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I've been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder
Ok, I know at times my behavior here has been unusual to downright rude at times, and I recently discovered what I think may be the cause. My mood swings relating to depression have been getting worse, me flipping out of friends, (friends I've subsequently lost) and I finally decided that enough was enough. I went and got tested by mental health professionals and have discovered I have Bi-Polar disorder. I know, that probably freaks some people out, but I wanted to talk about it because when the doctors told me, I was really freaked out, like I'd found out I have cancer or something like that. I mean I know some people think that people dealing with this are completely nuts and belong in a padded room 24/7. But I wanted to get some input from people here that might know someone or have a loved one dealing with this so I can understand it better. I want to make it clear that I AM NOT ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL SORRY FOR ME. I just want to get a handle on this so I can stop treating people the way I do sometimes.
Thank you for listening, David |
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#2
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Bi-polar disorder is something that really is disturbing in one's life, but no cancer sweety. Be happy with it. It's something one can live with and work with, so it gets more "controlable", maybe with some relatively harmless medication, I bet you can handle this. On the other hand, without the disorder you possibly wouldn't have gotten on the obsessive FM/LB-high that brought you to more liveshows and artist-contacts any other fan dream of.
I don't want to ridicule it, david, it's a bitter pill to take, but please look at it in perspective.
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Oh I'm sure David, that that mindset is THE ONLY way to succeed in meeting legends: If you want it too much, it nearly ever happens. Your "natural" approach has helped you in that, I'm sure. But look at it that way: it's a quality you've got "in spite of" , or maybe even "thanks to" your disorder.
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#6
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I'm no expert, but I'm guessing that a diagnosis like this is a step along the way to learning to live with your moods, and a bit of confirmation that you were right in your suspicions. It's confirmation that you weren't going crazy. Hopefully you can use it as a foundation for figuring out the best way to handle it - surely knowing what the problem is and being willing to learn about it are great ways towards dealing with it. As people have said, no-one's going to magically fix it for you, but being able to label it will help you to fight it. Good luck, dude
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#7
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When I read this I immediately thought of a documentary called The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive which was really informative for someone who doesn't know too much about it, it'd be great for showing people who are close to you. You should watch it. They have it all seperated into parts on youtube and here's the first part:
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#8
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I believe most of us are somewhat "bipolar". It's the new term for moodiness. Every decade they come up with some new way of diagnosing fairly normal human reactions and behavior. Almost everyone I know would probably be diagnosed with this if they put themselves in the position of being analyzed by some psychiatrist or health care professional. Yes, many people have extreme moodiness which interferes with their life and should be treated, but it's only a matter of degree. Honestly, anyone who can live in this crazy world and not be moody or somewhat "bipolar" is probably a corpse (and yes, we do have some of those walking amongst us too ). But all the creative geniuses...musicians, artists, poets, and so on, most likely have some degree of this. Not to worry David. You're in good company.
My best friend is a clinical psychologist who works with one of the most well-known psychiatrists in the country. They believe this is just another one of the latest diagnosis fads. Not cancer by a long shot. Just normal human reactions to life, and they do not believe it should necessarily be termed a "disorder" unless the behavior is highly disabling and bizarre. Anyway, just another perspective to consider. |
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I have a good friend who was diagnosed with the same, and I most certainly have NEVER viewed anyone who is dealing with bipolar disorder as being "nuts"; I applaud you for seeking help and obtaining a diagnosis and getting to the bottom of everything.......
Good luck, take care, and have a good week ~ |
#10
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I found this info for you in a google search:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/bi...ipolar_faq.htm I thought you already knew you had this disorder. You've been open about your mental health issues in the past, so I assumed you had been diagnosed already. Anyway, a combination of therapy & meds along with lifestyle changes like diet/exercise/positive thinking/relaxation techniques are often very effective. In my experience, there's no 1 thing that will magically cure bipolar, it's something you need to work on for the rest of your life. And Gerald's right - it's not the best news, but it's not the end of the world. It sure does explain your overspending & obsessive need to see all those shows that you've talked about in the past. It's definitely treatable & manageable - now that you have an actual name for it, you can learn how to deal with it. Good luck to you. Last edited by skcin; 02-05-2008 at 04:07 PM.. |
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Last edited by DavidMn; 02-05-2008 at 05:14 PM.. |
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One of the most fascinating case studies I've ever read was in a book by I think Ron Fieve. The patient, during an unmonitored mania, put himself on an airplane to continental Europe (pre-1989), booked himself into a luxury hotel, & began to "plan" to reunite the two divided Germanys in a massive implosion of utopian ideation & sexual joy.
Two or three weeks later, he was located by authorities in an East German jail, babbling incoherently, his super-ego having attenuated as his id expanded beyond all recognition into a florid psychosis. It's a fascinating illness, without a doubt. Best wishes to you, Dave. This is an extreme example, so be not upset. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. |
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I suffer from it. It's real uncomfortable, and I've done my share of alienating people when I'm in one of the opposing poles to my depression. But, meds and therapy help. I'm bipolar 'mixed', my moods cycle rapidly in the course of a day. But then, the whole mess goes dormant and I could be fine for months...years, etc. I never get the extreme mania to the point that I'm delusional or unreasonable and not able to sleep for days (see, Spears), but instead it manifests itself as aggression. I can get 'set off' when I'm cycling and then I'm a mess. At one point, there were 4 web boards that I was banned or nearly banned from because I got so aggressive- and that's just the internet! In real life, I came real close to losing my job.
I find that avoiding 'Beautiful Child' during a depressed mood helps alot. You'll be alright.. |
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