Good luck with everything!

Just stumbled across this thread, thought I'd give my two cents. I have an aunt whom I've always been very close with who's bipolar and I've had my own battles with some social anxiety and depression over the years.

My aunt's lived a pretty normal life considering her condition. She just retired last year after working for 30+ years at one location. She's been lucky enough to have found a medication that worked really well for her for a very long time. It doesn't make her too out of it, she's always been very friendly & well liked amongst our family and her peers. And she's been pretty happy over the years

My advice is simply to work with your therapist/doctor until you find a medication plan that works for you. Decades ago when my aunt was first diagnosed with this, she would kind of lie and pretend everything was fine with her therapist as she was afraid to say what was really going on. Thus whatever medication she was on would only make things worse, and eventually she'd have some really bad episodes. If you do start to feel out of it or "down," far too often from the medication, don't be afraid to tell your therapist/doctor that. If they're any good at what they do, they will work with you to either reduce the dosage or change the medication you're on until you find something that works for you.

My aunt's 61 now. She's been on medication for 40+ years, and she's still relatively healthy with no major health risks or side effects caused by it.

I'm just saying - it can be managed and with a good therapist, good family, and good medication plan, it's more than possible to live a normal, happy life with this.

I just skimmed this thread because I have to go to work, and I know I'm some days late, but needed to reply to this:

This is false, as anyone with access to the DSM can tell you. Which leads me to doubt the validity of this:

Thank you all again and thanks discgolfing for the sincere lengthy reply. As i'm sure anyone is aware that's been around or have the disorder there are good days and bad days.. I do have a very good support system around me on my side of the family and on my wife's side of the family as well.. they are very cool about the circumstances and wish nothing but the best.. I also have some very good supportive friends (much older as well as my age) that give nothing but the best of advice, are completely honest, and are there to talk whenever I need it. I consider myself very very blessed considering the circumstances.

minding over your thoughts at all time really helps if you ahve a moderate version of it, at least in my experience. Thoughts can really run away with you sometimes and can cause you to kinda come down from it. If you learn to nip that in the but then you can do without meds. This probably wont go if you go into full blown mania tho. At one point tho you feel life will be kinda boring tho if you dont have those swings.

You are correct in that it is possible to be diagnosed with Bipolar I, Single Manic Episode without having a MDD episode. However, if you read AND study the DSM-IV and not just glance at the criteria, you'd see that this is very rare (about 90% have had a pattern of depressive episodes) as Bipolar by nature is a recurrent disorder. In fact, in my 7 years of practicing psychology, I have NEVER had someone report only a single manic episode without ever having a depressive episode. Never.

You're free to disagree with my statement about psychologists being trained more appropriately in diagnostic criteria and talk-therapy than psychiatrists but as any first-year grad student in virtually any mental health profession can tell you, I'm correct. I would venture to say that the vast majority of psychiatrists I know agree 100% with my statement. This isn't to say that they don't want to do more talk-therapy or be further trained, it is just that they are primarily trained on drug effects and interactions. Hence the reason they are typically used for med management with minimal talk therapy. I've been a psychologist for a little over 7 years and would love to hear about your qualifications in the field that gives you validity to refute my statement.

Just read your profile and discovered you're a psychiatry resident. Hence the reason you took issue with my statement. I should have expected that given your disrespectful response to my post. Sad to see some things never change between the old psychiatry v. psychology debate.

I guess my bolding wasn't clear. I wasn't disputing that psychologists are better at talk therapy. I was only disputing that they are better at making diagnoses.

I also will not doubt your experience that almost every bipolar patient has a depressive episode eventually (the only exception I can think of having seen was a 16 year old boy presenting with his first manic episode). I'm only a first year resident. However, I still take issue with your claim. You do not need a depressive episode to fit the criteria for Bipolar I Disorder, single episode or not. It's simply factually incorrect to claim otherwise.

EDIT: Well, I guess you agree given your italicized 'possible.' Doing it that way makes it look like you don't want to really admit that your previous post had an error, but that's all I was trying to point out.

this kind of comment is such an insult to injury to mentally ill guys. I really hate to see this kind of hollow advice.

Thanks vroommm, I know it is. The thing is I get told this all the time about me and how to fix my problems. I cant find the words to describe how frustrating it is to be told this over and over.

I just wanted to prove a point.

This thread has taken an "edge"... if you do your homework (and internet articles isn't necessarily homework) The answers are out there for all.. don't want this thread to be turned into a dispute... start another thread for that Happy trails all.. been a good day. .. Mr. Muck.. if you think you have problems and have indeed been to a therapist and don't think it helped.. keep searching for answers (or ask for a referral) help is out there if you keep looking and want the help that's given.. I might as well be 30 yrs of age and it's taken basically 16 years to get a proper diagnosis.. just saying don't give up hope if you truly are soul searching that is..