Doug,
You are exactly the same person I met months ago when first getting on MDT.
So, we change...not always...
I don't have the education and skill to know about bipolar, but I can tell you, being four years old and very bipolar even back then. I know how to detect bipolar!
Weird, isn't it? I know I had the mood swings at age four!
I will support you either way.
I have figured out how to put together a decent life with my ever-present affliction of bipolar. Lol!
BTW, I'm not sure my funny memes are up to par lately, so if you can help or just advise...advise away!

I would view bipolar as diabetes. It's there. You can make it worse by not taking care of yourself and refusing to take meds, educating yourself and making good life choices or the opposite.

The effects will shorten your life statistically if you don't take care of it just like diabetes. There is no cure but we are wired that way. In my view, it is neither good nor bad. Not addressing it appropriately is unwise, but the disorder is not bad. Why? Because WE are not bad innately. The wiring doesn't make us good or bad, it just means we operate differently. Our brains react differently and seemingly without warning for changes. We have creative power and insight far above the average Joe and Jane that is envied. So far from a negative it simply is a condition.

I wish there were some standardized testing that could determine if I was indeed bi-polar or ADHD, because the symptomology seems to be so very similar. I just know I'm so very tired of whatever this creeping malaise is.

I’ve had a diagnosis of Bipolar II since my twenties, along with treatment-resistant depression (TR-MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and PTSD. Over the years, I’ve collected quite the alphabet soup of diagnoses!

For me, depression has always been the biggest challenge. Between the MDD and Bipolar II, the fatigue, sadness, and lack of motivation is relentless and debilitating. Because of that, when the hypomania shows up, it can sometimes feel like a bit of a vacation—not necessarily a healthy vacation, but a break from the weight of depression nonetheless.

My hypomania usually means less sleep, more energy, I suddenly get a hundred things done that I couldn’t have dreamed of accomplishing while feeling  overwhelmed with depression. Of course, that burst of productivity comes with its own challenges.

The biggest problematic symptom for me is spending money. As a former accountant, you’d think someone who spent years balancing six-figure budgets would know better. Apparently, hypomania looked at my degree and experience and said, “That’s cute,” before ordering things I absolutely did not need and sometimes really couldn’t afford. In the moment, my brain seems convinced every purchase is a brilliant idea. It’s usually not until later that I look at my bank account and realize, “Well… that was an expensive episode” and “now how the hell do I get myself out of this mess!”

So, you’re definitely not alone in this experience. Bipolar can look very different from person to person, but many of us understand the ups, downs, and everything in between of it! While our symptoms may not be identical, there’s comfort in knowing others have faced similar struggles and found ways to keep moving forward. Be gentle with yourself—you’re navigating something incredibly challenging, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Pam

Hi Heidi, bipolar sucks just like all of the mental health diagnoses do . . God bless you and I'm sending my best peace, love, and good vibes to you, as well as my best prayers going up . . Sam . .