Would this be considered manic depression?

[bbbl67]

Hello, I'm writing this because I need help with my wife. I want to know if she could be considered bipolar, or if this is something else, like OCD. I had initially thought it was OCD, but after several years of this, I'm thinking it's more serious. But I don't know if it fits the definition of bipolar disorder. Her doctor has prescribed her sertaline hydrochloride, but I don't know if it's helped all that much.

The reason I'm not sure this is bipolar is because her mood swings don't happen over hours, but over days. However, when her mood does swing, it happens suddenly.

She is quick to take offense, and hypersensitive, takes even the most minor comments as insults. For example, I might ask her if she's seen my wallet around anywhere, and she might respond by saying, "I haven't stolen your wallet!"

I noticed early on that she had some strange habits. She was obsessed with cleaning dishes. Even if she was completely hungry, she wouldn't eat unless she cleaned all dirty dishes or pots in the sink, even if there was just one. She's like this even if we're at somebody else's house.

She keeps grudges an extremely long time too. For example, she used to get teary and clench up when talking about one of her uncles. She'd be so emotional that she wouldn't ever tell me what he did or said to her. I was beginning to think that maybe he had abused her, when she was young. Recently I found out that all it was that he had insulted her mother many years ago, when my wife was 10; her own mother doesn't really care about that insult anymore, but the daughter has remembered it all of these years and is still fuming over it.

We have been married 7 years, we are now over 40, and haven't had a kid yet. She doesn't like intercourse at all, she tenses up at the thought of penetration of any kind. Her doctor (who is a woman) did a gynecological exam to see if there are any physical problems with her, and said there are none. She doesn't like to be touched by me, claims that anywhere I touch her, it either tickles or hurts. However, she likes touching me, either though cuddling or by pleasuring me. In fact, she gets angry if I don't feel like getting pleasured, and she absolutely wants to do it.

 

[Twylight]

I've just looked up ' sertaline hydrochlride ' and it's used for Depression and OCD
perhaps you could write to her GP and make sure the GP is aware of the mood swings

 

[bbbl67]

I've just looked up ' sertaline hydrochlride ' and it's used for Depression and OCD
perhaps you could write to her GP and make sure the GP is aware of the mood swings

I think they said that anti-depressents are used to reduce the extremes of the mood swings. In that respect, it may have worked. Before she started taking the AD, she was much worse off, she would sit in the corner of the room sometimes and just cry randomly. That no longer happens, thank god.

I've read some stuff on manic depression, and they say that one of the prescribed solutions is to take lithium. Can anybody tell me what the side effects of lithium are? I've heard that it just turns you numb and emotionless.

 

[bbbl67]

I've just looked up ' sertaline hydrochlride ' and it's used for Depression and OCD
perhaps you could write to her GP and make sure the GP is aware of the mood swings

I think they said that anti-depressents are used to reduce the extremes of the mood swings. In that respect, it may have worked. Before she started taking the AD, she was much worse off, she would sit in the corner of the room sometimes and just cry randomly. That no longer happens, thank god.

I've read some stuff on manic depression, and they say that one of the prescribed solutions is to take lithium. Can anybody tell me what the side effects of lithium are? I've heard that it just turns you numb and emotionless.

Also, I forgot to mention that she suffers from migraines. Is that common among bipolar people, or is that just unrelated one way or another?

 

[bbbl67]

I've just looked up ' sertaline hydrochlride ' and it's used for Depression and OCD
perhaps you could write to her GP and make sure the GP is aware of the mood swings

BTW, I just found out that the brandname of sertaline hydrochloride is "Zoloft", if that helps anybody.

 

[jax]

Hi there. I am not able to suggest if your wife may or may not be bipolar. I wanted to respond to two things. One being the fact that your wife doesn't like being touched. I was sexually abused as a child and all my adult life - I couldn't let a man touch me. However, when I went manic for the first time - 2005 - I went mad for sex. Does your wife ever like you to touch her. Hyper-sexuality is one of the symptoms of being manic. For me - I am frigid when not manic - and sex mad when I am manic. The second thing I wanted to say is that one of the drugs I am on it lithium. You're right, it does numb you. Lithium can cause some folks to get an under-active thyroid. I am one of those people. Weight gain is another problem. You can have a wild thirst and run to the loo a lot to pee.
Zoloft is the American name for sertaline. I can't remember the UK name for it.
Would you be able to speak to your wife about your concerns? Suggest maybe that the two of your go and see your GP? She really needs to be evaluated by a psychiatrist in order to get a diagnoses or rule out bipolar.
Good luck.
Jacqui x

 

[bbbl67]

Hi there. I am not able to suggest if your wife may or may not be bipolar. I wanted to respond to two things. One being the fact that your wife doesn't like being touched. I was sexually abused as a child and all my adult life - I couldn't let a man touch me. However, when I went manic for the first time - 2005 - I went mad for sex. Does your wife ever like you to touch her.

No, I can't say she gets so mad for sex that she wants to be touched. She does tolerate being touched in certain ways. Namely, she doesn't want to be stroked or caressed in anyway, but she's okay with touching if I put my hand on her skin, and stay perfectly still, i.e. being touched without any movement whatsoever. Oh, and she's okay with being stroked/caressed on her hands, but nowhere else.

Although she's denied being sexually abused, it is one of things I am frankly suspicious about. On TV, she likes to watch documentaries or reports or panel discussions about women being abused throughout the world. She gets all worked up about it, saying how she'd put these people to death, if she was in charge of the country, etc.

Hyper-sexuality is one of the symptoms of being manic. For me - I am frigid when not manic - and sex mad when I am manic.

She does go crazy for sex sometimes, but it's always she wants to touch me, but she doesn't like being touched by me.

The second thing I wanted to say is that one of the drugs I am on it lithium. You're right, it does numb you. Lithium can cause some folks to get an under-active thyroid. I am one of those people. Weight gain is another problem. You can have a wild thirst and run to the loo a lot to pee.

It's interesting you mention thyroid problems. When she first migrated to Canada from our old homeland, her doctor first diagnosed her with an overactive thyroid. She was even sent to a thyroid specialist, but by the time the specialist actually saw her, her problems went away. The specialist suggested that it might be simply be because of the change in environment from there and here.

Zoloft is the American name for sertaline. I can't remember the UK name for it.
Would you be able to speak to your wife about your concerns? Suggest maybe that the two of your go and see your GP? She really needs to be evaluated by a psychiatrist in order to get a diagnoses or rule out bipolar.

Whenever the subject comes up, we have arguments. That's why I'd like to get the opinion of people here, before I try to convince her to see the doctor about it.