What's the deal with BIPOLAR and AUTISM? Are they "real

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Hello, I was searching for info about the medication my shrink gave me for Bi Polar and over and over I seen that the meds are also sometimes used for Autism.

I am wondering if they (Autism and Bi Polar) are some how related as I have a 3 Year Old Autistic Nephew (Might I add, I LOVE him more than words could express, and I love him just the way he is!)

Thanking you in advance for your help

Hi, terrylee! I have AS, and I just did a search for the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder. In my opinion (I'm a 17-year-old kid, not a psychologist) there are some similarities. But as for the big picture, they aren't really the same thing.

I read the information about manic episodes, and the similarities were racing thoughts, excessive talking and irritablity. What makes this different from autism is that theracing thoughts and excessive talking usually has something to do with our obsessions. The irritablity has to do with problems with socialisation and sensory issues.

There are also some similarities with the depression. Generally depression can be caused by many different types of disorders. (Example: it is (generally, not always) easier for someone with ADHD to become depressed than someone who doesn't have a neurological disorder).

I think there are some similarities between autism and bipolar disorder. The biggest difference seems to be with socialisation and empathy, which is a major part of autism. (But then again I could be absolutely wrong about all of this!)

Book about this: Survival Strategies for Parenting Children with Bipolar Disorder: Innovative parenting and counseling techniques for helping children with bipolar disorder and the conditions that may occur with it

It has a chapter on Asperger's and a chapter on the combination Asperger's/Bipolar. It seems to say they're related pretty clearly. Also about ADHD, Tourette's, and (not in a separate chapter) OCD.

I think bipolar illness and autism are distinctly separate conditions. Of course, one person could have both. I attended a bipolar/depression group for some time and know a number of bipolar people. I don't see strong similarities with aspies and others on the spectrum. A lot of us aspies come down with depression because of the stress and frustration everyday. But bipolar is different - when you meet people in their manic state it is something else. None of the bipolar people I know idenfity with the sensory-overload aspect and the motor-coordination stuff, plus they can be extremely social most of the time, except in a depressed phase. As for the meds, some of the same drugs are used for migraines, such as depakote. I feel for bipolar people - it is a rough ride up and down like that. Before I heard about Asperger's, I wondered why I did not fit into the bipolar/depression groups, where people still had NT interactions with each other - but not with me.