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#1
Between your depressive, mixed, and hypo/manic episodes, what is your weirdest symptom?
Mine: During a depressive episode, my head feels physically heavy and "stuffed up," as if it were overstuffed with wet cotton balls and ready to burst open. During a manic episode, I feel "energy" emanating from my heart. |
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Anonymous46341, MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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#2
This is a difficult question for me to answer because I am not 100% sure if my "weirdest" symptoms were even 100% part of my bipolar disorder. I can say that when I have bipolar episodes, I usually exhibit all symptoms in the DSM-5 symptom list for bipolar disorder, and most all in the standard way. Because of that, my bipolar disorder is absolute and has been confirmed by several psychiatrists.
Before I list my "weirdest" symptoms, I do want to mention that I have received a diagnosis of Simple Partial Seizures (temporal lobe epilepsy) from a neurologist in the past. And yet, despite a CT scan, multiple EEGs, a PET scan, MRIs, and the neurologist's diagnosis of the above, an epileptologist said my test results were "not definitive". The epileptologist was a national expert on interpreting EEGs. He wanted me to have a 3 to 6 day in-hospital EEG, but at my husband's urging, I refused that. My psychiatrist was quite upset with me about that because he felt there was more than just bipolar type 1 disorder afflicting me. He had even spoken to the epileptologist about my abnormal "extra" symptoms. So...
My Tegretol XR is an important part of my medication cocktail. It covers lots of bases. It has been helpful at curbing some of the types of symptoms above, particularly the musical hallucinations I experienced for a period of months (long story). Antipsychotics have been crucial for me, too. They control my manias the best. I was quite traumatized for a while as a result of my worst bipolar episodes (often with psychosis) and all of the weird stuff above. During a period of about 6 years, I was seeing various doctors. Once I saw a psychiatrist who also had a specialty in neurology. She was one of many that confirmed my bipolar diagnosis. After seeing all my test results (EEGs, etc.) she stated that a theory out there is that bipolar episodes themselves may be a type of seizure. Over the years, I've done some extensive research on links/similarities between bipolar disorder, temporal lobe epilepsy (focal aware/simple partial seizures), and migraines (of various sorts) that I've shared in my blog. If anyone is interested in any of it, just PM me. My discussion on that covers a couple additional shared symptoms between two or all of them, common triggers, and of course the fact that anticonvulsants are sometimes used as treatments for all three. A lot of the above can be relevant in some with schizophrenia, too. A good article is at Schizophrenia and epilepsy - Harvard Health Last edited by Anonymous46341; Apr 17, 2019 at 02:01 PM.. |
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Blue_Bird, fern46, MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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Crone
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#3
When I'm manic my hands get hot, really hot but not sweaty. It's like I have too much energy. I sometime have the delusional thoughts along with this that I have special powers and can heal people.
__________________ Nammu Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. ... Desiderata Max Ehrmann |
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MickeyCheeky
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#4
Time lapses. Half the time I'm manic I don't remember it (thankfully)
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MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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Grand Magnate
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#5
Quote:
I experienced many of your weird symptoms during my mixed episode. The repeating phrases, screaming, black outs, out of body experiences, floating feelings, adrenaline busrts, violence, hallucinations, etc. I once had a doctor who was treating my mother tell me brain scans of patients in mania look like those in the middle of an epileptic seizure. I believe it. I had pain at the base of my brain where it meets my spine for days before I got sick and then all if a sudden it gave way and I can only describe it as my brain was on fire. Everything happened so fast. The word trauma just doesn't even cover it. |
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Anonymous46341, MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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#6
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fern46, MickeyCheeky
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#7
Hiding in my closet because I thought the government was after me..I wouldn't even answer the door for friends or anyone, I was in a constant state of panic from paranoia, it lasted like 5 months, then I finally got help. I haven't had that happen in a long time though thankfully
__________________ R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16 All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. -St. Francis of Assisi
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MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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#8
One other thing is that when I have manic episodes I feel like there's chemicals in my veins and am on fire, I have rushes of euphoria but they sometimes scare me because I feel like I'm about to have a seizure or something. I don't have epilepsy or anything but had one with severe Lithium toxicity so I do somewhat recall what it felt like before. Never have been able to figure out why that happens
__________________ R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16 All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. -St. Francis of Assisi
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MickeyCheeky
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MickeyCheeky
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#9
When I am hypomanic I believe that my energy is tied in with other people. When I am around other people they suck my energy from me so that by the end of the day I am physically exhausted but mentally jazzed. It is always the fault of other people. Any people. It makes me want to isolate to keep my energy for myself.
__________________ Of course it is happening inside your head. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real? -Albus Dumbledore Thats life. If nothing else, that is life. Its real. Sometimes it f-ing hurts. But its sort of all we have. -Garden State |
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fern46
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Poohbah
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#10
When really manic or mixed I believe I have the ability to fly or safely jump from my apartment balcony. Alternatively Im contemplating sui. This risk of harming myself regardless of mood is why I often end up in hospital.
__________________ Pookyl BP1, GAD, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Claustrophobia Psych meds: Saphris, Seroquel XR, regular Seroquel. PRN Diazepam and Zopiclone |
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fern46
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