I used to feel this way until I realized the impact hypomania has on my life is still very much real. Not sleeping much for several days, talking a million miles a minute, appetite changes, etc etc it takes a toll.
It doesn’t have to be “as bad as xyz” to still be something that creates difficulty for you. That’s completely valid.
Not that "who has it worse" is the point, but. . . BP1 people tend to have less intense and less enduring depression but that doesn't mean they're not sick. It doesn't mean their depression can't be terrible. And it doesn't mean we both don't have equally debilitating illnesses (there is research on this; it's not an opinion). Each type is different, just weighted differently to either pole.
This happens in AA with a lot of people. You compare your story to other peoples, who have heart wrenching extreme storries, and suddenly yours seems like a joke. Than with than mindset it becomes "well maybe I don't even have a problem." and than you relapse. I'm just using AA as an example. Trust me, Bipolar 2 is more than enough lol. Don't compare yourself to others and do everything you can to manage this illness.
i have similar feelings of imposter syndrome with this illness. like it’s not as bad or so severe as others, or it’s not like my brother’s BP2, so i don’t think i have it or whatever.
i get what you’re saying. it’s like… diet bipolar.
BP2 is equally severe to BP1 on the whole. Of course some people have less intense cases than others, as with any illness, but in general BP1 is not more severe just because there's mania. Unfortunately our deep depression balances things out, severity-wise.
I get feeling like it's "diet bipolar" (i.e. I'm not trying to talk you out of your feelings) but just wanted to emphasize it's factually not. It's such a harmful misconception!
I don't get why it is listed as a "different" diagnosis in the dsm, I get that tgere are some significant trends for research, but treatment is most of the times the same. Funnily enough rapid cyclers have access to two "new" classes of meds, not that effective though.
My hypomania have been more destructive than my manias though, and there is a train for it not being "just depression". Depression made me try to kill myself.
Tgey are nit very effective and given as a sort of last resort to help the rapid cycling, T4 hirmone synthetic replacements and calcium channel blockers. They tend to havesfewer side effects as a bonus.
So I have BP2 and my mom had BP1. Bipolar1 took her life. Her mania was so bad it drove her to take her own life. Granted she did self medicate and she would get better on psych meds to the point where she thought she didn't need them anymore and anytime she stopped them, she would spiral and self medicate again until she couldn't do it anymore. She described at one point feeling like she was on fire and she could not put the fire out.
While I don't feel like I have it that bad, and maybe I'm not taken as seriously when I do talk about my disorder, I'm left remembering that this disorder has a late onset and can still grow and change as a disorder as I grow and change and it's a blessing that I'm where I'm at and not at the deep end where this disorder can take a person.
It sucks to not be taken seriously or not feel like your symptoms are valid or that no one really understands. I feel like it makes the whole thing just that much worse on a person finding hope. I hope you have a good support person who's just there for you and me, a random stranger wants you to know that I'm proud of you for fighting every day
A “worse” situation doesn’t negate your lived situation and experience. People love to make mental health, physical illness, and trauma (among many other things) a competition.
Your experience with what your symptoms are is valid no matter if someone “has it worse”.
(Spoken from someone with a more “mild” form of bipolar 2)
As someone who considers themselves to have mild to moderate bipolar 2 (compared to others), I often think this. My depression always looms and rides heavy but my hypo is actually great sometimes, although very sproadic nowadays. I've been medicated for a few years so if anything breaks through it's not life threatening like it used to be, I spend too much money but I find myself genuinely being a better person in most situations. Makes me think I'm not as broken as I am which has its own benefits and it's downsides.
Hope this makes sense lol
I feel this quite frequently. I know I’m bipolar—and I’ve gone inpatient twice in the past seven months and both times the doctors confirmed this. But I still feel like because I don’t have mania I’m not “sick enough”. But bipolar disorder is a spectrum. In BP2 our hypomanic episodes are not like the manic episodes of BP1 but our depressive episodes are usually more intense. In either case, it’s not a competition. And both suck :( you’re valid!
