Do you know anyone with bipolar disorder?

Yes, I have known people with it. I'm not sure I'm actively involved in the lives of anyone who does now, though.

I know someone who MUST have it!

No, I don't.

Whatever that is, this computer will have it in a minute if it doesn't stop bloody disconnecting..

One of the parents from Claire's class has bipolar disorder. She and her family have since left Hong Kong and moved to Dubai. Also, my husband's ex-wife has bipolar disorder among other things. She now lives in a convent in Ohio and is becoming a nun.

Never even heard of this disorder. What is it?

um... sort of. The diagnoses are somewhat unclear, but probably. My impression is that a lot of mental disorders are diagnosed in an ambiguous manner. A person might like the label initially, because it helps them understand why they are having trouble. But, later, they might think it doesn't fit exactly and wonder if it's really true. Or, maybe they have a mix of things, etc.

Both my sister in law and my landlord were diagnosed with bipolar disorder several years ago. My sister in law seems to be doing better these days, I believe she takes medication. My then-landlord passed away about a year after we moved, and I never found out what killed her - she was very despondent last I saw her.

I truly feel for those with BiPolar/manic depression.

The medical community, it seems, has to put a label on every facet to everything. BiPolar is depression that is advanced. They say BiPolar has hereditary components. I guess so, we're all related by blood types. These are a few causes, according to one of my books.

The mental and emotional state that we call depressin can stem from a wide arrange of causes as there are individuals. In general, there seems to be five broad spectrum origins for depression...

1. A great loss, as in a spouse or child, and the inability to mourn and express grief
2. Bottled up anger and aggression turned inward
3. Behavior, often learned as a child that gets desired attention or controls relationships.
4. Biochemical imbalance characterized by amino acid and other nutrient deficiencies.
5. Drug induced depression.

Common symptoms: Feelings of sadness, and hopelessness; uncontrollable grief; paranoia; chronic fatigue; insomnia, or conversely, sleeping frequently and for long periods of time; poor appetite alternating with excessive appetite, and resulting in wide swings of weight loss and weight gain; withdrawal from social and family communication; excessive worry, anger and guilt; chronic headaches, backaches and constipation; diminished ability to concentrate; recurrent thoughts of death and suicide.

Common causes: Hypoglycemia or other sugar imbalance; sugar or alcohol dependency; chemical or food allergies; glandular imbalance with high copper levels; drug abuse; hypothyroidism; prescription drug addiction or intolerance; negative emotions discharging hormonal secretions into the bloodstream; the inability to cope with prolonged and intense stress.

Bottom line is...we have to eat right, sleep right, love right, think right. The body can make the mind sick or healthier, and the mind can make the body sick or healthier. We can't separate the mind, from the body. We have to be treated as a whole.

I don't know anyone with the confirmed disorder but I do have suspicions about one or two people. One minute all happy, the next in a fit of rage or extremely depressed.

What is bipolar disorder?

Andy Warhol.

Yeah he's my... godfather.

Actually no, I don't think I know anyone with it. Now, NPD, that's a different story...

It used to be called manic-depressive disorder.

The better doctor's tell a patient that they have a mood disorder. Bipolar/Manic-depression/Depression is for the insurance company. Every person with bipolar disorder has a form unique to themselves you might say.

I have it and know several people that do.

Bipolar isn't simply depression. There's more to it than that. Depression and mania are two very different things and people with bipolar experience both of them. Also, it's been proven that people with bipolar aren't depressed because of things going on in their lives, things that have happened to them, things they've done or not done. They lack certain chemicals in their brain. My doctor once told me it's basically a birth defect.

Yes.... several

Ooh Ooh. Pick me. Pick me.

I'm no authority on BiPolar, was just reading some material from my books, and on the internet. IFrom what I understand BiPolar is depression at a different level.....as is hypoglycemia, to diabetes. Hypoglycemia is just another form or level of diabetes. All these disorders are chemically based. All of these disorders, have propensity towards being inherited. I have a neighbor whose daughter has bipolar. My neighbor, the mother of the girl with bipolar has been in depression, tried to commit suicide about two years ago ......is now on Zoloft. From parent to child, disorders manifests themselves in different ways.

No, I don't think so.

What I'm saying is that only half of bipolar is depression. The other half is the complete opposite of depression.

No

It could be Amanda...I'm only going by what I've read. I really have compassion for those that suffer from this disorder.

Okay, thanks.

They keep changing names. Multiple Personality Disorder is now called Disosciative Identity Disorder.

Yes, my stepsister was diagnosed about six months ago. I recently went to the doctor about my mood swings and depression, and after evaluating me told me he strongly suspects atypical bipolar disorder. Crap.

Yes, I have bipolar disorder.

I love all of them except when they cant stop talking.
xxx

Yes, I know plenty of people with it, or shall I say diagnosed with it. It's one of those hugely misdiagnosed things. They have been slapping that label on everyone who doesn't think clearly. What better way to dispense pharm's than put a label on someone. Acting wacked out could be a number of things, or combinations of things.

> Also, my husband's
> ex-wife has bipolar disorder among other things.
> She now lives in a convent in Ohio and is becoming
> a nun.

** so that's where nuns come from...!

You are right on this one. Bipolar disorder is over diagnosed. Unscrupulous doctors out there throwing that term around. It is horrible for people who really have it. You have these falsely diagnosed flakes walking around and people assume that is all bipolar is, not the real deal. Sometimes though it is used because the person does have a mood disorder but doesn't quite fit here or there. There is a spot with a number that must be checked for the insurance company so they pick what is closest. And the ADD ADHD issue gets me pretty hot under the collar too.

I guess...she's an odd person. Been married twice, divorced twice. Always living near her parents and sponging off of them (living in a condo of their, "inheriting" their old cars, etc). I think my step-daughter is relived that her mother is becoming a nun because now the order will take care of her. (My step-daughter's nightmare is that her mother will turn up on her door step one day expecting to live with her.) In Mary's defense, however, she has always wanted to be a nun and likes working with preschoolers and the elderly (which is what her order does).

That would make for a good movie. Odd people can be so entertaining, but I agree, not when you have to take care of them.

Exactly

Do you have bipolar?
xxx