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I didn’t properly welcome you or introduce myself. I'm Paule and I was dx with bipolar at the age of 15. I'm 31 now and believe me when i tell you that with the right treatment it gets better.
Here are some useful information that I’ve gathered from the lovely members of this site.
Hope it’ll help you on your quest.
There are different types of bipolar depending on the type of mania you experience.
1) cyclothymia
2) bipolar II
3) bipolar I
4) bipolar NOS
People who experience cyclothymia and bipolar II experience moderate manis - hypomanias People with bipolar II are said to have up to 37 times more depression than hypomania- and people who are bipolar I experience the full blown manic episodes you're referring to. You can read more information about the different subtypes at the link below: http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.lieber.html
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar- disorder/complete-index.shtml
An episode of hypomania will have at least three of the symptoms of mania, which can make them hard to distinguish. In addition, both are associated with an irritable mood.
The average duration of a manic episode is three months. However there are no guarantees.
What are the symptoms of Hypomania?
Effected people tend to overestimate their capabilities.
They feel inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
Increased alcohol consumption.
They fail to see the obvious risks involved in their ventures
Making lots of plans.
Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities.
Increased interest in uncharacteristic sexual flirting.
They wish of doing several things at once.
Decreased need for sleep.
More sensitive than usual.
They feel like taking too many responsibilities.
Increase in goal-directed activity
it is almost the same as mania with some differences .
Hypomania is a precursor to mania that is characterized by increased irritability and overly cheerful mood. Hypomania usually goes unnoticed and will not lead to hospitalization.
Similarities
A great site for suicidal thoughts: http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/index.html
Social Rhythm says that a daily routine will help bipolar sufferers b/c irregular sleeping habits and those associated with other daily activities can trigger manic episodes by disturbing the body's sleep-wake (circadian system) clock.
There are daily routines that you can follow to control your moods.
CBT- cognitive behavioral therapy.
DBT - is dialectal behavioral therapy where you go to a support group and see a therapist. For more details, check out the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavioral_therapy
This is a dug assistance program from Xubex you can call them for info at 1-866-699-8239 1-866-699-8239 or look at it online at www.xubex.com and get the order form at www.xubex.com/XubexApplicationForm_new.pdf
Great books to read on bipolar that can help you: Bipolar Disorder Survivor Guide, Dialectical Behavior Skills for Bipolar, Overcoming Bipolar, Bipolar Disorder for Dummies, Bipolar Disorder Demystified doing your best to stay on that tightrope.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ssris/MH00066 antidepressants and your sex drive
Studies report rates of bipolar disorder between 4% and 15% in children with one bipolar parent, compared to 0% to 2% in the offspring of parents who don't have the disorder. And if both parents are bipolar, rather than just one, a child is about 3.5 times more likely to develop the condition.
http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/ 0,,20275257,00.html
Hope that helps.
