed with tons of other stuff from doctors. They are human, too, not magic. Sometimes you have to tell them what you THINK you have and they can check specifically for that and tell you yes or no.
My friend thought she has LYME disease, went to several doctors who said she doesn't. Finally found one whose wife had it, too and properly diagnosed her.
Also, I was wondering if specialists are maybe hesitant to label somebody with bipolar because of how it affects the rights in the workplace?
Do your highs and lows also only last a few days or more like weeks?
So are your depressions like his? Mostly in the stomach? No suicide thoughts? Staring at the wall? hot and cold flashes? He said his brain is working on 10% and he feels retarded when he is depressed. He is not angry, impatient, or anything. Just very quiet.
He takes very well care of himself, great hygiene, teeth whitening, etc. etc. even when he feels like crap.
I'm bipolar 2 and it's hard to describe at times. It's very much what night bird said. It can be small shifts or big. The real key is constant follow up. If he is able an intensive outpatient day group might be helpful. They'll usually do medication as well.
In my experience getting the diagnosis is the "easy" part. It took a good year to figure out what combo of meds worked for me. I also needed to learn what my "normal" is. Now I know and I can look back on past times before my diagnosis that were total manic/depressed cycles.
It's not easy, but there is support and if he's willing to get help that's probably the biggest hurdle to clear.
You're an amazing friend, what you're doing isn't easy but he's very lucky to have you. But also don't get discouraged if you have times when you need a break from helping him or need to focus on yourself for a bit <3
He sounds like he has Anxiety, which of course he does, he has OCD.
No he's NOT bipolar.
Stop trying to diagnose.
I first presented with severe depression 4 years ago and finally after investigation they've found an underlying comorbid disease or 14.
He probably has LAYERS of mental illness that needs personalized treatment.
From a team of qualified specialists, not a friend who Means Well.
Just stop. Please. You don't know what you're talking about. At all. You don't even know what your mental health issues are. You ask for advice constantly on this same subject.
Specifically NO ONE can say he has or doesn't have bipolar.
If you were an actual mental health professional you wouldn't be giving advice like this out online.
Internet can help a lot. For 15 years I ran from one doctor to the other, trying to find out what is wrong with me. Then I came here and CD helped me figure out I have a simple thyroid issue. I have been diagnosed with tons of other stuff from doctors. They are human, too, not magic. Sometimes you have to tell them what you THINK you have and they can check specifically for that and tell you yes or no.
My friend thought she has LYME disease, went to several doctors who said she doesn't. Finally found one whose wife had it, too and properly diagnosed her.
I have a friend who has suffered fibromyalgia for YEARS but tests showed nothing.
Now, finally after 20 years of pain she had a Full Episode and was very, very ill and the tests finally came back positive.
Its only because she had a Doctor who kept retesting her instead of writing her off as One of Those.
Sometimes symptoms of one thing can hide another too.
I presented as Severely Depressed and it was only when I went to the Hospital they said BPD - mainly because I had most (by no means all) of the symptoms.
Even now the diagnosis is floating<<is she/isn't she
because
1. ive never self harmed
2. I put other people before myself
something BPDs DONT do.
So now ive gone from depression, to Major Depression, to BPD, back out of it, to PTSD (which is all BPD is, really) to Substance Abuse Disorder (wtf! im virtually teetotal!) and I KNOW ive always had an eating disorder so im finally telling people about that for the first time in my life.
its never been bad but now, its worsened - but in a weird way - I have finally realized I hoard food so now I guess you can add Hoarding to the list of MI.
By "hoarding food" I have always, always got chock full cupboards and fridge, most of the stuff I moved in my many address changes was food, I live alone, I throw a LOT of food out (which does not fit strictly with hoarding) and since beginning of the year Ive required a Sweet Hoard. This is an absolute first for me I used to just go and buy it.
Now I feel anxious if its not in the house. I don't eat it necessarily, I just want to know its there.
So basically your mental health can change, worsen, improve.
But one thing my journey has taught me - ive never once been considered bipolar, because the criteria is clear and definable and unmistakeable.
I don't get mania. Ive never once presented to anyone as anything other than depressed and/or labile (changeable).
Mania doesn't mean staying up till midnight, it means weeks of 3 hours a night, not needing sleep, thinking you are magical, things will all work your way no matter what, laughing all the while, spending money like water, boasting about insane things, twitching, appearing and BEING overloaded on natural high, grandiose, making huge plans and schemes, recreating scenarios that already exist.
You know when you're looking at an untreated Bipolar. They are all over the streets, homeless or chattering or running about directionlessly. Their lives do not function. They wake up in strange rooms, lose their jobs, go on benders.
OP's friends life is functional which pretty much rules undiagnosed Bipolar out.
Bipolar and Schizophrenia are both common and severe mental illnesses with definable and quite strict criteria, and they both can be treated with medication because they are both caused by an organic disturbance in brain chemistry that is identified known treatable and manageable.
BPD is not like this. BPD does not respond to medication, at all.
Someone with OCD will benefit from anti anxiety therapy and meds.
Anti anxiety therapy is useless for bipolar and BPD.
The primary treatment for Bipolar and schizophrenia is medication. Therapy is often not even required. The chemistry is wrong and needs adjusting medically.
The primary treatment for most other mental illnesses is therapy combined with medication if needed.