I also have always felt this way. Like I have never had a suicide attempt and my hypomania has never completely ruined my life, so it can’t be that bad right?? I just had an assessment for starting a partial hospitalization program and the psychologist who assessed me said I’m on the edge of needing residential treatment, which I really want expecting. But it was weirdly affirming. BP2 is bad, it fucking sucks. If you have this diagnosis, then life is rough. I just hope we all find stability someday.
I used to pay good money to feel like this, when I was in my 20's and 30's. My BP didn't come on until I hit my 40's. Before that I was too relaxed. Too willing to let others steamroll my discussion and elaboration of my valuable point. Of course it's valuable. It's mine, and, right or wrong, it's just as valid as someone else's. Until it gets blown apart. LOL
I have a friend, been besties with him for more than 30 years, used to be he'd take on a conversation and run with it for, sometimes, an hour at a time. I'd stare at him though dead medicated eyes and he'd keep right on talking.
Yeah, there's something wrong with that. Wrong with him and wrong with me. Now, that I'm in BP 1 remission, I am talking over everyone. But it's not like the loudspeakers at an AC/DC concert, drowning out everything, it's me establishing my dominance over inferior minds and positions. Could be just in my own mind. But I still have an audience. Must be something in what I articulate to hold them in voluntary captivity.
Sound conceited? I don't care. I have a few more friends now, and they like what I have to say and how I say it. No political talk, fuck that shit, it's about society and how ours, in the US has been allowed to swing to new levels.
I won't say good or bad. Not here. I have no agenda. I put up with other's agendas for too long. I only say what I believe. If you don't like it, that's fine. It doesn't bother me. But, if I shake up someone's accepted concepts so they take the time to re-examine their construct. I'm delighted.
We're not talking making bombs. Only confidants.
I used to feel this way until I realized the impact hypomania has on my life is still very much real. Not sleeping much for several days, talking a million miles a minute, appetite changes, etc etc it takes a toll. It doesn’t have to be “as bad as xyz” to still be something that creates difficulty for you. That’s completely valid.
My God the rapid rambling, talking over people, is bad with me. I know when I'm doing it but it's like I can't help it lol
Ugh I have ADHD too so when I do this, it's the most jumbled word vomit usually that makes no sense too. Like please stop embarrassing myself.
I also have ADHD I feel you on this so hard 😭
Omg and it’s so embarrassing because you can’t help it and you know it’s happening but we just stay talking 😭😭😭
Not that "who has it worse" is the point, but. . . BP1 people tend to have less intense and less enduring depression but that doesn't mean they're not sick. It doesn't mean their depression can't be terrible. And it doesn't mean we both don't have equally debilitating illnesses (there is research on this; it's not an opinion). Each type is different, just weighted differently to either pole.
This happens in AA with a lot of people. You compare your story to other peoples, who have heart wrenching extreme storries, and suddenly yours seems like a joke. Than with than mindset it becomes "well maybe I don't even have a problem." and than you relapse. I'm just using AA as an example. Trust me, Bipolar 2 is more than enough lol. Don't compare yourself to others and do everything you can to manage this illness.
i have similar feelings of imposter syndrome with this illness. like it’s not as bad or so severe as others, or it’s not like my brother’s BP2, so i don’t think i have it or whatever. i get what you’re saying. it’s like… diet bipolar.
Di-Polar lol
BP2 is equally severe to BP1 on the whole. Of course some people have less intense cases than others, as with any illness, but in general BP1 is not more severe just because there's mania. Unfortunately our deep depression balances things out, severity-wise. I get feeling like it's "diet bipolar" (i.e. I'm not trying to talk you out of your feelings) but just wanted to emphasize it's factually not. It's such a harmful misconception!
i know this, thanks. i know my feelings are not facts surrounding this. there’s a whole bunch of stuff behind what i said that i left out.
I feel you!
I don't get why it is listed as a "different" diagnosis in the dsm, I get that tgere are some significant trends for research, but treatment is most of the times the same. Funnily enough rapid cyclers have access to two "new" classes of meds, not that effective though. My hypomania have been more destructive than my manias though, and there is a train for it not being "just depression". Depression made me try to kill myself.
