that such and indication would cause the police to be more gentle and less inflammatory/escalating about a possible confrontation. Unfortunately the facts seem to suggest they feel it gives them carte blanche to be even more abasing.

As for yourself, first wait for the diagnosis, then decide if you even agree, do some research. I've been diagnosed everything from multiple personality to manic/depressive/bipolar, chronic depression, and none were right. I've never taken any of the recommended meds, and thank goodness because upon doing my own research, and with the help of my MSW daughter, it turns out I have PTSD from childhood abuse. I've always known of the abuse and it was constant till I ran away from home at age 16, but as many, I thought PTSD was strictly for individual issue trauma, like war, or seeing a murder. I didn't realize it could occur simply from long term, very confusing, physically violent, unpredictable family abuse.

Anyway, don't be scared, you seem really smart. Do your own homework. Also even if it is bipolar, there are therapies out there that can help you manage the catalysts and so on without drugs. I know I started doing much better once I could wrap my head around the triggers and why they triggered me, and so on. Now I can see triggers coming and can usually get out of the way, around it, or if I have to go through it, I can do that quickly and on my own without involving others. Get your head into the game and teach it as well as you can to parent your behaviors that indicate what might be bipolar.

If you do decide on meds, just be careful. I've seen a few that decided that the meds weren't working, which they weren't, and decided to go cold turkey off them. That can be very dangerous.

Best of smart and strong and bravery be blessed upon you.

become violent. It has more to do with excitement and depression than hostility. Seems perhaps you really do need to get some better education about it. I'm pretty sure the two examples you discuss here are something way more than bipolar.

additionally, it is not at all unusual to find BPD co-morbid with other conditions. In either case, what Denninmi relates here is not wrong.

I am 1000% behind being and empowered patient. While it is always good to keep yourself educated (with reliable sources, of course) I think it's important to point out that nothing Denninmi has said is necessarily wrong, by any means.

Denninmi,

The path and course of others facing this illness is not your path. You may share some experiences and be able to relate to what they are feeling, but they are them and you are you. Their path is NOT your destiny.

Does your diagnosis make sense to you? If you think the diagnosis is correct, that's a very valuable tool in your arsenal right away. Insight into self is absolutely priceless when battling a challenge to mental health.

Drugs are just a tool in the toolbox. They don't work miracles and they don't work very well alone without any help from your participation in therapy, but they remain a very valuable tool.

Have open and honest communications with your provider about meds, your concerns, any side effects you may think you are having and above all, NEVER just stop taking them because you think you are feeling better without talking to your provider first. A good rule of thumb is to plan to be on a med for about 1 year after you start really feeling better, during which you will taper off the med safely. This is because you need that extra time to develop good coping mechanisms that will help you through during crisis and challenges in your life in a healthy way.

PS - I like your terminology "neurological control." In other areas of medicine we separate the macro from the micro in a condition and it's signs and symptoms. Mental health challenges seem to me to be a "micro" neurological issue. I've long been uncomfortable with the terms "psychology" and "mental health," as they come with negative connotations, which I find absurd but that's a whole other topic.

As was mentioned above there are different degrees of the illness and people with a bipolar diagnosis will often exhibit different symptoms. And how those symptoms manifest themselves in ones thought processes is different for everyone. For example, psychosis is a part of my illness but a lot of people who have bipolar disorder do not experience that. From what I can tell from here you don't seem to be, but you still have that diagnostic interview(s) to go through where you might even find out that you don't have bipolar disorder. But as you say, it seems to fit. We will see.

So a person can be crippled by this illness or go on to live an extraordinary life. I think you and I are more toward the extraordinary end of the spectrum. I think we both will have good lives.

It might have something to do with brain chemistry, but I really don't know.

Check your DU mail.