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soft signs of bipolar

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madd Tatter (Post 60349)

I was reading another thread and I can't remember if it was here or at the other forum(which for now is read only for me) but I think it was on the depression forum here that there are some bipolars that never get the high and I wonder if I am one and could use a mood stabilizer.

:I-Agree:

Hi,
Check out the soft signs of bipolar page from Dr. Phelps:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depres...osis.html#soft

Quote:

1. The patient has had repeated episodes of major depression (four or more).

2. The first episode of major depression occurred before age 25 (some experts say before age 20, a few before age 18; most likely, the younger you were at the first episode, the more it is that bipolar disorder, not "unipolar", was the basis for that episode).

3. A first-degree relative (mother/father, brother/sister, daughter/son) has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

4. When not depressed, mood and energy are a bit higher than average, all the time ("hyperthymic personality").

5. When depressed, symptoms are "atypical": extremely low energy and activity; excessive sleep (e.g. more than 10 hours a day); mood is highly reactive to the actions and actions of others; and (the weakest such sign) appetite is more likely to be increased than decreased. Some experts think that carbohydrate craving and night eating are variants of this appetite effect.

6. Episodes of major depression are brief, e.g. less than 3 months.

7. The patient has had psychosis (loss of contact with reality) during an episode of depression.

8. The patient has had severe depression after giving birth to a child ("postpartum depression").

9. The patient has had hypomania or mania while taking an antidepressant (remember, severe irritability, difficulty sleeping, and agitation may -- but do not always -- qualify for "hypomania").

10. The patient has had loss of response to an antidepressant (sometimes called "Prozac Poop-out"): it worked well for a while then the depression symptoms came back, usually within a few months.

11. Three or more antidepressants have been tried, and none worked.

....... The idea is this: Dr. Ghaemi and colleagues propose in this paper that there might be a version of "bipolar disorder" that does not have any mania at all, not even hypomania. They call it "bipolar spectrum disorder".

But Dr. Ghaemi and colleagues assert that there are versions of depression that end up acting more like bipolar disorder, even though there is no hypomania at all that we can detect ....

These conditions do not respond well, in the long run, to antidepressant medications (which "poop out" or actually start making things worse).

They respond better to the medications we routinely rely on in bipolar disorder, the "mood stabilizers" you'll be introduced to in the Treatment section of this website.

And these patients have other folks in their family with bipolar disorder or something that looks rather more like that (e.g. dramatic "mood swings", even if the person never really gets ill enough to need treatment).

I'm one of those ones who does not get the classic manias. I don't even get hypomanias. Unmedicated, I get mixed moods -- these are depression mixed with high high energy. Ugh.

Anyway, you could be right about possibly benefitting from a mood stabilzer.

mari

Don't have a decent one yet(picture of my horse), a friend took the one I had and did some photo shop on her and made her head look to big for her neck to support. I am trying to get some done and put on disk so I can put them in my putor. Don't have the scanner hooked up to it as yet.

Do you bead jewelry or are you using the lost wax process? I have done both, right now I'm into tatting. The ren faire starts in a few months and I usually work it so am busy working on snoods and fixing my costumes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madd Tatter (Post 60612)

my you tat?
that is definately a losing art.
what is a ren faire and snoods?
sounds midevel.....
bizi

I have trouble spelling it so usually abreviate it. Scarboough Renaissance Faire. It's about 20 miles from here and I starting working there 3 years ago because I loved going to the faire, couldn't afford to go anymore and they make allowances for my disability.

I don't have to wear a costume in my position as I'm not seen by the public, but since I do mingle during breaks and after my shift, I do. A snood is a the lace hair covering like Scarlett O'Hara wore in gone with the wind. It is a lot cooler to wear than the traditional hats and still period so acceptable to wear. Also I work in the food area and would have to wear a net but with the snood I don't have to.

I sit in a store room and check supplies in and out and also make change for all the food vendors. It's only weekends for 8 weeks and 2 school days plus Memorial Day weekend but it pays the taxes on our house.

The faire is set during King Henry VIII and Queen Anne's reign. About the 1500's. They have a court and they travel around the faire doing things the king and queen would have done and really acting the parts. They know their history as well and it is a great way to get the kids to learn about how people lived back then.

It started out as a high school project in a cow pasture 26 years ago and I've been attending for the past 13. I love dressing up. The bodice or stays I wear help my back too. Just hope I can afford a new one this year, mine is about wore out.

It is alot of fun. Alot of craft booths and entertainment.

this sounds like so much fun!
I remember going to a renasance festival in arizona...there was real live josting and a battle....pretty amazing!
have a great time!
bizi:mf_swordfight: