Does anyone know exactly what causes it

[El_Machinae]

Yeah, you seem to be proactive about this right now, which is why I'm suggesting that you start mapping your cycles. A daily diary, or somesuch. Once you can time your cycles, you can tell what stage of your cycles you're in. It's a BIG help. If you're depressed, and you're in your depressive cycle, you know that the depression is partially chemical - it really helps people get through it.

 

[punkbass2000]

I don't think is a real solution. You just need to learn to live with it, and drugs can help in this endeavor.

Then you're wrong.

 

[punkbass2000]

I don't think you guys understand what it is fully, its not normal depression, its not caused because suzzy dumped me or bill said I was dumb, its a literal imbalance, it comes from nothing but an inherent imbalance which is why the suicide rates for bipolars is so hi. There is no physical tangible cause for it, so its not like I can go get back with suzzy and things are better, when its there its there, I really just hope that they can find some way to fix it though, I'm not as bad as I used to be but I used to get cycles all the time.

I understand quite well, actually. I have a mother who holds an MSW, a bit of background in Psychology (though I didn't graduate) and was diagnosed with bi-polar a few years ago.

 

[Perfection]

Then you're wrong.

Bipolar disorder by all acounts I've seen is persistant and incurable and can only be treated not cured. There is no full solution. There is no complete fix. Don't pretend there is one.

 

[Harbringer]

The real solution is to take responsibility for your emotions.

Here let me make this a little bit more understandable for you, its like if I was born without my arm, and then you telling me to take responsibilaty for my lack of a limb, you cant fix an arm you never had. Think of it more like that, clinical depression and bi-polar disorder are two different things.

 

[mdwh]

Yes yes i no it's a disorder but most what is wrong is in people's head.

I don't understand it when people say this. I don't know about you, but I consider that what's inside _my_ head to be quite important, and if there's anything wrong inside my head, I consider that to be of utmost importance.

 

[downtown]

Crazy therapists and their made up diseases.

The real solution is to take responsibility for your emotions.

Comments like this, seriously, make me flip out.

My dad battled bipolar his whole life, before he killed himself last September. For all of my teenage years, I saw what total agony he went through, and how it very nearly destoryed our entire family. Lord knows we're all a little damaged goods now.

You couldn't tell him to "just deal with his suffering" anymore than you could tell Terri Shavio to get up and dance.

Bipolar is REAL, just like CANCER IS REAL. Sometimes drugs help, when used with other medical practices. But it is not something you can just "take responsibility for" and suck up.

 

[punkbass2000]

Bipolar disorder by all acounts I've seen is persistant and incurable and can only be treated not cured. There is no full solution. There is no complete fix. Don't pretend there is one.

Taking responsibility is very difficult. Few people do it and most generally rage against the idea. Nonetheless, it fixes problems like no other action.

EDIT: Incidentally, I don't know that "responsibility" is something that could be Scientifically tested.

 

[punkbass2000]

Here let me make this a little bit more understandable for you, its like if I was born without my arm, and then you telling me to take responsibilaty for my lack of a limb, you cant fix an arm you never had. Think of it more like that, clinical depression and bi-polar disorder are two different things.

I know this. I understand the difference between "responsibility" and "fault". As long as you consider yourself at the mercy of bi-polar, you will be.

 

[Harbringer]

You know what, nevermind this is just ragin off topic, MODS CAN WE PLEASE CLOSE THIS

 

[punkbass2000]

Comments like this, seriously, make me flip out.

Flipping out is rarely a good idea.

You couldn't tell him to "just deal with his suffering"

Nor have I.

Bipolar is REAL, just like CANCER IS REAL. Sometimes drugs help, when used with other medical practices. But it is not something you can just "take responsibility for" and suck up.

