Question:
And your mania is always the anger....never elation, etc. and you always
have underlying depression during the angry manic outbursts.. So you
have a mixed mood. Not just depressed, not just angry (manic) but
both--however you go back to being one or the other. Something like
this.
Oh Lord! Anyone ever heard of it? It is called Mixed Bipolar Disorder.
Answer:
I was pretty sure I had bipolar disorder but new psychiatrist whom I
went to for second opinion said I have "mixed" bipolar disorder. Mixed
bipolar disorder is when you are on the depressed side but have anger
outbursts and this can apparently happen alot and then you return to
being depressed or remain angry and then go back to being depressed ..or
something like that. You can be depressed and all of a sudden get angry
and be so called depressed and angry at the same time. The anger being
the mania or manic behavior. Of course we have, and welcome to the club. =) You've got plenty of company. I just round filed my first draft and decided to simply say this, yes
there are symptoms like you describe. Don't put a lot of faith in
a diagnosis until you have worn it awhile, to see how it fits. Bipolar
is notoriously tricky to diagnose, subtypes even more so. You are
still the same person you were before the DX, and does the DX
change that, no. Focus on who you are and where you are going,
not on medical jargon. That is for medical students to worry over.
I could be wrong, but the impression I had was that some people with
bipolar disorder had mixed episodes, but that did not mean that they
would always have mixed episodes. I have had a dysphoric mania, a
fairly straightforward short hypomania, probably mixed episodes (or
ultra rapid cycling?) many years ago, occasional ultra rapid cycling
and rather a lot of profound depressions, at least one with a brief
blip of dysphoric mania in the middle of it. Confused? I certainly am! Then theres the possibility of "aggitated depression", where,
the little energy one does have, is expended being mad,
or to say the least, overyly annoyed, then back to depressed.
I agree with Vern, the technical category.....or properly defined
medical state...isnt the key to recovery. Wellness may come
sooner by looking within yourself, and deciding to try something
which may improve your mood fluctuations.
But I understand how you feel Mary....you just want to know
exactly what are the details, and how do I eliminate this problem. Unfortunately, bpers get the "advantage"of "having it all". I have hit
just about every spot in the map. Yep. I mainly get mixed episodes myself. I think technically it's called
Bipolar Affective Disorder I, most recent episode mixed. I have had pure
manic episodes and pure depressive episodes, but not as often as mixed
episodes. I was under the impression that they were the same thing, different name.
Ah well, confusion abounds. All I know is that the meds I have now seem to
be working quite well against the worst of mixed episodes I have. I definitely would like to know the difference between, agitated depression,
mixed episodes, and dysphoric mania. Maybe it has something to do with the
previous episode one has experienced? Anyone know? It's good to hear you are doing well. Remember these times.