Unless OP's friends life becomes utterly dysfunctional, he probably doesn't have either bipolar or schizophrenia. Those people are ill, they look sick, they act unwell, its unmistakeable.
I'm bipolar 2 and it's hard to describe at times. It's very much what night bird said. It can be small shifts or big. The real key is constant follow up. If he is able an intensive outpatient day group might be helpful. They'll usually do medication as well.
In my experience getting the diagnosis is the "easy" part. It took a good year to figure out what combo of meds worked for me. I also needed to learn what my "normal" is. Now I know and I can look back on past times before my diagnosis that were total manic/depressed cycles.
It's not easy, but there is support and if he's willing to get help that's probably the biggest hurdle to clear.
You're an amazing friend, what you're doing isn't easy but he's very lucky to have you. But also don't get discouraged if you have times when you need a break from helping him or need to focus on yourself for a bit <3
I am a very strong person and seeing him struggle hurts. I just treat him as if he has a cold - be calm and nice and quiet around him, feed him healthy food. he doesn't want to see anybody else when he is depressed because most people try to cheer him up. He doesn't want that, he needs quietness, maybe a walk on the beach but without much talking ..
So since you are on the right meds, there are no more days where you feel horrible? What do you mean you need to learn what normal is?
And do you also feel like some toxin gets pumped in your stomach when you wake up and the depression kicks in? He said it feels like a pump and sometimes it goes away if he lays there and breathes heavily. I think it builds up and one morning he can't breath it away anymore and it fully breaks out. Every about 4-8 weeks.
Does it get triggered by something? Anger? Adrenaline? Sad event?
yeserday evening, when he felt better we went to a bar and he was super funny, loud, clapping. It was almost annoying. Then we left and he kept tellling me how cool he is (??) and that he wants to invent a machine that ... blalbalba (???). He is super handy, I have no doubt he can build that machine, but seriously ...????
Mania doesn't mean staying up till midnight, it means weeks of 3 hours a night, not needing sleep, thinking you are magical, things will all work your way no matter what, laughing all the while, spending money like water, boasting about insane things, twitching, appearing and BEING overloaded on natural high, grandiose, making huge plans and schemes, recreating scenarios that already exist.
You know when you're looking at an untreated Bipolar. They are all over the streets, homeless or chattering or running about directionlessly. Their lives do not function. They wake up in strange rooms, lose their jobs, go on benders.
OP's friends life is functional which pretty much rules undiagnosed Bipolar out.
Bipolar and Schizophrenia are both common and severe mental illnesses with definable and quite strict criteria, and they both can be treated with medication because they are both caused by an organic disturbance in brain chemistry that is identified known treatable and manageable.
BPD is not like this. BPD does not respond to medication, at all.
Someone with OCD will benefit from anti anxiety therapy and meds.
Anti anxiety therapy is useless for bipolar and BPD.
The primary treatment for Bipolar and schizophrenia is medication. Therapy is often not even required. The chemistry is wrong and needs adjusting medically.
The primary treatment for most other mental illnesses is therapy combined with medication if needed.
Unless OP's friends life becomes utterly dysfunctional, he probably doesn't have either bipolar or schizophrenia. Those people are ill, they look sick, they act unwell, its unmistakeable.
you do realize that bipolar 2 exists? Less mania, more depression, very functional in regular life if not depressed at the moment.
I am a very strong person and seeing him struggle hurts. I just treat him as if he has a cold - be calm and nice and quiet around him, feed him healthy food. he doesn't want to see anybody else when he is depressed because most people try to cheer him up. He doesn't want that, he needs quietness, maybe a walk on the beach but without much talking ..
So since you are on the right meds, there are no more days where you feel horrible? What do you mean you need to learn what normal is?
And do you also feel like some toxin gets pumped in your stomach when you wake up and the depression kicks in? He said it feels like a pump and sometimes it goes away if he lays there and breathes heavily. I think it builds up and one morning he can't breath it away anymore and it fully breaks out. Every about 4-8 weeks.
Does it get triggered by something? Anger? Adrenaline? Sad event?
yeserday evening, when he felt better we went to a bar and he was super funny, loud, clapping. It was almost annoying. Then we left and he kept tellling me how cool he is (??) and that he wants to invent a machine that ... blalbalba (???). He is super handy, I have no doubt he can build that machine, but seriously ...????
Theres another interesting thing to consider.
Sometimes people who present as having a severe mental illness, actually grew up with a parent with that illness, undiagnosed.
In other words, they LEARN the behavior, while not necessarily having the chemical disorder themselves.
Is your friends life functioning? He holds a job? Does he have family, if so, how do they behave? Does he have other friends, if so, are they concerned too?
Some people (I am one of them) get a natural high from music, any music. Some get a natural rush from crowds.
Its the only thing I still enjoy actually, and my therapist encourages it for this reason.
he already was on Zoloft, Lexapro (5 years, I think), Celexa, Prozac, wellbutrin, Viibrid and Cymbalta.
His ego is pretty big, I am surprised he even tried that much and he doesn't want to go back to a "quack" and especially not a psychologist.
So if I can ever convince him to go see anybody ever again, his diagnosis and meds better help more or he will never go back there.
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Come on you just posted about the importance of not diagnosing over the internet and you promptly start making random diagnoses or overruling therapists etc.
