Please forgive my faux pas, I do realize that this is an SZ support forum and not a bipolar forum.
But due to the fact that I’ve seen members on here who have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and have seen members and family battling bipolar symptoms as well as Sz, I was thinking I would start my information quest here.
I am asking for some resources to help me understand. I would be interested in books, forums, links, anything you can throw at me.
The reason why I’m asking is, the youngest brother in my family has finally been diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder.
This is my first footstep on a new quest for information.
Thank you for letting me post.
Bipolar disorder type 1 is the more severe form of bipolar, there is type 2, this form of bipolar has more chronic depression and smaller manias, but not full blown mania - hypomania. Type 1 bipolar has more severe forms of mania - full blown mania, this can be with or without psychotic features. Type 1 bipolar patients can experience depression as well - I recommend these books - 1. New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder and 2. Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families - I do not know the authors but those are the name of the books.
I am sorry to hear that your brother was diagnosed with bipolar, but at least there is hope and treatments for it.
Meds are the mainstay treatment for bipolar. The meds for type 1 bipolar are actually similar to treatments for schizoaffective disorder - mood stabilizers and possibly antipsychotics, depending on how severe the illness is.
I was dxed with bipolar type 1 before I was dxed with my current diagnosis of schizoaffective.
CBT can be helpful as a therapy treatment and so can DBT - I wish you all the best for you @kidsister and to J on helping your brother dxed with bipolar. There are effective treatments for it
Yeah Im interested too in finding out about bi-polar. Id like someone to explain simply to me what a “manic high” of bi-polar is like.
I used to get a high of sorts when I was younger but I was never manic. I was never off my head. I just enjoyed being elated. But that is not what a manic high of bi-polar is like. So, what is it like.
My T recommended that I read Kay Redfield Jamison’s autobiography An Unquiet Mind for inspiration and hope about living with bipolar. Not sure if I am or not, or if this is something you are interested in.
Hi kidsis~
My sister has bipolar disorder. Not sure if she has 1 or 2.
She has only had one psychotic disorder in her life. I will talk to her and see if she has anything for you. She went through some really stressful life events that caused her break-I believe she was in her late 20`s. She was living in California so we had no idea at the time. She was hospitalized for 3 months. Ever since then ( 51 now ) she has watched herself like a hawk. She has been seeing the same therapist for maybe 25 years. She was on lithium which completely turned her around and she was able to get her life back. She only takes meds when she feels "funny: On and off zyprexa. Sorry to here about this…X
My son was diagnosed bipolar. He had a malignant syndrome a me almost died from seroquel. He then was diagnosed bipolar 2. His personality was different. He was one quarter from graduating from college as a history major. He could not finish. He went back to school and graduated with a computer degree. He had a different personality. Even his favorite foods changed. He graduated. He quiet taking his medicine. He had a psychotic breakdown and was diagnose schizo effective. He was hearing voices. It was rough. He could hardly communicate. His father committed suicide after quitting his medicine. He was a psychotherapist.i guess the medicine makes th feel bad and they quit taking it. It’s dangerous…six on my husbands side of the family committed
Suicide. Most bipolar people Intellegent. Beatovan wrote symphony when manic. Abraham Lincoln bipolar. Creative when manic. When they are low real low.
Hey @karl - Mania has 2 different types 1. Euphoric mania 2. Dysphoric mania Euphoric mania is when the person will be experiencing a lot of euphoria, grandiose beliefs, delusions - a feeling like he or she is on top of the world - sheer ecstasy, sometimes mania can be this way. Dysphoric mania is when the mania is the opposite of euphoric, its an angry, irritable dark type of mania - people can get violent with this kind of mania.
“Manic High” is a term to describe the euphoric feeling people get when they are experiencing a euphoric mania.
Its kind of like doing a lot of cocaine mixed in with ecstasy - some people say - mania can be addictive, this is why a lot of people with bipolar do not take their meds - they like that high feeling, euphoric mania brings to them
Wow, Thank you for your knowledge. The small corner that you’ve shared here has answered quite a few questions I’ve had about this brother. Euphoric mania explains so much of my teen years with John. The Dysphoric Mania explains so much of what has been happening this past three years. Add addiction on to it, and the picture gets even more heart breaking. It’s been happening so slowly, I didn’t seen see it until things got bad this past year and a half or more.
