about your brother in law.
did he act like this all the time? or just in cycles?
I had no clue that I could manifest bipolar traits without being in a mood episode. kind of disturbing really. I get so hyper at night, but I am normal throughout the day. The normal is not the case during mood cycles.
bipolar disorder is a horrible life-threatening chronic illness. To be functional entails constant vigilance and total treatment adherence. and well…no drugs or alcohol abuse. I am fortunate that I have never craved substances. My vices are food and the internet. It is often not diagnosed as it is covered by substances, is usually manifested by depression, and people manage to alienate everything related to “crazy” behavior.
This is why I am so obsessed with my sleep cycle. Sleep is my one bipolar maintenance vice. I have excellent bipolar control through 5 years of taking medication every single day and seeing a regular psychiatrist. Even then, I have still had some bad episodes, but the support network I built catches me when I fall. I never feel completely functional. I always feel kind of off, struggling managing life, and chaotic, but it turns out that that is ADHD which would never have been found if I were not managing the bipolar. I would be living the rest of my life feeling like I am barely making it and constantly ridiculing my intellectual ability due to feeling like an air-head.
REPORT ABUSE