Aspergers and Bipolar II diagnosis - anyone else have?

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Hello

I was wondering if anyone else has Aspergers and Bipolar II diagnosis? I would like to talk about how to handle people asking "what's wrong?" with me.

Interesting I was diagnosed Bipolar 2 and my older sister thought I had Asperger's on extensive research I feel I have Asperger's more so than Bipolar 2. What do you mean by "what's wrong with you?" What behaviors do people take issue with?

Thanks for your reply. Good question as to my behaviors. I am not working and my significant other's family thinks it odd that I am not working. My significant other's family kept asking where I got my money from to support myself. His late wife did not contribute any money to their marriage. I pay all my expenses. We split all costs, etc. I receive social security disability monthly checks. He felt guilty not answering their questions so he told them I have a disabilty. Then they wanted to know what my disability is. He and I began dating only 8 months after his wife died and his step-daughter and her husband gave us a really hard time about his dating so soon. As to my behaviors, I have exhibited anxiety around his family and have had some panic attacks when we have visited them. Also, they know that I cry "easily." I guess I do. Usually my symptoms of bipolar II have been irritability at people, so I do not think that they are seeing that part of me. I usually try to just stay quiet around them for fear that I will say somehting too strong (that I am capable of doing) to them and for fear that my significant other will then be so offended that I spoke that way to his family. Both his sister and step-daughter lie about things that they do not know that he has told me. One is nice outwardly, the other just says what she thinks about me. I wish that people would not judge me until they really get to know me. I know that they are probably just trying to look after my significant other so that he will not get hurt (and he has a learning disability of some type), but I am wondering if I should not have levelled with him about what my disabilty is.

Your welcome with the reply I am irratiable with people at times too I attribute it too being into something and people bugging me LOL! IMO getting the Bipolar 2 thing was depressing since my behavior view is you are who you are and for someone to say you have X issue (AKA look at your life ALL OVER AGAIN!!) is depressing!! !! As I said I later on heard of AS and believe that fits me more. Is your disability due to the the Bipolar 2 diagnosis? Mine is so we didn't want to pursue AS since we didn't want to screw that up plus my Psychiatrist says "You couldn't have that that's in children and there aren't any pills for it and this is a place that gives pills etc." IMO UP YOURS JERK!! !! !! Oh well LOL! I am saddened to hear you have that issue with your boyfriend. IMO (sorry to offend) his family should except his new girlfriend for whatever reason!! and your disability,Bipolar 2 etc. anything physical etc. should be between YOU AND HIM not his family!! ! His family are for hi how are you doing perhaps cookouts that type of thing. If one of them is friendly perhaps try to befriend them but TREAD LIGHTLY!! (example you+girl 1 talk/become friends) you mention something to girl 2 AKA not your friend something Girl 1 said YOU ARE SCREWED!! !! !! !! I've done this!! (example of my doing is Nanny said you were fat my mom in turns calls up her mom and they have a HEATED ARGUMENT because I twisted Nanny's words A LITTLE!! !!) SHEESH!! !! ! (I've gotten out of this behavior THANK GOODNESS!!) You are welcome to PM or AIM me to talk further. no photo or odd stuff THOUGH!! !

Hi. I'm an Aspie and I also have bipolar disorder type II.

My functioning is less than optimal, but I keep fighting hard against becoming disabled. (I know that probably seems silly to put it that way, but since I am able to work, I keep at it. Sometimes, though, it is overwhelming.)

I am blessed that I am able to work, although I have had to scale back my law practice and do more writing. I have to limit the number of clients so that I can be sure to do work that meets the standard of care.

As far as people asking "what's wrong" with me, I struggle with that. Since I am self-employed, I theoretically have a somewhat easier situation, but I don't know if it really is any easier. While I don't report to a manager, I do have to keep clients happy and there are sometimes when it's very hard to do that. (That's the reason I am careful not to take on too much work.)

For family, the relatives with whom I have most contact know about my conditions.

I don't mean to be evasive about your original point, but I really prefer to restate the matter and have a conversation about "what's right" with me! I have to be careful about this because I worry that NTs and even other Aspies may think I'm being flippant or disrespectful to them. I'm not. I just like to look at the positive things and not emphasize the really difficult parts of my life. That doesn't mean I ignore the difficult parts--I couldn't do that either and keep going--but I try to relate "what's right" with me to overall health, wellness, functioning.

For example, I find it immensely helpful to remind myself and others of the things that are "right" and good:

--I can walk;
--I can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste things;
--I have good blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol readings;
and so forth.

If someone is really insistent to know "what's wrong," I can tell them things like this:

--I am prone to recurring depression, with occasional periods of elevated mood that manifest in me as just unusually productive times in my life;
--I need medication to keep my moods stable;
--Exercise helps me a lot;
--I have Asperger's, so I deal with all of those issues;
--I can be overstimulated and overwhelmed, especially is social situations; and
--If I attend a social event or a major family event, depending on the length of time of the event, I'll need a day or two of down time to recover it.

