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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jack Smith on March 30, 2003, at 14:27:34
Someone has to know. I can't quite see the difference between ups and downs and BP????
Posted by Dragonslayer on March 30, 2003, at 15:09:14
In reply to ATYPICALS:Mood Reactivity--how it differs from BP?, posted by Jack Smith on March 30, 2003, at 14:27:34
If I understand your question correctly, it may be a question of the degree of extremes of the emotions. Low, Low and High, High and the rapid changing of the two. Everyone has ups and downs, as we all know. My own personal experience with a friend who is BP is that these mood changes are EXTREME and quite noticable to an observer. They also have certain behaviors associated with one extreme to the other - total isolation and *shutting down* to extreme *high as a kite* and spending sprees. My friend is classic BP. I understand there are degrees and gray areas to
the disorder. There are many here who can probably answer this much better. Just my two cents worth of thought on it.
Posted by Ritch on March 30, 2003, at 21:51:08
In reply to ATYPICALS:Mood Reactivity--how it differs from BP?, posted by Jack Smith on March 30, 2003, at 14:27:34
> Someone has to know. I can't quite see the difference between ups and downs and BP????
I may have mood reactive highs and lows, but they are very short-lived compared to the "burned-in" ups and downs that comprise my bipolar mood cycling. You have got to chart the cycling to see the difference. If the cycles appear to be sporadic and to not have a pattern it could be unipolar atypical depression, but bipolar cycling tends to have clearer cycling patterns that transcend circumstantial mood reactivity.
Posted by Jack Smith on March 31, 2003, at 1:01:24
In reply to Re: ATYPICALS:Mood Reactivity--how it differs from BP? » Jack Smith, posted by Ritch on March 30, 2003, at 21:51:08
Thanks for your answers but I should have been more clear--really wondering what the difference is b/t BP II ups and downs. I am pretty sure I am atypical but my mood reactivity is not always easily linked to external factors. . . . .
Posted by Ritch on March 31, 2003, at 9:10:52
In reply to Re: ATYPICALS:Mood Reactivity v. BPII, posted by Jack Smith on March 31, 2003, at 1:01:24
> Thanks for your answers but I should have been more clear--really wondering what the difference is b/t BP II ups and downs. I am pretty sure I am atypical but my mood reactivity is not always easily linked to external factors. . . . .
My bipolar highs don't tend to "happen" as the direct result of a specific circumstance. I can just get up one day and feel enthusiastic, ready to take on several projects, feel like calling people,etc. Positive events WILL *accelerate* the high, but something negative can occur and it doesn't make much of a dent in my mood. I've had situations where it *shifted* my mood from euphoria to hostility. But, that is relatively uncommon-it seems that whatever "state" I am in tends to be self-propagating for a reasonable duration. When I get depressed it works the same way, except bad news tends to make the depression much more miserable. Good news doesn't seem to make a dent (at least not for very long-a few hours).
This is the end of the thread.
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