Say hypothetically someone has hypomania for an extended period of time (let’s say a few months) and they never experience any depressive episodes, what would this be categorized as? BP 1? BP 2? Would this just be considered mania? Like, the person is able to function socially and is able to go to work still, but everything their mind is constantly racing, always talking a mile a minute, believes they’re superior, and gets four hours of sleep every night. Since they are able to still function in guessing this would be considered hypomania, but without depressive episodes this wouldn’t be BP 2. So, BP1?

Really sucks - no matter what job I have - retail jobs, corporate jobs, sales jobs, driving jobs - erratic emotions just do not allow any emotional stability, emotional calmness to be a reliable worker, someone to be trusted, someone to be counted on. Hence, can never get ahead in any job, always at entry level. So damm frustrating.

I sleep almost all day. I work at night; not all night, just until 1. I can understand sleeping until maybe 11 am or something to catch up, but I’m waking up and then going back to sleep at 2 until I have to leave for work again.

I think it’s a little depression and a little boredom.

when I tried to talk to my psych about it, he recommended I do a sleep study (expensive), and didn’t seem to be concerned about depression, but I am. He’s hesitant to change my meds.

Is it a symptom of my meds? Is it depression? has anyone had this sleeping problem before? Thank you.

Hello!
I'm currently getting off Risperidone after a litany of side effects. I'm on 150mg lamotrigine, which is great except for the word recall issues. We're planning on trying Vraylar next, so I'm hoping to hear stories! If it worked or not, if you needed to be on other meds, anything! TIYA

Ive bene having some very light hypomanic episodes, but i miss so much the heavier ones, i even thought of shopping medications. I grieve It, i miss It with all of me. I even miss the worst parte such as paranoia and having Little tò no sleep for days. I dont know what to do, Is this normal?

Today my psych recommended that I stop my Geodon abruptly without tapering and start caplyta. I take 20mg in the morning and 40mg at night. How bad will the withdrawal be? I’m nervous. I voiced my concerns and she assured me I won’t feel any negative effects but I’m not convinced. TIA!

I just started 25mg of lamotogrine and I’m a bit nervous. I’ve heard that for some people it’s god send, for others -not so much. I’m also not sure if I’m on the right titration? My psych put me on a weekly titration upwards from 25 to 100, but I heard that’s quite fast.

Any tips and advice?

Has anyone else ever lost a lot of weight? I’ve lost a ton of weight and it’s not typical for me at all, I was just wondering if this is something anyone else has had as a symptom. I’m pretty sure the cause of it is literally just not wanting to deal with preparing food / tired

It’s been so much trauma. Living in my car, going to jail, going to residential treatment in a different state, meeting my first love, getting pregnant, being forced to do adoption. Leaving the hospital I went out a different person. I’ve had a lot of hard things nothing compares. I cried all day for months. I had permanent bags under my eyes. Seeing her again she was like a stranger. There’s days where it’s fine others it’s not. It’s been 5 years. The grief is always there like her birthday not being on the family calendar. Or when people say to me oh is this your first when I’m out with my son. I didn’t survive losing her I am not that person anymore

I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 just over 5 years ago after a horrible manic episode at 47. Looking back at my life I wouldn’t say I showed major signs of bipolar and went many, many years with absolutely no symptoms at all.
Anyways, my husband had an affair with someone 20 years younger than him and is blaming my bipolar. Attacking me at every opportunity. I have been stable and medicated for 4yrs. He said to me last night- Go take your yogurt and your medication, go to sleep. Rinse and repeat. It’s the sign of insanity!
I work full time
He’s become my worse nightmare. Telling me all the time I’m not fit to be around kids (16,16,18). Meanwhile while he was having affair he was out of house from 8am-9pm every day.
He says he’s moving out but I don’t believe him.
He was so supportive before this affair.
Why is he behaving like this and bringing up my bipolar at every opportunity? Telling me I’m crazy all the time!!

I dont feel my parents can help me. With my therapist I dont see any progress in myself with the many sessions we've probaby my fault.

My fridge smells terrible because of a mistake I made. I dont enjoy class anymore and have to drag myself to college.

I've been addicted to graphic content for ages. I was going to go to an EMDR therapist but I never got round to a proper session. I'm bipolar with ADHD and very likely autism.

I struggle with boundaries and goals. My mental health continues to deteriorate.

I'm starting to realize I'm just stuck like this.

I wish I didn't have to deal with any of this anymore.

