Hello,<P> I was just wondering if my current H has Bipolar Disorder.<BR>My 1st H had it. He was addicted to Drugs and Alcohol. i guess a lot of them are. He never took the advice of a Phy. that he need Lithium. He was controling and P/M abusive. Conflict starter/conflict avoider.<P> My current H, of 20 years. Is hyper, work alholic, conflict starter/conflict avoider, In other words he starts conflict, then never wants to dicuss it's outcome. Just blames someone else. He started 2 businesses. He gives them his ALL. Ignores everyone else and their wishes. He would spend every dime to keep them going. When that doen't work. He gets depressed, blames me for their failure. He feels quilty if not constantly PRODUCTIVE, and of course if I am not he calls me a couch potato. I am not a Work Alcolic. I raised the kids and helped him in his business. Anyone have a clue?? He is also controling Mentaly, says I am. He thinks he is the codependant but since I have been one through 2 marriages, I know what it is. Help Anyone???<P>------------------<BR>Deb

Go over to ask.com and type something like "What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?"

Bipolar disorder refers to a swing from mania to depression. Since what you seem to be asking is about the manic episodes, here's the diagnostic criteria from the the DSM III, not the one currently in use, but the only one I have:<P>A. One or more distinct periolds with a predominantly elevated, expansive, or irritable mood. The elevated or irritable mood must be a prominent part of the illness and relatively persistent, although it may alternate or intermingle with depressive mood.<P>B. Duration of at least one week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary), during wheich, for most of the time, at least three of the following symptoms have persisted (four if theh mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:<BR>(1) increase in activity (either socially, at work, or sexually) or physical restlessness<BR>(2) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking<BR>(3) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thought are racing<BR>(4) inflated self-esteem (grandiosity, which may be delusional)<BR>(5) decreased need for sleep<BR>(6) distractibility, i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli<BR>(7) excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences which is not recognized, e.g., buying sprees, sexual indescretions, foolish business investments, reckless driving<P>C. Neither of the following dominate the clinical picture when an affective syndrome (i.e., criteria A and B above) is not present, that is, before it developed or after it has remitted:<BR>(1) preoccupation with a mood-incongruent delusion or hallucination (Delusions or hallucinations whose content does not involve themes of either inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or special relationship to a deity or famous person. Included are such symptoms as persecutory delusions, thought insertiion, and delusions of being controlled, whose content has no apparent relationship to any of the themes noted above)<BR>(2) bizarre behavior<P>D. Not superimposed on either Schizophrenia, Schizophrenifor Disorder, or a Paranoid Disorder.<P>E. Not due to any Organic Mental Disorder, such as Substance Intoxication<P>(Note: A hypomanic episode is a pathological disturbance similar to, but not as sever as, a manic episode.<P>Hope this helps!

Deb,<P>I'm not in the mental health field, I only know about this because my wife was hospitalized for a week with bipolar symptoms last summer. To me, what you describe does not necessarily scream out "bipolar" but it could be part of the problem. LetSTry gave you a pretty good list of manic symptoms. Typically a bipolar person would have periods of probably some months duration of depression, alternated with other periods in a manic state, with the kind of symptoms listed by LetSTry. More frequent swings, such as periods ranging from weeks to hours is called rapid cycling and is less common. Someone who is up and down a lot may just be moody, not bipolar.<P>Anyway, try <A HREF="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm" TARGET=_blank>this link</A> to a page on bipolar from the National Institute of Mental Health. A faq on the WWW is maintained <A HREF="http://www.landfield.com/faqs/support/depression/bipolar-faq/part1/" TARGET=_blank>here</A> and also has good information. At one time there were a couple of interactive diagnostic tools but I don't have the links anymore--you might be able to find them with a search.<P>Good luck in your search for help.<P>Steve