Bipolar Type II Support Group

"Not many people last but my pdoc did say if you have a mild case you may have some luck with Topamax"

It made me think...what is a 'mild case' of bp2? Obviously this is very subjective.

I guess I'm just hoping that's me, lol, mr mild bipolar.

I have had one episode of major depression and one hypomanic episode in the last 1-2yrs. Before that, more moderate depressions and maybe one other major depression.

Probably some minor-medium mixed states in between.

Does that count as a mild-case?

Possibly the only reason why I had such a nasty depression was because of being given anti-depressants unsupported by a mood stabaliser.

What is mild/medium/severe bp2? Are these useful categories? Are they ever used by clinicians? Are there case studies of each 'type' we could point to?

I know there's a book on the 'soft bipolars' by a guy called Charles Bunch http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soft-Bipolar-Depression-Disorders- Affecting/dp/0595348246

I haven't read that book...

Forgive me if this is a too personal of a question but does your depressive episodes require hospitalization or do you just ride out the storm without any serious attempts? Also, what happens during your hypomanic episodes?

during my hypomanic phase i was just super super happy. on top of the world. thought i had found a way to be happy forever in the menu of things I was doing in life at that time. quite a lot of partying/raving and some drug use (mdma and coke) were also involved (these substances might have triggered or worsened the episode i would imagine). lots of flirting, lots of banter too...probably was a bit of a 'card', lol.

if i had hypomanic phases before i think they were (and this is complete conjecture) either poured into academic work (i would wake up thinking of lines of argument for my philosophy work and would become very obsessed) or in childhood phases that might have looked a bit add-ish.

i had quite a lot of night terrors as a child and some disturbing experiences along the way...looking back i wonder if these were the product of mixed states...probably lots of other viable explanations for these happenings however.

didn't require hospitalization in the deepest bits of my depression (still partly in it so feel slightly edgy talking about it in past tense!) but did require crisis teams/a mental health nurse. half the battle was understanding i had bp2 not psychosis/schizophrenia which i was fearing because of how extreme my racing thoughts were.

but i did feel incredibly self-hating; thought my life was going to end; thought about death lots and had suicidal ideation; felt like a worthless human being...so yeah it was a pretty deep depression and i thk without specialist support i would've checked myself into hospital.

i hate these terms because my experience has been anything but mild. i've had multiple hospitalizations and many treatment programs, therapy, medication...

severe lasting bouts of horrendous depression, peppered with periods of high optimism and energy and goals and its all ok- only to plummet again.

i'm sorry but there is nothing "soft" or "mild" in any of that. i think its misleading- and that people who don't really understand what we go through- its like they don't have to take us seriously and nothing makes me angrier than that.

i'd like to think we are treated the same- but even pdocs and tdocs can have their own biases. and if you have certain diagnoses they don't take you as seriously- i know that shouldn't be true but i've experienced it from both sides.

and then if i'm trying to explain it to friends and family and they hear mild or soft, then i get judgement- oh you're making too big a deal- see even the docs says its mild. then i lose what might have been most of my support system.

and then i start to question myself. is this real. maybe there's nothing wrong with me and i should just shut up. and then i know its real- but having to convince others, including and especially pdoc's is horrible.

then they say things like- well if you had real bipolar then maybe we'd worry. and i'm like but wait-- i DO have real bipolar.

i'm not angry at anyone here- what i get mad about is the assumptions people make when they don't know too much - or they do know too much)

i guess i really hope for a day when better research gets better education and understanding and less judgment. when it comes down to it i guess its really about stigma and that sucks.