bi polar or not?

[secret1992]

I get a lot of mood swings. I'll be really depressed and hate everything and everyone and then a few hours later I'll be full of energy and I'll want to go out and do something, I never know what I want to do though, the only way I can put it is it's like I'm a 2 year old on a sugar rush. I'll go from hating life to loving life and my self esstem goes through the roof. My thoughts are always racing, it takes me hours to fall asleep because I can't turn my brain off, sometimes I get no sleep or a couple of hours and I'm more energetic then when I get a good nights sleep. Sometimes I oversleep. My appetite changes a lot, some days I'll eat next to nothing and others I'll eat loads.
There could be loads of reasons for this behavior, I'm only 17 so this could be normal for a 17 year old. I'm on the contraceptive pill which I've heard can cause mood swings. I'm more worried that it's bi polar, My Dad, my aunty and great aunty all have bi polar.

 

[rasselas]

...

you're 17 - you sound like a 17 year old. I wouldn't rush into pathologising your self... not yet. At least give your mind a chance to grow...

 

[emoatnight]

there's no harm in getting checked out

At the age of 16 i started having the same type of mood swings that you are experiencing but like the person who replied to your post before me i was in the mindset of "this is normal for my age group" so i didn't seek help and due to family pride i was unaware that all the males in my family had bipolar disorder so the symptoms were left for about a year where they gradually got much worse and far more rapid. Ignorance is not bliss there is no harm in seeing your GP and if he thinks you need to be referred for additional help he will transfer you. I wish i had gone sooner as i am now taking lithium a mood stabilizer and leading a constructive life and now about to head to university. It never hurts to seek advice or help even if it means you find out you were overreacting at least you then know that for yourself.

 

[secret1992]

I have tried getting help. I had a mental health assessment a few days ago and he just told me that I was a normal teenager and because I'd researched bipolar he said that I was thinking I had other symptoms because I'd read about them, but I had mood swings etc before I researched bipolar . I don't feel normal though, none of my other friends have mood swings like me.