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I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with bipolar and I am not sure what that means. I would like more information about this because I think he has had a bad reaction to his meds and I am not sure what to do
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barbara75996 Guest
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Hi there .... I guess I have to say "welcome" to both of us, as I just started on this bipolar site also.
Bipolar 1 is a disorder where the person has extreme highs and extreme lows in their emotions and actions. When "high" they might do bizarre things such as believe they are Jesus, run down the street thinking they can fly, and have all sorts of imaginations. They truly believe these things unless they receive the proper medication. I don't know much about Depakote, but I believe one of the common medications for Bipolar 1 is Lithium ... Depakote may well be in the same medicinal family. Their lows are very low ..... very depressed, often to the point of suicide.
If your friend is seeing a good therapist (PsyD) and also a good Psychiatrist to provide medication and monitor him/her, it should really help in dealing with these ups and downs.
I have Bipolar 2, which is the same thing, except it is far less serious and reactive. My "highs" are what most people would call "normal" .... not happy, just flat. I sit mostly on the low side - the depressive .... for me I rarely feel "up, or very happy" ..... I do take 2 medications for depression and 1 for the "highs" which aren't for me very often. When that does show up, it is in the form of shopping ..... I can go on line and spend money like nobody's business.
This isn't really a very good answer for you, but maybe it will help a little bit. I'm sure the Mayo Clinic Website will give you a much more accurate and clear answer.
abby