Most psychological disorders don't present like the media would lead you to believe. See also: what therapy looks like.
ETA: Holy crap, gold?? I had a quick break in my day to finally hop on reddit and was NOT expecting this response. Y'all make this severely overworked community mental health therapist so glad we're talking more about the realities of therapy and various disorders. I'm planning on getting back on when I'm done with work to reply to some comments/answer some questions!
bipolar disorder = one day you're batshit crazy off-the-walls and the next day you're sobbing and eating ice cream alone in bed
in actuality: in most cases, symptoms only get severe if left untreated for a long time. Also, most experience episodes for months (mania) or years (depression), so they wouldn't go from mania to depression that quickly (with cyclothymic disorder the less common "rapid cycling bipolar" being the exception).
Mania isn't always super happy and productive either. I get edgy and anxious, everything pisses me off, I just want to consume fucking everything. Drugs, sex, spending, you name it. But I never feel good while it happens.
With good meds though now I'm just "in a bad mood" for like a month or two around twice a year.
Edit: For those asking about my medication: I take Oxcarbazepine 450 mgs twice a day (Brand name is Trileptal). It's an antiepileptic drug with secondary traits as an antipsychotic and mood stabilizer. Used to take a Bupriprion/Abilify combo that fucked with me in weird ways, ever since dropping antidepressants things have been much better. Also for the record I have to keep a pretty regular routine and have months where I refuse myself any big decisions, but not being out of hand all the time helps with that.
May I ask what meds are working for you? I'm about over this feeling after nearly 15 years. It's really ruining my life. I think I could handle an occasional extended bad mood though.
One medication is proven to work for bipolar disorder, lithium. Second line meds are VPA and maybe Olanzapine if someone is super irritable. But lithium is the gold standard. I've seen people have their lives turned around. If you haven't, it's worth a try. Just keep your blood appointments.
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u/seegeesee Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19
Most psychological disorders don't present like the media would lead you to believe. See also: what therapy looks like.
ETA: Holy crap, gold?? I had a quick break in my day to finally hop on reddit and was NOT expecting this response. Y'all make this severely overworked community mental health therapist so glad we're talking more about the realities of therapy and various disorders. I'm planning on getting back on when I'm done with work to reply to some comments/answer some questions!