Inexplicable agitation a regular bipolar symptom?

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Hi,

I've been suffering from long-term agitation, which now is controllable and only comes and goes in short bursts. Prior to taking sodium valproate at the beginning of this year, it was near chronic and extremely severe. Therefore I suspect I have some form of bipolar, but I've not had an official diagnosis and am still in the dark as to what exactly is wrong with me mentally.

I was wondering if others also experience bouts of agitation on a daily basis similar to how I have described, where it just seemly comes and goes how it pleases, and all you can really do is to try to ride it as best as possible?

Thanks for reading.

I am not bipolar, but I've read quite a bit about the condition. What you are describing sounds like the standard bipolar "mixed state" -- distressing agitation, but without the positive feelings of mania nor the exhausted feelings of depression. The "mixed state" can be rather dangerous for the sufferer -- it's often the phase when suicide attempts occur (more often than during depression or mania). Look up bipolar "mixed state" online and see what you find.

Thank you for your reply.

I've looked at the webmd page on mixed state bipolar. It looks like I'm doing everything I can. I'm afraid to stay that I am very suicidal at the moment, but I'm doing my best to manage it.

The area I'm in is a deprived part of London, and the quality of mental health care is so bad that I may as well not have a psychiatrist. Not only is this doctor not able to properly diagnose me, but it was me that suspected bipolar and asked to be put on sodium valproate, and recently I've just come off sertraline on my own, which I'm now finding to be better. They are such a joke, at least in Britain.

There's no way I'm going on an antipsychotic. I'll just have to keep staying strong and look after myself to the best of my ability. Physical health is getting shot to pieces from the irritability though, but I can't do anything about it.

Sorry about the rant, just a f*****g terrible situation I'm in.