I found the books you recommended in our library catalogue and I’m on the waiting list to read them. I’ve been looking up what I can on other sites and the vagueness of what they say doesn’t make sense to me. But when you tell of what you went through, I just think of my brother and am slapped by surprise of how much it fits.
I’m always hoping for the best, but realistically, I have a feeling it’s going to take time for him to wrap his head around taking meds. He’s going to be 21 in August, and he’s the danger boy, dare devil of the family and he likes it. Was it hard for you to stay on the meds you were given? If that’s not too personal a question.
@bridgecomet It’s lucky that your sister decided to take charge of this early on in her life. If you don’t mind me asking, what might have been the eye opener that she should watch herself?
@laurasvineyard I am so sorry suicide has touched your family so much. I’ve only lost two to suicide and it’s still a deep fear of mine. I couldn’t imagine loosing 6 members of a family. If bipolar meds are anything like Sz meds, I can understand why people would have a hard time staying on them.
Thank you all for your information so far.
I’m still gathering information and learning what I can. I’m still open to ideas and knowledge.
From what I heard it is more difficult for people diagnosed with bipolar to stay on meds, especially in the start. The manic highs one experiences is addictive - so who wants this feeling to go away - this is the main reason for “bipolar people” not being med compliant. I was not really like this because I dont have pure bipolar - there is schizophrenia added to the mix. But I do miss those euphoric highs, its like an addictive drug. I also heard that people diagnosed with schizoaffective (me) are more inclined to stay on their meds than those diagnosed with bipolar.
But there are always exceptions - It is really good that you care enough about your brother to go out and educate yourself on bipolar. Just pace yourself and try not to get burned out
Thank you so much again. I’m taking a leap of a guess by saying this, but I have a gut feeling that the dysphoric mania is what he’s been going through this past bad stint. I had no idea there was such a thing, but when you mentioned it just now and I have been reading about this on other sites; I can hear the loud clang of the pieces as they fall into place.
I think it’s been escalated by drug use. He’s been in detox and rehab all this time and that layer has been scarped back enough that they got to the bipolar diagnosis.
I can imagine the euphoria being addictive. Who wouldn’t want to feel that good as long and as often as they can. But he hasn’t been acting euphoric. I hate to say it, but he had been angry and scared and violent before he was hospitalized.
I can only imagine how awful the dysphoric mania might feel if it’s the opposite of the euphoric.
I feel very ashamed to admit this, but I better get use to admitting it, I am a tiny bit afraid of him now. I DEEPLY hope that his beating me up and other negative behavior was due to controllable factors. Maybe it’s silly of me, but I’m holding fast to the hope that his actions this past year was made of drugs. Take the drugs out of the picture and how can it not get better. I also hope I’m not being stupid about this.
I am and will always be open to new information and resources. Got to go work now.
@Wave, thank you again, and if I have other questions as I learn more, would it be Ok if I ask you?
I am a social worker in a mursinghome. I believe we are all a little bipolar. I think my husband was a great teacher of emotionally disturbed because he was bipolar. I probably . I believe ther are different levels. My job is measuring medications. If they work.the medications level people wher they are not too happy or sad. They are so level they miss both feelings. The high means lots of energy. The low means sleepy. People have toldme they miss the the energy of manic high.i did not know all my husband relatives that committed suicide but they were all creative and bright. I talked with family.
I never knew until my son sch and bipolar abuse drugs to drown out voices. It’s sort of like taking to much pain medication to get rid of pain. Then you get violence. Bipolar can hear voices and get paranoid like schizophrenia. It’s not just mood swings when not medicated right.
I think the fact that she was in the hospital for 3 months. Plus, she was already a little older-so she had a whole life to go back to. The depression was very hard on her too. She has never had an episode like that again. I think that in her case-and anyone else that develops a mi later in life-have a reference point to go back to. If it happens when your very young, you really haven`t developed as a person yet and what is normal for you is the age you were when you became ill. My sister was in college parttime, working at a big company, was in a relationship,was doing a lot of travelling. This really kind of happened out of nowhere. No signs beforehand. She was in the earthquake in 1989 in San Fran…that might of been the beginning. She slowly started not sleeping, thinking she could go anywhere, had cures for diseases (she thought ), until she spiraled into complete psychosis. It was very sad. But she has never come close to that again. She stayed on the meds . Sorry-longwinded
I was also afraid of my son for awhile. Getting off the drugs is probably going to be the worst part! I think being bipolar is ( in my experience ) very treatable-compared to sz. Again-just my personal experience, Hope you are doing okXXX