Okay so I was recently diagnosed bipolar, like within a few days ago. I wasn't told what type, to be honest I don't really know if I had to guess it was probably bipolar 2 because I heard this has the more depressive periods and any hallucinations I've had have I THINK been during a depressive episode but there was this time in my apartment I was doing all right and heard my landlords living upstairs whispering about me at night which I don't think was actually possible and then I had weird paranoia about this where I wore my headphones all the time in my place not to hear them talk about me again idk

But anyways I've just started on a sub therapeutic (hopefully using the right terminology here) dose of lithium which is supposed to be the "right" meds rather than my antidepressants that made me feel like shit.

But I feel like I may be misdiagnosed and there is comorbidities going on here. I'm not sure if it matters what I think those are, because I'm not a mental health professional and a lot of my symptoms that I have fall under different umbrellas. The point is that I don't *know* but I do feel doubt. I am wondering am I experiencing denial? Or what would be a good time frame to question if the pysch that diagnosed me was wrong?

I'm still not doing well right now, but I just started the meds so I know these things take time. But let's say it goes a while on this treatment and I'm not seeing improvements? What time frame is realistic here to start questioning.

And I don't want to seek a second opinion just for the hell of it if I'm just in denial and spinning out. I find talking to pyschs very difficult. I just wanna know what you guys think.

For context I am bipolar and have bpd. I did a little research and there is likely 20% who meets the criteria of having ocd while being bipolar. And theres no way possible that i saw it coming. I am kinda skeptical if I have it or not. The moment I went home and sat and thought about it, the more I got aware in some sense? But I am scared that I might be forcing myself doing things intentionally just because I might have ocd, if that makes sense. Does anyone felt this way before or is it just me.

I have bipolar, schizoid personality disorder, AuDHD, and OCD. I am medicated for almost 2 months now, at 18.

I feel depressed. Damp. My negative thoughts have nowhere to hide. I'm just... Bleh. My episodes used to be mostly hypomania + mixed.

Will I get used to stability?

Im an 18 year old boy, I shouldnt be worrying abt this...

Hi! I was recently diagnosed after receiving an ADHD diagnosis years ago (and now being told that was a misdiagnosis). My doctor is changing up my meds (currently on Vraylar and starting Gabapentin + Lithium) and I have no idea what to expect.

I guess I'm just looking for general advice/tips for making life easier. I'm constantly so irritable and anxious, I have no motivation to do anything, and every little thing sets me off.

Any support is appreciated :)

Hello all! Decided to make this post because i’m curious if anyone else’s meds make it hard to get aroused.

I’m currently on 1200mg of Oxcarbazepine / 200mg Lamotrigine a day. I take Hydroyxcine for my anxiety/insomnia as needed.

It’s not much of a problem for me or my husband. If anything, it’s given me room to focus on other things like working out and jewelry making.

This isn’t a post to be nosey , just genuinely curious

Mostly need to rant but advice is welcome.

So my anti psychotic was increased a couple of days ago and then further increased today. It's being used to treat psychotic symptoms in the form of delusions, which I do not believe are delusions no matter how many times my psychiatrist and loved ones have said it.

To make it brief it involves being warned that my chest is rotting and that some sort of tragedy is coming through the music of Ethel Cain. And furthermore that it is from the fictional character the songs are about rather than the artist behind the character, Hayden. I believe there is an alternate reality where Ethel Cain exists and is sending me messages.

Now it is as though those thoughts have had their volume reduced, like going from screaming to talking. It feels good in the sense that I am no longer spending all my free time, as well as time at work, trying to decode meanings and lyrics. The issue is that I feel like my ability to decode these messages which I still believe are out there for me to discover, has been reduced. And I am becoming worried I will miss something important due to my meds interfering that will have consequences later on. I feel like I see the world with less clarity now

My bf is in a cult called IDMR. We've been together for five months. This is my soulmate. I won't talk to my guy friend anymore because he and I used to like each other well over a year ago now we're best friends. My bf doesn't mind I just feel like I'm cheating on him because I wouldn't like him doing the same and I just want to be a good gf.

With him, he has kept pressuring me to join his classes or at least attend but I tell him I don't want to. But everything time I talk about my spirituality he brings up his classes saying "I thought you were coming to my classes?"

Since then, I'm psychotic, I hear voices calling me a list, cheater and I don't deserve to be here because I'm a cheater....it's heavily distressing me. What should I do???? Please.

