Um, I'm not self diagnosing i am bipolar and have been diagnosed by a doctor and just wanted to know if when i get a little bit paranoid if that could be why.

Probably not. Everyone is 'slightly paranoid' from time to time in their lives. Being 'Bipolar' is a SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM but can be 'contained' with medication and therapy. 'Paranoia' is a 'completely different' diagnosis, but it is most often associated with 'schizophrenia' … and there is 'no connection' between 'schizophrenia' and having 'bipolar syndrome.' SOME people may have both problems, but in general, a person has either one or the other or none at all. Being 'slightly paranoid' could be being 'totally sane and normal' but just 'afraid' of something very 'small.'

Ok, I am 23 right now. When I 17 I broke up with my girlfriend ON PROM NIGHT. Anyway, i fell into a bad depression, and developed severe insomnia where i couldn’t sleep more than 2-3 hours.

It took 6 months till when I finally got over her. The depression stuck around for a whole extra year, and the insomnia stuck around for 2 years.

If i recall correctly, I started feeling symptoms of bipolar disorder (mostly the mania) around when I was 19.

Now I am sitting here thinking, lets say I never met this girl, and never fell into a depression, would I still be bipolar today? I heard its biological/hereditary, but I keep thinking, my ex GF was the trigger of the depression, eliminate that and I should be illness free right?

Or was the depression caused by us breaking up really the first sign of bipolar and that no matter what I could have changed, that eventually the symptoms of bipolar disorder would show sooner or later?

I know I have severe bipolar, the type where depression and mania change from minutes to months.

I am not a Dr. What I say is from what I have observed over the years.

Mental Illnesses, Bipolar being one, may appear when life’s stresses rise to our breaking points. You’ve heard of “the straw that broke the camel’s back” It really wasn’t the single last straw, rather it was the entire load of straws/stresses just became too much to bear. These are the times in our life when mental illnesses will appear, rising above the surface as if it were a growing volcano of emotions and thoughts we cannot contain.

Actually this is the very reason a person with mental illness can benefit from Counseling / Therapy. We have the illness already, and need to learn to manage our stress in order to manage our symptoms of mental illness. Think of it as a tutoring or coaching that a musician or math student, or an athlete would get in order to learn-well and to master their skill. Over a period of time Therapy sessions with a mental health professional will help you learn how your mind and body work, what you react to, why you fail, and ways to succeed in managing your illness, and yes, your stress.

So, back to answering your basic question……did I cause my bipolar?
No, it was under the surface in your body chemistry.
Would it have shown-up eventually?
Yes, at some point when your life stresses rose to a crisis point, it would have “tipped the scales” and shown-up.

I'm 20 years old, and for the last couple of years I've been slowly experiencing more and more "abnormal" emotional responses. I've done my research, taken all the little "quizes" to see if I should seek therapy. At this point, I definitely am, however, I just wanted some outside advice. I usually get very, very talkative (to the point where I will hold long, detailed conversations with myself if no one is around), I have to pace back in forth in my house; i spend money i dont have. I may start to do something, but then I usually end up getting bored within seconds. This usually lasts for days or sometimes weeks at a time, flucuating between noticeable and not noticeable until for no apparent reason I get depressed and sit in my room for days. I miss work, get annoyed with friends and think about suicide all the while neglecting my house duties. I've always known that something was wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it until recently. Now it makes so much sense. Any thoughts?

Yes, you are describing symptoms. The question is a matter of degree. Make an appointment with a psychiatrist or a psychologist. If you go with the psychologist, find out if they are experienced in diagnosing bipolar. Don't go to your gp or to a general therapist.

You may have bipolar type II. It could be cyclothymia, a milder form of bipolar. Or, it could possibly be something else. Bipolar episodes are typically three weeks or longer. The period of hypomania (subthreshold mania) includes not *needing* as much sleep as usual in addition to what you describe.

No one can diagnose you online, and it is very difficult to accurately self-diagnose. Really, see a professional. Untreated, bipolar is a progressive illness. Don't delay. You'll only create more problems for yourself if you are in fact bipolar.

My mum is taking me to see a doctor this week as i have a lot of the symptoms of bipolar disorder.when i talk to the doctor i can't seem to get everything off my mind. Should i take a list of the symptoms that i have with me to the doctors?

¡Yes!
Many of the symptoms for BD are characteristic of other behaviors &/or other disorders.

Once in the doctor's office even if the visit is productive and helpful once the two of you start talking it's easy to overlook things that might not end up being related to your (possible) condition but you still want to know about anyway.

Another reason it's easy to overlook your questions is not intentional, but the doctor needs to know things as well to get an idea of your background, family history, etc. in addition to things that have not occurred to you.

what is the impact of exercise on a person with Bipolar 2 disorder?
Can exercise bring down the symptoms of Bipolar 2 disorder?

I have BPII, like you. My doc has been telling me for years to exerise regularly. When I do exercise I feel better, even if temporarily. If I'm a little down, 30 min on a stationary bike does wonders. I don't know from experience the long term effect, I can't stick to anything.