Am I bipolar or just moody?
Hi there, so to start off Im a 17 year old female and for quite a while now Ive been experiencing emotional changes that worry me.
Of course, as I am only 17, Im finding it difficult to distinguish between whether Im just being a ‘typical moody teenager or if I may be mentally ill (not necessarily bipolar). Ive been doing research about bipolar disorder mainly but as many of you probably already know, its really hard to diagnose so Im not looking for a diagnosis here, just some extra opinions. It would be really helpful coming from someone who has been diagnosed with this disorder.
So to start off, for the past week or so, I have been feeling empty. Emotionless, low on energy even though I sleep for a long time, I dont have the motivation or energy to get out of bed when I wake up in the morning, no motivation to do school work (Im on break but still have work for after), etc. To put it simply, I just feel dead.
Before this, I cried a lot, felt really sad and low, hopeless, as if nothing good will ever happen and sometimes it was for no reason at all or just triggered by small things. There would even be times where I was so irritable/angry and would get very annoyed at even someone asking a simple question. Then Id have periods where I just woke up, not feeling tired even after a short sleep and
@brokendreamerxx
and Id just be so happy throughout the day for a good few days. I would be high on energy, jumpy, no real care about things, really confident, more interested in sex than usual (then afterwards feel completely uncomfortable by the idea), talking a lot, just generally a ‘high feeling caused by nothing in particular.
Its gotten to the point where I dont know whats gonna happen next and that scares me. So Im just wondering if I should seek help from a doctor/psychiatrist based on what Ive just described or am I just overthinking it all?
@brokendreamerxx I completely relate, I've been the same exact way for a long time now. I've been getting help for the depression part but never talked to anyone about the "high" part, I keep feeling like I'm overthinking it too lol. I think the general rule of thumb is if any mental distress is disrupting your daily functioning it's best to seek out professional help. You're not alone, I know how frustrating and confusing this can be to deal with, it's good that you're able to recognize it and look for guidance :)