I try to explain my social aversion in a way that makes clear that the other people who are present ought not take my responses personally. In many, if not most cases, I deeply care about and love those people. It's just that if I spend 7 or 8 hours (and often, even less time) in a setting where people are talking and laughing pretty much nonstop, I am going to need a serious nap or a day off to recover from that.

I hope I have mentioned a few things about my situation that can be helpful to you!

i have a diagnosis of bipolar nos but not from the doctor who diagnosed me with asperger's

psycologist has me down as aspergers

psychiatrist has me down has pddnos bipolar nos anxiety nos and adhd

I sincerely prefer the term 'brain illness' to 'mental illness' and I throw it out whenever possible. I hope it will catch on. I know I am not the inventor of the term (no idea who, if anyone is) but I really want to spread it.

I do not have an illness, I am simply neurologically wired differently and ok with that!

I just posted this on another forum in this subforum, but now I think it fits here so much better:
Mood disorders such as unipolar and bipolar depression are apparently very common in individuals with AS - it says something about it on the RDOS website, after you've done the test. I myself was diagnosed with bipolar despression at the age of nineteen, but after having that diagnosis later quashed two years later, I believe it was a wrong diagnosis, and should have been AS.
It was just because I was having problems functioning at university, and I was very unhappy at school before that, so it just kinda blew up in my face. I think I've just managed to moderate my own moods more effectively, although I find that I more often than not experience the irritability and other symptoms that occur with AS.

I am diagnosed as "Cyclothymic with BPII tendencies" (but as far as I cant tell I really should be BPII) and ADHD, and while I do not have Aspergers, apparently I come close.

I use the term "neurological condition" instead of "illness" as illness implies that it once was right and then went and that there can a cure for it. My brain is this way. I am this way. That's just the way it is.

I have been diagnosed as Aspergers, Bipolar II, Generalized anxiety/panic attacks, and ADHD. In toddlerhood I also had chronic PTSD. I have used up all my bad medical draws for the rest of my life, or I'll get a world record; at least that is how I take a positive look at this. .

Sorry if this is a sensitive question but how on earth did you have PTSD as a toddler?

I prefer the term neurodiverse. Has anyone read the book "Neurodiversity" by Thomas Armstrong? It's a very good read and I highly recommend it.

I woke up in the midst of a sizable house fire and my bedroom was already cut off, and blocking any exit route through the only door from my father fighting the flames filling my hallway with his robe...thankfully the latter element I do not remember, my naked father that is . thankfully my dad and a whole band of extinguisher armed neighbors put it all out before my little sister woke up, her room was next to mine. But I would break out in tears whenever they made watch that horrible fire safety movie every year at school, nothing but people trapped or barely escaping burning buildings. I would lay awake at night afraid someone had left something burning, or there would be lightning or my blanket would get too close to the heater and start another fire.
Also, though I don't remember PTSD level symptoms with these experiences, I was hit in the face with a brick as a toddler and in elementary school had to mace a charging bear.
On the upside, one of my mantras has become, "What can you/this/whatever worst possible imagined situation do to me? I took a brick to the face, & maced a bear...face it, I refuse to go down; or if I do, you know'll I'll probably be the first one up. LOL
...well actually the fire one did mess me up for years, and I still cover my ears if someone is shown burning alive in movies.
And perhaps some of my PTSD treatment (I had chronic PTSD for 6 years or so) was from a then emotionally abusive father. Once he cleaned up though (11 years and counting!), he really did try his damndest to rectify all that as well....I forgave him long overdue though, he changed years before and I put him through about the same hell. He is a good, honorable man; and I'm proud to say he is easily one of my favorite people to talk politics with, and he calls on his hour long drive home every friday and we discuss current things and he actually understands that I am non-partisan, even if he calls himself an idealogical christian democrat we can actually debate and discuss..before I return to yelling at Palin on my tv.

Sorry, that took longer to explain than I thought. Perhaps others with similiar levels of the "Really...Really, life you wanna throw even more crap at me"...Ok bring it on........I'll share my bear mace with y'all; it glows in the dark!

I have Bipolar Disorder and mild autism. The Bipolar gives us the biggest problems and without my medicine I am not myself. I can't say for sure the medicine is all good but it sure helps with problems. Its Geodon and it really helps me.

If it sounds that bad, I probably don't want it. Of course, everybody's thinking is different, but I was watching a programme a few night s ago, which spoke about mental illness and our nhs in England, and it just seemed that still, no one is listening. In one part of the programme I was seeing a young woman no more than 19, just curled up in a ball depressed and her 'carer;' was overseeing her before he left to go home, at least that's what it sounded like. For starters he was a foreign national and somebody else was just left alone to calm out their mood swings in a corridor. Is that British justice? I don't think so.