CityOfAngels

I'll give two instances. If you know what being bipolar is, please tell me if there is a possibility of each instance having to do with a person with bipolar disorder.

#1: My dad)
This guy is Mr. Mood Swing. We work together, and even our coworkers and I are debating on whether or not males can experience menopause, with him being our subject. He can walk in the house, a happy guy, and then something randomly wrong happens (like the cat knocking something off the table), and then he turns into Godzilla. Almost literally breathing fire with his fierce words, he goes on tangents on, "How many times have I told you not to..." and somehow try to blame the said random incident on you or someone else in the same room.
He'll be sitting down, watching TV. He's happy, a chill guy. He gets up to cook himself a meal and sees that there are some bowls in the sink. Suddenly he's Mothra. He SCREAMS at the top of his lungs: "MORE BOWLS IN THE SINK!? GODDAMMIT!" and instead of just going about, cooking his meal, he decides to not only wash the said bowls, but slam them around the sink, near-breaking them, while he washes them.
Eating out with him is like rolling the dice. He's either going to completely enjoy himself, or he's going to find some reason to YELL at the waiter/waitress and ensure that our food gets a few extra loogies in it. He once yelled at a waitress for giving him a coffee cup with a small chip in it, because "BACTERIA CAN BUILD UP IN THE CHIP!" He also once made a poor teenage girl cry because she accidentally printed out the wrong movie tickets by calling her stupid, incompetent, and other un-called-for names.

#2: Myself)
I am a very, very, VERY emotional guy. Thing is, I never show it. I have friends who look at me, and say stuff like, "I can tell by your eyes that you're very unhappy," or, "Is there something wrong?" at the most random times. When depressed, I let it build up inside me until I get a chance to be alone and then I let it all out. Thing is, the smallest thing can make me depressed, while at the same time, the smallest thing can change that depression to a situational happiness. When something wrong happens, no matter how small it is, my chain of thoughts link that occurrence to something else negative, and so on until all that I think about are these negative thoughts that completely sadden me. When something good happens, no matter how small it is (I've noticed that a smile from someone could trigger this), I start thinking of other positive things and then I'm a super-happy guy again.

Cowman

are you serious?

this is an internet messageboard

go to a doctor

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

Willravel

Hahahaha, agreed. I am a trained psychologist (whether you choose to believe me or not) and I would reccomend talking with at least friends about this. Unltimately, I'd suggest a few sessions with a trained and certified psychologist. If you cn't afford, go and buy yourself a DSM IV, or a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Bipolar 1 Disorder is characterized by one or more Manic or Mixed episodes, usually accompanied by Major Depressive Episodes.
Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by one or more Major Depressive Episodes accompanied by at least one Hypomanic Episode.
Bipolar Disporder Not Otherwise Specified is included for coding disorders with bipolar features that do not meet criteria for any of the specific Bipolar Disorders defined [above]...

CityOfAngels

Forgive me for asking a question. sheesh.

Cowman

there's nothing wrong with asking a question

there is something wrong, however, with believing one of us will actually pronounce either you or your dad as BIPOLAR

do you realize how serious of a disease that is? it takes NUMEROUS psychological tests in order to determine something like that..a few stories about how you act isn't going to enable one of us to diagnose you with the disease.

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

CityOfAngels

I never asked for a diagnosis. I just wanted to see if there's any correlation between each instance and someone who is bipolar. If I wanted a diagnosis, I would go see a doctor, but why spend $ on a doctor for that if these incidences have nothing to do with anyone who has the condition? For all I know it can be something completely different.

Glory's Sun

ermmm *raises hand* I'm labeled as bi-polar.. everyone goes through mood swings.. that doesn't make you bipolar.. but.. I have extreme mood swings..does that go with my condition.. I guess.. but as far I go..when I'm in a depressed fit..a smile doesn't make it better..nothing does..it's just a progression I have to go through..so judging by your statements.. (I'm not a shrink or anything I'm just stabbing in the dark) I'd say you weren't bi-polar

CityOfAngels

And what about the first situation?
BTW thx for the very first relevant and intelligent answer to this thread. I appreciate it.

Rodney

I can't tell you whether your dad is bipolar or not, but I know that there are other reasons besides bipolarity for acting the way he does, from what you describe. If this behavior has come on or become worse in the last few years, especially, he should get a full medical checkup to see if anything physical is out of whack. If that doesn't turn up anything, then you and about five of his close friends have to convince him he has a problem.

I also am not qualified to tell you whether you are bipolar or not. But I do know that both positive and negative moods are reinforced by emotional feedback; if something makes you angry and you dwell on it, you'll get more angry, dwell on it more, get even more angry, dwell on it even more, and on and on until whatever. Sounds kind of like what you've got going. Some are more prone to these cycles than others, others have an easier time of snapping out of them, or mainly avoid them. But I've talked to many guys whose minds work like this sometimes; mine does. Definitely bounce this one off your friends. You may find you're not that different. If you are, see a therapist. Even if you're not bipolar, a good one can help you develop mental tools for snapping the cycle. Certain forms of meditation and yoga serve the same purpose.

Glory's Sun

hrmm as far as your dad goes..it sounds more like stress and anger problems than bi-polar to me...but then what do I know??

zynyxx

I have to deal with Clinical Depression and Social Anxiety every day. And while this does not make me qualified to diagnose your situation I would however encourage you to go to a doctor and get diagnosed. Bipolarism is a chemical imbalance that can be treated. And although it took several years for them to get the meds right, I am doing much better now. Your mood swings sound to me like possible chemical imbalances. I've seen several bipolars and manics in therapy classes and you seem to fit some of the behaviors I've seen in those sessions.

thingstodo

All the advice on seeing a pro is good stuff. My oldest son was/is bipolor. We thought during his teens years that it was something to do with previously diagnoped ADD and teen angst. We were wrong. In fact, he was misdiagnosed with ADD, a common problem these days, supposedly.

The bottom line: don't take a chance. If you are possibly bipolar you might not be able to see the forest for the trees. Many folks get on meds, start feeling better, only to drop the meds because they are feeling better and then spiral down again.

As they say in the commercials, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. I think it is far too important an organ to fuck around with.

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gonadman

Try the "Mood Disorder Questionaire"

Its an objective tool used by some physicians to help diagnose bipolar disorders

http://www.dbsalliance.org/questionn...ning_intro.asp

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