Posted by jumpy on March 15, 2003, at 19:08:01
In reply to Re: Understanding Bipolar and the Spectrum Disorders » jumpy, posted by jay on March 15, 2003, at 15:35:57
> Thanks..and even if everyone may not agree, I believe Dr. Phelps site, http://www.psycheducation.org/
> is quite an interesting read. Many seem to think he makes blanket statements, but actually he has a LOT of *exceptions* to his particular treatments. I personally also think that rapid cycling can take place in non-BP diagnosed folks..as in so-called 'unipolar' depressives. I think that may be part of the reason so many unipolars often have a difficult time, at one point or another, with their antidepressant. In fact I think that possibly a long acting benzo like clonazepam, which is also used in BP, often treats the rapid-cycling-type episodes in Dx'ed 'unipolar' depression.(Especially dysphoric anxiety moods) IMHO...etc..
>
> JayThanks for the info Jay ... I agree 100%. Yes, I love Dr. Phelp's site ... it really opened my eyes to bipolar II. I think there is to the one side bipolar I, in which people cycle both up to mania and down to depression. Related to bipolar I, but not as extreme is bipolar II with much less highs ... just hypomania and more depression. An then I think there are some people with a bipolar like disorder (maybe incomplete penetrance of the bipolar genes) with even less cycling then bipolar II, those that have productive periods (almost, but not quite reaching hypomanic states) and deep depression. I see these people *ALL THE TIME*. They are all over New York City where I once lived (or any big career driven city for that matter). They are the usual career sucessful, obsessive, highly productive types in business or doctors or lawyers or writer. This is where I fit in I think .... mood stablizer are too depressing to me .... klonopin and nardil seem to help the most (lots of gaba to provide mild mood stabization). My father is bipolar II and I seem to have inherited a very mild form of this.
Kay Jamison talks about these types and the true bipolars in "Touched with Fire". So many creative types have the bipolar spectrum which seem to confer them an advantage in life, periods of high productivity and creativeness. Unforunately, what comes up must come down ... and we also can get very very depressed.
I see the light finally! Thinks finally make some sense.
Thanks for the info Jay.
Jumpy
poster:jumpy
thread:209411
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030314/msgs/209474.html