Bipolar/Aspergers support and chat thread

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This has been my experience. The root cause of my "bipolar" symptoms was the extreme sensitivity to noise due to my being an Aspie. I kept melting down for no apparent reason, and then becoming depressed from the unexplained meltdowns and constant pain (and anxiety) from the non-stop noise that was just too loud for me. I had no clue that I was on the autistic spectrum.

When I was in my 40's my Mother casually mentioned to me that she had me tested as a child, and the results were succinct: "genius with borderline autism". I was stunned ! (and a little furious). She was told by the doctors in 1958 that she should just ignore my strange behaviors and I would most likely outgrow it. *sigh* Needless to say I did not outgrow it.

After being diagnosed as Bipolar II in 2004, and trying psychotropic medications for 22 months, I became so much worse I decided to take an entirely different approach. I treated the autism first (as the possible underlying cause of the "bipolar'), and sure enough it worked!

I no longer have a diagnosis of Bipolar II and have been off the medications since 2006. Now I concentrate on living the best Aspie life I can manage, which keeps me from melting down as often, and has removed most of the anxiety and depression. What little bit I have left I can manage with supplements (like Omega3) and light therapy.

Doctors...
I'm glad things are working out better for you.
I was hoping to try light therapy myself. I refuse to take any meds for my depression any more, and when they suggested mood stabilisers I lost a bit of faith in doctors. (I'm pretty sure mine can be managed without any drastic measures. I just need to figure things out and work out some ways to relax.) It seems for me, my biggest problem is being unable to relax. Which sounds incredibly simple, but it really, really isn't. =/

@ Sunshower
I just wanna say I really love your posts about bipolar, they're well written, insightful and I appreciate your honesty and forth coming nature about the troubles you've had.

I have a question (directed at everyone), when I was discussing my bipolar diagnoses my psych said I was probably type 2, but that was unimportant anyway she said.

But i have a complication: she says I was only ever hypomanic, and yet this is the same woman who sent me to a mental hospital for a week due to my "hypo"mania. So is she incorrect/confused about it merely being hypomania or can someone with hypomania be sent to a hospital?

My theory is that she is incorrect in calling it type 2 since a defining point of type 1 is that hospitalization may be required and it should never be required due to hypomania (though depression may require hospitalization).

I'm also diagnosed with prodromal psychosis - which is a sort of borderline schizophrenia, if that's important.

Thankyou, Phonic.

There is currently a lot of confusion surrounding what constitutes the diagnosis of Bipolar and what differentiates the different types or classifications of Bipolar in the DSM-IV. My current psychiatrist, who is a bipolar specialist, says that in the DSM-V there will be amendments to the bipolar section for this reason to try and resolve some of these issues.

There are two main ways between differentiating type 1 bipolar from type 2. The first is that type one requires hospitalization, but the second (which psychiatrists seem to go by as a rule) is that people suffering from type 1 experience hallucinations and delusions whereas people experiencing type 2 don't (they have all the other manic symptoms, except don't lose their grip on reality).

Like, do delusional symptoms have to persist through many other unrelated episodes, or would one unusual one make the diagnosis different?
I mean, what if someone thought they were something like a God, for a short period of time?

In this case I think I actually have type 2, I was hospitalised for hypomania despite mania in the DSM being typified by it's requiring hospitalization.

Sorry if I'm unclear, I'm quite tired, off to bed.

I'm pretty certain one delusion is all it takes, and that's it. From then on you're permanently a type one. I have a friend who's a type one and some examples of delusions she experienced during a manic episode years ago were: thinking she was about to travel overseas with friends (when she wasn't) and thinking she was talking to characters in books.



Yes, well - technically I probably should have been hospitalized this year (on more than one occasion) but mum was very stubborn about it and insisted she look after me herself (she looked after me 24/7 for months) even when she wasn't handling it and having breakdowns. But I'm pretty certain I've never experienced a delusion or hallucination (to my knowledge), so that would still make me a type 2.

It is a bit unclear, unfortunately, and you're right in that strictly according to the DSM anyone who is hospitalized would be a type 1, but psychiatrists seem often to go by their own rules in this case. Actually.... the official wording is that you CAN'T be a type 2 if you have ever experienced a delusion or hallucination (making you automatically a type 1), but if you are hospitalized you also become a type 1 (I own a copy of the DSM-IV as I'm a psychology student lol).

