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Bipolar AS

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alanaargh
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18 Oct 2014, 12:53 pm

For a while I have wondered for a while whether my mood swings have been in the context of AS, but they are so frequent now I am starting to question whether that is the case. I don't really know a lot about bipolar and the different severities, so could anyone with both AS and bipolar explain some symptoms and perhaps give examples, it would help me a lot. Thanks.



AndrewtheFiddler
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18 Oct 2014, 3:33 pm

I have states of depression and mild mania, but right now the doctors are not sure if it is bipolar. Most Aspies have powerful mood swings, likely from overly strong emotion, but a bipolar mood change is different. The depression can come on slowly or quickly and is similar to unipolar depression, except you have lots of energy and anxiety. When a person enters a state of mania however, they feel amazing, have unlimited energy, and no desire to sleep or eat. There is also a sense of invincibility (I have driven in the middle of a road on a bike,) and extreme hypersexuality. Also there can be enhanced intelligence and/or creativity. In terms of the way it mixes with AS, for me my senses can even more strengthened, but I don't get overstimulated, and I gain absolute pitch (useful as I'm a music major in a University). I also have more self control than most people would, I did not engage in drugs use or unsafe sex like most people did (though emotionally they sounded like great ideas.) Each type of state has to last at least 5 days, and mania can include psychosis, though I have not heard of anyone with both ASD and bipolar having this. There is also a type of bipolar called cyclothymia, with has minor depression and mild mania over fewer days, with at least two mood changes a month. I likely developed this type when I was 15, developing the main type when I was 18. If your moods swings are more emotional, however, you could have Borderline Personality Disorder, or a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.



OJani
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18 Oct 2014, 5:53 pm

AndrewtheFiddler wrote:
I have states of depression and mild mania, but right now the doctors are not sure if it is bipolar. Most Aspies have powerful mood swings, likely from overly strong emotion, but a bipolar mood change is different. The depression can come on slowly or quickly and is similar to unipolar depression, except you have lots of energy and anxiety. When a person enters a state of mania however, they feel amazing, have unlimited energy, and no desire to sleep or eat. There is also a sense of invincibility (I have driven in the middle of a road on a bike,) and extreme hypersexuality. Also there can be enhanced intelligence and/or creativity. In terms of the way it mixes with AS, for me my senses can even more strengthened, but I don't get overstimulated, and I gain absolute pitch (useful as I'm a music major in a University). I also have more self control than most people would, I did not engage in drugs use or unsafe sex like most people did (though emotionally they sounded like great ideas.) Each type of state has to last at least 5 days, and mania can include psychosis, though I have not heard of anyone with both ASD and bipolar having this. There is also a type of bipolar called cyclothymia, with has minor depression and mild mania over fewer days, with at least two mood changes a month. I likely developed this type when I was 15, developing the main type when I was 18. If your moods swings are more emotional, however, you could have Borderline Personality Disorder, or a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What do you mean by 'more emotional'? Could you elaborate?



alanaargh
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18 Oct 2014, 6:58 pm

AndrewtheFiddler wrote:
I have states of depression and mild mania, but right now the doctors are not sure if it is bipolar. Most Aspies have powerful mood swings, likely from overly strong emotion, but a bipolar mood change is different. The depression can come on slowly or quickly and is similar to unipolar depression, except you have lots of energy and anxiety. When a person enters a state of mania however, they feel amazing, have unlimited energy, and no desire to sleep or eat. There is also a sense of invincibility (I have driven in the middle of a road on a bike,) and extreme hypersexuality. Also there can be enhanced intelligence and/or creativity. In terms of the way it mixes with AS, for me my senses can even more strengthened, but I don't get overstimulated, and I gain absolute pitch (useful as I'm a music major in a University). I also have more self control than most people would, I did not engage in drugs use or unsafe sex like most people did (though emotionally they sounded like great ideas.) Each type of state has to last at least 5 days, and mania can include psychosis, though I have not heard of anyone with both ASD and bipolar having this. There is also a type of bipolar called cyclothymia, with has minor depression and mild mania over fewer days, with at least two mood changes a month. I likely developed this type when I was 15, developing the main type when I was 18. If your moods swings are more emotional, however, you could have Borderline Personality Disorder, or a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.


Thanks for that, very helpful. My mood swings are much more frequent than over a 5 day period anyway. However, I know it's not normal to constantly think suicidal thoughts and then a couple days later feel 'on top of the world' and incredibly happy. But again, I could just have severe aspie mood swings.



AndrewtheFiddler
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18 Oct 2014, 9:27 pm

OJani wrote:
AndrewtheFiddler wrote:
I have states of depression and mild mania, but right now the doctors are not sure if it is bipolar. Most Aspies have powerful mood swings, likely from overly strong emotion, but a bipolar mood change is different. The depression can come on slowly or quickly and is similar to unipolar depression, except you have lots of energy and anxiety. When a person enters a state of mania however, they feel amazing, have unlimited energy, and no desire to sleep or eat. There is also a sense of invincibility (I have driven in the middle of a road on a bike,) and extreme hypersexuality. Also there can be enhanced intelligence and/or creativity. In terms of the way it mixes with AS, for me my senses can even more strengthened, but I don't get overstimulated, and I gain absolute pitch (useful as I'm a music major in a University). I also have more self control than most people would, I did not engage in drugs use or unsafe sex like most people did (though emotionally they sounded like great ideas.) Each type of state has to last at least 5 days, and mania can include psychosis, though I have not heard of anyone with both ASD and bipolar having this. There is also a type of bipolar called cyclothymia, with has minor depression and mild mania over fewer days, with at least two mood changes a month. I likely developed this type when I was 15, developing the main type when I was 18. If your moods swings are more emotional, however, you could have Borderline Personality Disorder, or a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What do you mean by 'more emotional'? Could you elaborate?


Weel, mood is causes by brain chemicals, and emotions are electrical are cause by the brain itself. Mood is fairly "simple," as it just goes for depression to normal to mania. Emotional swings are when a persons emotions are out of control, like if you feel one emotion, then it changes after 20 seconds, and then again after another 20 seconds, with changes from happiness, to anger, to calmness without any control.