Please help

@n0n0n0n0

I can understand how confusing and unsettling this must be for you 💚

I hope that others going through similar will share their experiences with you, do you get the support and clarity you need.

💚

@n0n0n0n0 To screen for bipolar, I think you need to be manic for at least two weeks. Does this sound like you?

I've been screened for bipolar disorder twice because of my mood swings, and I ended up not having it. Sometimes people get frequent high or low mood swings because of other disorders like ADHD or PMDD. It's helpful to get a diagnosis for these kinds of things. 

I was diagnosed pretty late in life for both PMDD and ADHD, but I got a lot of help and developed coping mechanisms. If you can't get professional help now, start with learning about how other people with similar experiences have helped themselves. You don't have to have a diagnosis to start. Just start with what you're experiencing.

For example if you're feeling "I have frequent mood swings" look up books about how people handle intense emotions at your local library. If you're afraid to have a book your parents might find, you can also download a library app like Libby or Hoopla to read ebooks on your phone instead. You could also check out free articles for mental health magazines like ADDitude. You might not have ADHD, but the skills they recommend could help you anyway. I don't have anger issue problems, but when I met someone who did, I found a technique he used to calm down was helpful for me too. And when you do finally make it into a therapist's office, you won't be starting from zero. 

That being said, mania is a pretty intense experience, and I'm sure it must be terrifying to experience it in secret. Keezy Young is a graphic novelist who has written about her own experience with Bipolar disorder. You might want to check out her autobiographical work Sunflowers. It's a quick read and might give you some insight into what you're feeling. Sometimes it helps to feel like "Other people are like this too?" I know it helped me over the years. 

You really need to talk to a doctor about it

You really need to talk to a doctor about it

I encourage you to check out the DSM 5-TR diagnostic criteria to review the exact criteria for a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Even then though, many symptoms of Bipolar Disorder overlap or are similar to symptoms of other diagnoses. Always consult with a professional, as we tend to “over diagnose” ourselves, when in reality - some of what we experience has to do with “normal” highs and lows. 💚

Hi, I honestly feel the same way too and I've done some tests as well. I currently have a therapist for my anxiety and depression, but I'm kinda scared of asking them this or bringing it up. Is there anyway that I could ease into this? Or should I just be flat out blunt?