Posted by Mr.Scott on January 1, 2005, at 15:16:03
In reply to Re: BP I vs BPII » barbaracat, posted by Ritch on January 1, 2005, at 10:13:42
I've said it before and I'll say it again..."You and me both!"
The only thing that would not be 100% identical to your descriptions, would be the substance abuse that I sought relief in for many years. It just felt so good to relieve all that anxiety and angry despair. Then that became a dead end prospect...One thing I should note...is that I can force myself into distraction sometimes through work and social activities so that all this crap stays in the backround. That seems to be my greatest source of relief today aside from paltry doses of this that and the other which inevitably cause side effects as I approach therapuetic doses.
Scott
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I think the main difference that I've personally seen is the striking difference in *chronicity* of symptoms. "BP-II" people seem to have more chronic dysthymic symptoms and seem to rapid-cycle and also have a lot more comorbid anxiety problems that are sometimes tough to weed out from the bipolar symptoms. In my case, I wouldn't be surprised if the correct dx term would be something like "Multimodal Affective Disorder" or "Bipolaroid Anxiety Disorder" :) The folks that I've known that are BP-I's can have so many months of "euthymic" clear-headed functioning it just boggles my mind. I don't think I go more than a few days in a row at most where I feel "normal". .... As far as treatment goes I found lithium useful in the past for the years that I took it, it just seems that anticonvulsants work *better* for me. They say that Li doesn't help rapid-cyclers as much, and I would have to agree with that somewhat. .. As far as BPII going to BPI with time.. there have been hypomanic episodes in the past where it seemed that all I would have to do is stop meds and it turn into something fullblown, but it seems that anxiety is a limiting factor to that.. My symptoms tend to flux or morph from hypomania into hostility then into PANIC, and when things start getting mixed and agitated I can't stand it and I treat it aggressively to get a lid on it. The BPI people I've known just get this pure EUPHORIC nonstop racing derailment that just goes and goes and they feel great. Not so with me.
poster:Mr.Scott
thread:435630
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041228/msgs/436384.html