Bipolar success stories?
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Anonymous
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I was in a full blown manic episode from age 16 and a half till a few days before I turned 18. When I was 15 and a freshman, I was sitting 1:1 with a teacher during lunch period to finish my work. My brain just wanted to chat with the teacher, but she kept reminding me to do my work. Than sophomore year started and I was talking about sex in school a lot. Someone called CPS and CPS blamed my mom for my behavior. My mom told them that she tells me in order to have sex I need to prepare my body by eating healthy and doing exercises, so they thought my mom was encouraging me. Then at the end of sophomore year I did something stupid. I drew 9/11 on a state test. This was a math question about storage bins so I made bin laden jokes. I was laughing but the school wasn't and they took me to a hospital. Then during the summer I had a lot of big ideas. One of them was to invent a real portal like the ones you see on the children's TV show cyber chase. Another idea was to invent a google earth video (kinda like google earth, except you can watch anything live). I literally thought I was going to become a scientist and invent these things.
2 months into my junior year I read an article online and was suddenly very happy. When I spoke I switched from one topic to another easily. I even told my math teacher "I can switch from one topic to another easily". I thought I was going to become the next MLK, and give a speech to millions of people and change the world. I thought I was going to become the president in 10 years. I thought everyone in America will change the constitution to make that possible. I was very hyper, very energetic and easily distracted. In math class, I wanted to talk to my classmate as I was distracted and felt pressure to talk. In gym when we had a substitute I wanted to walk and jump around instead of sit still and talk to my classmates. I was happy all the time. My school had airport style scanning and there was this one security guard at the entrance who described me as "this one is always laughing and smiling". These were her exact words. She said a few times I was always laughing. I also thought I was smarter than I really was, at unrealistic levels. This is formally called "inflated self-esteem or grandiosity". I intentionally failed my classes because I thought I was going to win the lottery and become the president or really famous. I did other dumb stuff too. I thought I was invincible to the consequences as my special connection to god and god would protect me from the consequences. I thought god put me here for a special purpose. I spent my parent's money on lottery tickets (always with my mom since I was under 18 but then she wouldn't let me). I spent money on countless useless things. I thought I was going to win and use the money to make myself famous. I used to go to an organization in a clinic type building with lots of little offices and had a plan to buy the building and use it for the company of my agenda. I would also get angry for no reason, mainly at home. I would pace back and forth, taking it out on my mom. I thought my parents were against me, so I never told them my plans. One time I told my sister I was going to become famous. She said she will kill me if I become famous. I told my mom my sister threatened me and she did nothing. I had an argument with my mom over this. I was 17. A few days before I turned 18, there was a "breaking point" where I realized all the stuff I believed (such as becoming the next MLK or winning the lottery) weren't true. I was devastated that I failed every class. I was really stressed out that I failed my classes, embarrassed myself, etc. At lunch I talked to a girl about being stressed, what she does to cope, etc. then I wondered what I went through at 16-18. I thought it was just a teenage thing, but I had a sister who was 2 years younger and didn't go through this. I went to summer school during my senior year and thank god I graduated on time. Sometime after starting college, I was reading the symptoms of a manic episode on WebMD and I realized that I've been through. I did go to psychotherapy and one time saw a psychiatrist in the clinic. My mom told him I talked about sex and he thought I had Asperger's and didn't understand why that wasn't appropriate. I guess I was lucky this all happened while I was in high school and not out in the real world. But I cringe thinking about myself. I pretty much embarrassed myself in high school. I don't understand how I went through this for 2+ years and was never hospitalized or received treatment. I read about people who were hospitalized for a manic episode and their episode didn't last as long as mine. |
Anonymous
| Wow. That's amazing that they didn't haul you off to the hospital. You are so lucky that you came out of it. |
Anonymous
Update. The dr. did not give him a label. He said why while there were a few elements of bipolar, he does not believe at all that nephew has it. That he was having no problems without medication ever. He's never been depressed, violent, withdrawn, and never had any instances in school/work, etc. In fact, he is doing too much--all of it great--but hard for anyone to keep it all going. He said the fact he recovered so quickly--immediately after meds given, has been so accomplished for so long, with lots of strong relationships, etc.--he thinks it is more like anxiety and that he can manage it with just low-dose anxiety and paying careful attention to triggers. He told him that he can go back to driving, living, work, grad school, etc. It was a big relief to hear this. But like any mental issues---there will be bumps along the way. |
Anonymous
| I have a family member that has mental issues. It is very unsettling at times. It's more like paranoia mixed with anxiety and social awkwardness. He is on meds but the symptoms are still there... |
Anonymous
| PP so sorry you had to go through all that. How are you doing now? Do you take medicine still? So incredible you have that insight now looking back. A lot of people don't. Congrats on working through that tough time in your life. |