(May 3, 2010 at 3:59 pm)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: Very interesting... hypomanic? I've never even heard of that. My official diagnosis was acute psychosis but I'm often considered to probably have bi-polar... despite the fact I've never had any of the depressive side of it. And I've always found that really weird how I'm considered bi-polar when I've only had the 1 pole (the high, manic one). Hypomania? Interesting... I wonder why the fuck I wasn't diagnosed with that instead of Bi-Polar being the suggestion of what I probably have!
Quote: The prognosis for bipolar is actually pretty good- there are a large number of bipolar people out there with responsible jobs, families etc who function just fine as long as they take their lithium.
I only had one episode so I may never go like it again, and I had it reduced back to 600mg recently (my lithium that is) because the dosage was too high for my body now (the blood test revealed) since I've lost weight since I've been on the meds. I stopped my anti-pychotic and my sleeping pill like two and a half years ago now btw. Only for like the first 6 months I was on them.
If things go well I'd rather not be on Litihim for life, I'd rather have it reduced. Because I may never get ill again. And I'd hate going through my life feeling I had the chance to live without it but missed it. If I ever got ill again, I don't think I'd be at all as bad and I'd just go back on the meds and stick with it for the rest of my life probably.
EvF
Basically, you were diagnosed with bi-polar because the diagnostic categories are a bit fucked up. Hypomania is normally used to a relatively mild form of cyclical mania that appears without a corresponding depressive phase. Bi-polar is normally used to refer to a mood disorder with a cycle of possibly extreme mania and depression. It sounds like what you had could be best described as 'unipolar mania', but afaik thats actually pretty rare, and I'm pretty sure that it isn't in the DSM (the psychiatrists 'bible') as a condition thats distinct from bi-polar.
You're actually on the minimum therapeutic dose of lithium btw. Thats good. If you really get pissed off with lithium, you could ask your doctor about switching to something else. Carbamazepine, for example, is ime just as effective as lithium, and its much less toxic. Valproic acid I know less about, but I think its pretty similar to carbamazepine. I believe that the current research (double-blind studies and whatnot) shows that either of these is just as effective as lithium for treating mania, but before you do anything I'd advise looking at the relevant studies yourself.
Anyway, a question for Saerules:
I have a long-standing fascination with cannibalism (don't ask my why, since I don't really have an answer). I'm also, by all accounts, a pretty damn good cook. If I were to serve up a cannibal feast, would you eat it? We'll assume that the meal died of natural causes (I'm pretty weird myself, but I could never commit murder).