So psychiatrists don't always follow the technicalities, but they are there specifically as a guideline and diagnostic tool - and not the be all to end all. Bipolar types are on a spectrum like any other disorder, there's no black and white. What I believe my psychiatrist was trying to get at was that the best way to distinguish a type 1 from a type 2 is by looking at the general presentation of the hypomania overall. When does it cross that invisible line and become dangerous and completely irrational/insane behaviour? Being hospitalized is a pretty good indicator of it crossing this threshold, but again it's not the be all to end all, it's just an indicator.

If I may ask, were you hospitalized during a depressive or hypomanic phase?

I guess I am borderline b/w type 1 and type 2. but my friends tell me I am just seeing things that are not there. I guess my aspergers keeps bringing me back to reality but I'm a little delusional.

Thinks seem to improving for me. The drug Pregabalin, also known as Lyrica caused all the side-effects I was suffering from. Now it is day 1 after the the ER withdraw and I'm already feeling much better. This really seems the solution to it. Psychiatriatrist and Neurologist confirmed that it is very very likely!

That's great news Hal!! I really hope it continues to work out.

I would appreciate your input on this sunshower http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp4329067.html#4329067

A delusion is any false belief that becomes fixed.
Unlike flight of ideas (that is when we still realise that what we are thinking\thought is strange but are\where unable to stop\control the thoughts and feelings accompanied) is still only a false belief or beliefs.
Similar to Ideas of reference but these can actually turn into deluisons of reference.
It is when we lose that judgement of "why did i think that" we have become delusional. What is worse is that it is an invisible line we cross. If you are questioning whether you are delusional you are not. If you are refusing others advice that your behaviour is off by defending your mission\a theory they refuse to accept, see or are to stupid to understand you could well be.

I was first dx as possibly having Bipolar NOS, 3 years later i was told my symptoms were closer to that of Bipolar II. My current psychatrist believes that it is more than likely i have Bipolar 1. My manic episodes are more of the irritable agitated kind and last for 6-8 months, after 10 years of various medications i still havent found a combination that can balance me out.
I get delusional when i am manic mainly apophenia. I become grandoise in my schemes an discoveries i start to withdraw. turn suspicious of my family until i complete my project or scheme.
I think the almost complete lack of sleep over these periods has a large part to do with becoming delusional. One day i start to see patterns in things, shapes on pages, similarities in situations. Next they start to have meanings. After that i have discovered signifigant messages that others where to naive to see. No matter how much my family tells me i am unwell i beleive they lack the insight to see and understand these obvious connections i see between things that have a greater purpose. When they tryed to disprove me in past i have become violent. I am lucky i have never hallucinated. Sleep depriviation take a huge toll on my sight and visual processing. I lose my depth perception confuse birds with flys, as i move around it is more like things are moving around me and have to double check things to make sure they are what i think.



I have to agree with lostmyself. I fit both type 1 and 2 and my psychatrists have never made a formal decision.

Is it possible you were delusional if you looked back and in retrospect wondered whether you were delusional (during a period in the past), although you didn't question yourself at the time?

I think it is possible.
If you believed something that was not in anyway rational, possible and uncomprehendible to be an undeniable truth while manic or severly depressed, only others would be questioning your beliefs .
It is not until you have recovered from your episode and your mood becomes stable.that you might realize you have been delusional.

I have been reading about the paradox of delusions to try and make more sense of it. It is a pointless exercise considering its lack of practicallity. It is interesting and confusing, little is understood how and why. A manifestiation becomes almost a reality, in such a way that the brain accepts it and manipulates or refuses certain aspects of reality to suit the manifested fixed false belief. Most of the research, studies and information i have come across so far is based on schizophrenic patients.

Oh I was in just such mess! The Flunitrazepam / Rohypnol totally killed me and it made simply loosing every hope.

My logic part seems to help here and told me to withdraw the Flunitrazepam and see my Shrink next day.

Always when I do not sleep my mood improves so this helped with the talking.

We ended up with 1,0 mmm/L of Lithium, 1.800 mg of Depakote and to finally find some sleep Clonazepam. I am very optimistic to get rid of the Clonazepam within the next 7 days and then used it as needed.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

When I have been depressed I have been convinced that I am a bad, harmful, evil person through and though - which all other people strenuously denied, and I don't believe that when I'm not depressed. I never thought that would count as a delusion though. When I have been high I have been convinced that I was convinced at one point I was a truly great actor (like a sort of genius/incredible natural talent thing) but I was just undiscovered, but I definitely don't think that now and didn't think that after I was high (like I think I'm ok at acting and could be better with more experience, but not amazing).