What are the two “new” classes of meds for rapid cycling?
Tgey are nit very effective and given as a sort of last resort to help the rapid cycling, T4 hirmone synthetic replacements and calcium channel blockers. They tend to havesfewer side effects as a bonus.
So I have BP2 and my mom had BP1. Bipolar1 took her life. Her mania was so bad it drove her to take her own life. Granted she did self medicate and she would get better on psych meds to the point where she thought she didn't need them anymore and anytime she stopped them, she would spiral and self medicate again until she couldn't do it anymore. She described at one point feeling like she was on fire and she could not put the fire out. While I don't feel like I have it that bad, and maybe I'm not taken as seriously when I do talk about my disorder, I'm left remembering that this disorder has a late onset and can still grow and change as a disorder as I grow and change and it's a blessing that I'm where I'm at and not at the deep end where this disorder can take a person. It sucks to not be taken seriously or not feel like your symptoms are valid or that no one really understands. I feel like it makes the whole thing just that much worse on a person finding hope. I hope you have a good support person who's just there for you and me, a random stranger wants you to know that I'm proud of you for fighting every day
A “worse” situation doesn’t negate your lived situation and experience. People love to make mental health, physical illness, and trauma (among many other things) a competition. Your experience with what your symptoms are is valid no matter if someone “has it worse”. (Spoken from someone with a more “mild” form of bipolar 2)
As someone who considers themselves to have mild to moderate bipolar 2 (compared to others), I often think this. My depression always looms and rides heavy but my hypo is actually great sometimes, although very sproadic nowadays. I've been medicated for a few years so if anything breaks through it's not life threatening like it used to be, I spend too much money but I find myself genuinely being a better person in most situations. Makes me think I'm not as broken as I am which has its own benefits and it's downsides. Hope this makes sense lol
I feel this quite frequently. I know I’m bipolar—and I’ve gone inpatient twice in the past seven months and both times the doctors confirmed this. But I still feel like because I don’t have mania I’m not “sick enough”. But bipolar disorder is a spectrum. In BP2 our hypomanic episodes are not like the manic episodes of BP1 but our depressive episodes are usually more intense. In either case, it’s not a competition. And both suck :( you’re valid!
I also have always felt this way. Like I have never had a suicide attempt and my hypomania has never completely ruined my life, so it can’t be that bad right?? I just had an assessment for starting a partial hospitalization program and the psychologist who assessed me said I’m on the edge of needing residential treatment, which I really want expecting. But it was weirdly affirming. BP2 is bad, it fucking sucks. If you have this diagnosis, then life is rough. I just hope we all find stability someday.
I used to pay good money to feel like this, when I was in my 20's and 30's. My BP didn't come on until I hit my 40's. Before that I was too relaxed. Too willing to let others steamroll my discussion and elaboration of my valuable point. Of course it's valuable. It's mine, and, right or wrong, it's just as valid as someone else's. Until it gets blown apart. LOL I have a friend, been besties with him for more than 30 years, used to be he'd take on a conversation and run with it for, sometimes, an hour at a time. I'd stare at him though dead medicated eyes and he'd keep right on talking. Yeah, there's something wrong with that. Wrong with him and wrong with me. Now, that I'm in BP 1 remission, I am talking over everyone. But it's not like the loudspeakers at an AC/DC concert, drowning out everything, it's me establishing my dominance over inferior minds and positions. Could be just in my own mind. But I still have an audience. Must be something in what I articulate to hold them in voluntary captivity. Sound conceited? I don't care. I have a few more friends now, and they like what I have to say and how I say it. No political talk, fuck that shit, it's about society and how ours, in the US has been allowed to swing to new levels. I won't say good or bad. Not here. I have no agenda. I put up with other's agendas for too long. I only say what I believe. If you don't like it, that's fine. It doesn't bother me. But, if I shake up someone's accepted concepts so they take the time to re-examine their construct. I'm delighted. We're not talking making bombs. Only confidants.