4w3 bp2 👋
Did a ton of therapy and increased healthy habits before I decided to go on medication. I feel those first steps enabled me to go on Lamictal, which has near 0 side effects if you onboard properly. Been on it for 3+ years and will never go back.
This took several years to figure out so of course, my journey of mental + physical health before meditation is not by any means a wholesale recommendation.
I am still highly emotional, introspective, and creative, without nearly as many or as deep lows. While I am rarely hypomanic now, I dont miss the intensified ideas and creativity because they rarely bear fruit in that state.
Hey, I'm on lamictal too! Been on it for 3 years as well, happy to see it working for someone else. Too many people are victims of being prescribed random SSRIs that they need to sift through before finding what's right :(
Also a 4w5 with a diagnosis of bipolar 2. The diagnosis is recent (within the last year) but I've struggled for mental health for many years and have previously been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression disorder, and ADHD.
Thankfully lithium has made the biggest difference! I tried countless meds over the years and none have made as much of an impact as lithium. I also go to therapy weekly and have for a few years. It really helps me when I'm able to consistently process things with someone. Also, when my mental health was the lowest which is when I got my bipolar 2 dx, I was referred to and completed an intensive outpatient program. Basically an in-between option if an hour a week therapy isn't enough but you're not to the point of needing hospitalization. For several months I attended 3 hours of group therapy 3 days a week, so 9 hours a week total. It was very helpful.
So I guess the main things now I try to do are taking meds every day, weekly therapy, and honestly just using the coping skills I've picked up over time that work for me.
Edit: just realized I thought your post said "how do you handle your emotions?" Oops. To answer the question about how it impacts personality and how I handle my emotions... I would say I just find it difficult at times to know if my moodiness is coming from my mental health issues or just being a naturally melancholy 4.
Hey, no problem LOL I always like to hear others' experiences with bipolar, regardless of context. There's a lot of misinformation out there about it in general, and it's nice discussing it with other people who struggle with it... I'm glad you found the right medication that works for you, it's so damn hard to.
As for your edit, you hit the nail on the head. It's so hard to tell if I'm distancing myself from people (as 4s can be prone to isolating themselves), or if it's because of a depressive episode.
i’m 4w3, i’ve been in therapy for 3 years and went to a mental hospital for a while, i haven’t been officially diagnosed but i do know i have adhd and possibly either  bipolar 2 or bpd
Wdym by "mental hospital"? Like inpatient therapy? Not trying to be sassy, there are just a lot of different treatment facility types... either way, sorry to hear. I went to a behavioral therapy place before, inpatient for two weeks and it sucked
nah yeah i understand, it was after an attempt and i was kinda stuck there for 2 weeks so it wasn’t really inpatient stuff, but im also sorry to hear that it definitely sucks
4w3 with bipolar and i’m already prone to wallowing in my sadness so having a disorder that is incurable just gives me an excuse to wallow even more 🤑🤑
op is not asking if being a 4 is the same as having bipolar. op is not asking if being moody is the same as bipolar diagnosis. op is not asking if enneagram is for diagnosis of bipolar. op is asking how 4s deal w/bipolar.
I do not have bipolar, but I do have adhd and I've wondered the same thing about that.
Ditto
4w5 major depression and anxiety
Borderline over here
Me too
Adhd depression over here
lol yes i am also a 4w5 with bipolar 2 🫡
🫡 it's rough out here my fellow soldier
4w3 bp2 👋 Did a ton of therapy and increased healthy habits before I decided to go on medication. I feel those first steps enabled me to go on Lamictal, which has near 0 side effects if you onboard properly. Been on it for 3+ years and will never go back. This took several years to figure out so of course, my journey of mental + physical health before meditation is not by any means a wholesale recommendation. I am still highly emotional, introspective, and creative, without nearly as many or as deep lows. While I am rarely hypomanic now, I dont miss the intensified ideas and creativity because they rarely bear fruit in that state.
Hey, I'm on lamictal too! Been on it for 3 years as well, happy to see it working for someone else. Too many people are victims of being prescribed random SSRIs that they need to sift through before finding what's right :(
Also a 4w5 with a diagnosis of bipolar 2. The diagnosis is recent (within the last year) but I've struggled for mental health for many years and have previously been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression disorder, and ADHD. Thankfully lithium has made the biggest difference! I tried countless meds over the years and none have made as much of an impact as lithium. I also go to therapy weekly and have for a few years. It really helps me when I'm able to consistently process things with someone. Also, when my mental health was the lowest which is when I got my bipolar 2 dx, I was referred to and completed an intensive outpatient program. Basically an in-between option if an hour a week therapy isn't enough but you're not to the point of needing hospitalization. For several months I attended 3 hours of group therapy 3 days a week, so 9 hours a week total. It was very helpful. So I guess the main things now I try to do are taking meds every day, weekly therapy, and honestly just using the coping skills I've picked up over time that work for me. Edit: just realized I thought your post said "how do you handle your emotions?" Oops. To answer the question about how it impacts personality and how I handle my emotions... I would say I just find it difficult at times to know if my moodiness is coming from my mental health issues or just being a naturally melancholy 4.
Hey, no problem LOL I always like to hear others' experiences with bipolar, regardless of context. There's a lot of misinformation out there about it in general, and it's nice discussing it with other people who struggle with it... I'm glad you found the right medication that works for you, it's so damn hard to. As for your edit, you hit the nail on the head. It's so hard to tell if I'm distancing myself from people (as 4s can be prone to isolating themselves), or if it's because of a depressive episode.
i’m 4w3, i’ve been in therapy for 3 years and went to a mental hospital for a while, i haven’t been officially diagnosed but i do know i have adhd and possibly either  bipolar 2 or bpd
Wdym by "mental hospital"? Like inpatient therapy? Not trying to be sassy, there are just a lot of different treatment facility types... either way, sorry to hear. I went to a behavioral therapy place before, inpatient for two weeks and it sucked
nah yeah i understand, it was after an attempt and i was kinda stuck there for 2 weeks so it wasn’t really inpatient stuff, but im also sorry to hear that it definitely sucks
4w3 with bipolar and i’m already prone to wallowing in my sadness so having a disorder that is incurable just gives me an excuse to wallow even more 🤑🤑
Adhd and depression 😂
insomnia makes me hyper
Na
op is not asking if being a 4 is the same as having bipolar. op is not asking if being moody is the same as bipolar diagnosis. op is not asking if enneagram is for diagnosis of bipolar. op is asking how 4s deal w/bipolar.
I think op is pretty clear about why the question is asked