Who said "suck up"? Not I. Don't put words in my mouth. It is truly the best solution whether you like it or not. I'm not saying deal with it. I'm not saying don't ask for help. I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm just saying, for one's own good, it is the best course. Most important, I am certainly not saying that it is wrong if you do not do this, nor that there is something wrong with you if you do not nor that you are weak or any other negatively connotated word. It is the best course; take it or leave it.

 

[punkbass2000]

You know what, nevermind this is just ragin off topic, MODS CAN WE PLEASE CLOSE THIS

This may be hard to believe, but I'd actually prefer you not prove my comment to Perfection right.

Again, I'm not saying this condition is your fault nor that there is something wrong with you. You can take responsibility anyway. Without responsibility you cannot have control. I know this is hard to hear.

 

[Narz]

The real solution is to take responsibility for your emotions.

I agree. Not an easy thing to achieve though and when a person is really suffering it's not often what they want to hear. However, it's the only answer (albeit more of a journey than a destination). This is coming from someone who's probably taken more psych drugs is his lifetime than everyone else in this thread combined.

For you sure, but you aren't everybody and I'm pretty sure you don't have bipolar disorder.

Doesn't matter. He's still right.

I don't think is a real solution. You just need to learn to live with it, and drugs can help in this endeavor.

So can alcohol, whores and gambling. And those won't generally increase your likelihood of shooting up your classmates like psych drugs can.

You don't have bipolar either.

Bipolar disorder by all acounts I've seen is persistant and incurable and can only be treated not cured. There is no full solution. There is no complete fix. Don't pretend there is one.

You're wrong.

 

[Swedishguy]

I'm sure there are many that knows.

 

[downtown]

Bipolar disorder by all acounts I've seen is persistant and incurable and can only be treated not cured. There is no full solution. There is no complete fix. Don't pretend there is one.

An opinion shared by some of the greatest doctors in the land that we took dad too. Competent Medical opinion trumps what a few, possibily mis-diagnosed nerds on an internet forums say for me.

 

[punkbass2000]

I guess I don't really understand what the objection is. If belittling us is your best argument, then ok.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

For you sure, but you aren't everybody and I'm pretty sure you don't have bipolar disorder.

You sound alot more sure of that than I am.

I don't think is a real solution. You just need to learn to live with it, and drugs can help in this endeavor.

It depends on how severe the depression is. Of course, if the person is suicidal medication might be necessary, although Ive heard that some of these anti depressants actually make some people more suicidal.

An opinion shared by some of the greatest doctors in the land that we took dad too. Competent Medical opinion trumps what a few, possibily mis-diagnosed nerds on an internet forums say for me.

You forgot to say internet game forum, thats usually thrown in for an extra twist of the knife.

 

[punkbass2000]

Incidentally, they decided I was misdiagnosed once I got better. This would appear to be a bit of tautology.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

Ive always wondered what causes bipolar disorder but just never bothered to ask, I don't know all the details because I didn't pay that much attention, but I was born with the chemical imbalance, as opposed to developing it, it just took my teenage years to kick start it and actually have some serious effect. As far as I know, from all the doctors Ive talked to, because I was born with the imbalance, medication for it and the like just screw me up even more. I was just wondering what exactly causes it, Ive been really considering getting into this kind of research when Im older you know.

Your doctors are as imbalanced as the chemicals they purport to be imbalanced in you. I don't know how anyone can claim to know about your neurotransmitter imbalance first-hand, since that's just one theory of many and may not fully explain the disease even if it was true. Bipolar disorder, like every psychiatric disorder, is diagnosable by outward signs and symptoms. Those include periods of mania (high energy, with little need for sleep or food) and depression. Bipolar disorder is treated with medications such as valproic acid or lithium, among others.

The cause has been under investigation for some time. The best conjecture is it's mostly genetic, because 20% of first-degree relatives catch it. Exactly what the abnormality is has not been well characterized. Some theorize a neurotransmitter imbalance, others an anatomic brain abnormality.

 

[punkbass2000]

Nano, I don't suppose you'd know, off-hand, when the first case was diagnosed?