I relapsed on 7oh last night and my mood is so messed up today. Im really upset with myself, its like everytime I am starting to do a little better I sabotage myself.

hi everyone! im f18 struggling with BD2 since january this year. i officially got my diagnosis in april and now im on antipsychotic, antidepressants and mood stabilizer

do you ever feel dull pain in your entire body that doesn't make any sense but makes you want to crawl out of your skin?

both mentally and physically i cant say that im in a bad place right now but i highly suspect that im in a mixed episode. this is a new feeling for me because usually its accompanied by miserable thoughts and etc. but for the past couple of days im just feeling okay except for the part where i want to roll around on the floor and groan because i cant even name the place on my body where i feel PAIN

wanted to ask if there's someone else who experienced this and what helped you personally

quick note: ofc i will be discussing this with my psychiatrist as soon as I'll be able to book an appointment

My medication has caused a bit of emotional blunting which I was incredibly grateful for initially. I wasn’t so affected by everything in life. However, now that my relationship is on the rocks to the point I am contemplating ending my engagement, I am not so grateful. I can’t feel/gauge the severity of the situation accurately as my reaction has been so mild. I want to feel as upset as I feel I should be but I can’t. It’s confusing and frustrating right now. Has anyone felt with emotional blunting clouding judgement before? Any advice is appreciated.

I just came off my medication entirely about a month and a half ago, yet again. I had the worst manic episode I have ever had in my life and I genuinely can’t even believe that I survived. The hospital workers, like the nurses, and the psychiatrist saved my life by putting me back on proper medication and giving me the Haldol shot.

I am 33F and I have reached a point on this journey (I was diagnosed at 21) that I fully accept needing to take medication for the rest of my life and I’m completely ok with it because medication literally is the only thing that keeps me together, other than my support system and my learned coping mechanisms.

Don’t be like me and just take the damn meds. The doctors want to help us and a good amount of them actually care.

Just grateful for my life today. Keep it up, warriors.

it’s currently 2am and i’m wondering if anyone else can relate to my experience. for context i (f23) have been stable for 5 years since being diagnosed and medicated. i haven’t been fully manic or depressed since 2021 which i know im so grateful for.
the thing is there will be times where im not necessarily manic but im not what i would consider ‘normal’.
tonight, for instance, i had a stressful shift at work (i work with young people in residential housing) and im finding it hard to wind down. its strange because i was feeling slightly this way last night but was able to take a melatonin got to sleep. tonight… well i took a melatonin a few hours ago now.
i find it so hard to describe these feelings to my therapist or psychiatrist. i dont want to label it as manic, because its not, so i usually say mini mania. other times this happens are when i am up submitting an assignment late or something triggering happens. luckily its a rare occurrence but its still so confusing. other than insomnia, my other symptoms include impulse buying clothes at night, racing thoughts, jittery, more talkative, alert, keep finding things to do other than sleep etc.
for further context i got diagnosed with adhd a couple of weeks ago too. though the doctor did say it was mild and the inattentive type so i dont think im hyperactive or anything?
if anyone has any thoughts or similar experiences, please share! i would really appreciate it :)

Hi there, I’m 36m, and I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 and generalized anxiety disorder about 8 years ago and was trying my best to keep it in check and manage my health. Around 2020 with Covid and an earthquake that happened in my area I had to move, lost my job, and lost contact with my NP that was helping me. So at that time I ran out of meds and couldn’t really find a new doctor (because of no insurance). So I tried a natural approach. Needless to say it didn’t help.

During the past 6 years I’ve had some major ups and downs, and I’m pretty sure I’ve shifted into bipolar 1 (no formal diagnoses yet) as I noticed I had a major manic episode when visiting Las Vegas. I finally got a somewhat stable job and have decent insurance now.

This past week I met with a spiritual advisor (who happens to be a psychologist) and he referred me to a local NP that might be able to help get me on new meds and even out my moods. Only problem is the appointment is 2 weeks out.

I say I feel punished because I disclosed to my immediate supervisor my bipolar disorder, and explained that I would be adjusting to medication. Since then the leadership at work has been kind of distant short with any requests or questions. Coworkers have been less than helpful and I’ve even had jabs at my mental health.

I just wanted to feel better and I feel stupid for disclosing. Maybe I can get some intermittent fmla and refocus on myself while getting my meds figured out.

Does anyone have advice for navigating bipolar in the workplace? I feel like I’m losing myself and on the edge of losing control of everything.

I feel like my brain’s baseline is so fucked up - it’s hard to just enjoy normal life stuff and accept a regular way of living. It’s absolutely killing me. Whenever life starts feeling too normal I have to fight the urge to jump on a plane and do a full life reset. During some of my manic/hypomanic phases, I genuinely had some incredible experiences and everything just starts feeling pretty bleak in comparison. Now it feels like I need a ton of stimulation and adrenaline to actually feel satisfied. I hate that I know how great I “can” feel.