Bipolar Type II Support Group

Can someone please distingush the fundamental differences in a rage episode and an axiety attack. Can an anxiety attack be triggered by severe anger and agitation?

Just diagnosed with BP2..wen't home for thanksgiving (usually a trigger to begin with) and went psycho after debating (about unimportant craP0 with a sibling. Anyways, he wouldn't let the debate go and kept on going and going about why I was wrong. I have enough control to let go but I couldn't handle it and went absolutely crazy (heart racing, feeling like I HAVE to find something to break...jumping up and down to escape the pain I was feeling).

Haven't felt this type of rage since I reacted to a few bad SSRI's when i was a teenager. I'm now 26 and have been on Lamictal for about 10 weeks...200 MG.

Please...any help is greatly appreciated

I don't know. Sounds like you felt trapped and were trying to get out. Is it possible it was mixed? Like anxious rage. You were so anxious you felt angry at the imposition?

Did you break anything or visibly lose your temper? Did you verbally abuse anyone? Then I wold say the anxiety tipped over into rage. If interanikzed, I would probably keep it under the umbrella of (painful) painful anxiety. Possibly mixed.

But I am curious what others say.

Regardless of what you call it, it sounds painful tonhave endured, and I am sorry to hear that you went though it.

One part of me wants to say its my OCD (constant thinking, pure obsessional btw) but when i get to the level of rage where I have no control, I literally feel like murdering someone...that can't be anxiety right? I mean I'm hoping my doctor diagnosed be correctly. I've always had a feeling I was bipolar...but ever since getting off Celexa these mood swings (depression crying to road rage) have gotten worse. Literally an hour ago, I told a Barnes and Nobles worker to "F herself" becuase I'd been driving around finding ONE place (library) to be open and no luck.

Celexa had "pooped out" on me btw..hated the lethargic side effects but Lamictal hasn't done shit. My pdoc keeps wanting to wait and wait for it to kick in...I'm like why the F don't we just go up to 400-500 then?

Anyone Else? I'm begging that you knowledgable people please help be with this. If I'm wrongfully diagnosed, that is a SERIOUS problem for me.

You sound like me in hypo-mania. My hypo-mania consists of anger, irritation, and racing thoughts. Do you take an anti-psychotic? That's what helped me with this. I take Abilify. Someone would push me and push me until I blew up on them. I'd become a crazy person. Yell, scream, cry, sometimes hit too which isn't good. I know what you are going through and it's an awful feeling. It's embarrassing facing the people that witness these outbursts. You will want to tell your psychiatrist about this for sure because he can prescribe something to help. I hope you can get this under control. You could have been having a panic attack at the same time, but it sounds like rage to me.

Idk you know, but one can be pure OCD AND bipolar. An AD might be very contradicted. And lamictal may not be enough to keep mania in check. Would you say you are or suspect rapid cycling. W/ OCD that's tough.

Jeez, I am thinkingnof my friend who is purely obsessional and BPII. He is on a cocktail. It does not include an AD btw.

Think it's viiibryd. But he takes Latuda to tamp it down, plus a few other things. I am not prescribing you understand. But from talking with him, his mind can just take over. I have know idea what it is like for you.

I imagine if you are cursing out bookshop employees, your pdoc needs to be made aware kindly and firmly.

Does any of this resonate for you?

Post edited by: sparklehorse, at: 11/27/2011 10:37 AM

Thank you so much. Yes, there is absolutely NO control when I'm in that state. I'm sick of people saying "just breath" or "mind over matter." They don't understand the pain at that moment.

Is Abilify an immediate acting medicine like xanax is? She (my psych) always tells me I'm stubborn but i think im gonna give her two more sessions to see if she can step her game up...too much $ spent on meds and appointments.

I was switched to Abilify from Geodon. The Geodon made me too tired and it never went away like it did for most people. I think it takes a little bit to get in your system, but Geodon is a lot like Abilify and it worked fairly quickly for me. Everyone is different though when it comes to medications. I wouldn't say it's as quick as Xanax is, no. I hope that your psychiatrist listens to you and does something about this. It's very uncomfortable not knowing when you will fly off the handle. Hang in there and let us know what happens!

In my own experience, Abilify had immediate effects. I was unable to stay on it due to side effects,but I think, according to others who hopefully will chime into,this conversation, it has long term effects as well.

Abilify is reported to be less sedating that other AAPs. Caution should be taken at lower doses because it is known to be activating. With BP, or with any new med, it's good to keep a hood eye on your mood and be in close touch with your doc. Abilify can be activating in rare cases at any dose. Not to creep you out. Just be realistic. I was fine.

I will take that in mind...thanks for both responses