Author Topic: bipolar tests  (Read 10383 times)

craig84

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bipolar tests
« on: July 29, 2013, 03:52:33 PM »
so im trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me and im leaning towards i have a form of bipolar....

i am not reading too much into the results of this as you can never be sure of these types of questionnaires online but i tried 2 tests and scored high on both sites....

one of the most frustrating things for me is recovery, how am i supposed to recover if i don't know what i suffer with.... i want to work for myself to be better but not knowing exactly what i suffer with has dragged out  my feeling lost with what to do....

i hope to goto my gp and let them know im concerned i may have bipolar and am not being treated for it... i feel like they will try to convince me otherwise because i don't have much faith in our nhs system and believe some refrain from making diagnosis as to not over populate the benefits system.

or is that paranoia because i read into conspiracy theories.... lol the mind of a mental man :p
”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”

craig84

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”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”

SteveW

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2013, 04:18:55 PM »
Tests like the online ones you cite can sometimes give you a general idea but since there are no blood tests or similar there is only one way to get a diagnosis and that is to sit down with a mental health professional who has been around Bipolar and discuss your symptoms in detail.

Some GP's will make a diagnosis of Bipolar but the bulk would want to refer you on. In practice that means your Community Mental Health Team. I wouldn't have thought that you would experience much difficulty in practice in getting a referral. You can tell your GP a whole list of symptoms that could point to Bipolar and I would guess that would be enough.

The only problem is speed. The CMHT's seem to take quite a time to get around to seeing people sometimes.
Sometimes the light is shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange, trip it's been

craig84

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2013, 05:09:44 PM »
thanks steve I don't think ive been under the CMHT as yet.... I may have been as I was in group therapy at one point but had not continued it as I had to work...

my depressions get so bad I cant work... cant sustain a job...

I need to find a way of moving forward instead of going round in circles I think that's why I spend so much time on here reading what people have to say and learning from their exeriences.

how are you at the  moment?
”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”

SteveW

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2013, 07:46:52 PM »
Thanks for asking how I am. I decided to set my speakers and amp up and play some electric guitar. When Deidre persuades me to play at night I have to stick to acoustic so as not to wake the neighbours. It didn't prove a good idea. I developed synesthesia where you see sound, hear smells and the like. I ended up with major visual transformations of the room I was in. Stopped playing but the flashbacks didn't. They were with me for ages.

Normality of a kind has returned with Deidre getting home from work, she can make big differences to my state of mind. I am going to try and persuade her to go to bed tonight and leave me to it. My intuition tells me the flashbacks will return. I shall play depressing songs from the 60's to myself as a distraction.
Sometimes the light is shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange, trip it's been

Pip

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2013, 08:10:13 PM »
I took a look at the links but didn't do them as I know I'm not bipolar.  It was just curiosity that made me look  :-X

craig84

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2013, 07:25:00 AM »
yeah I was curious too and did the tests... scored pretty  high on both so will approach my gp about it... see if there is enough there for them to test further whatever that would entail. not sure what theyd look for in my blood or urine to see if im bipolar??

wish I could play an instrument, I never gave it the time when I was younger with everything going on and these days money stops me from doing anything that im interested in. would be a great outlet for me I reckon. can you pretty much play anything you think of?

I had a neighbour once who complained about my noise levels, he got an injunction against me I had police in my house with a decibel meter and I wasn't allowed my music past a certain volume. I was around 18 at the time and always had friends round.

must be pretty trippy experiencing synaesthesia is it constant with all sounds or just music? it must be pretty scary as well depending on your state of mind at the time. if you were to change the type of song you were playing would it change or stop the flashbacks?

im partial to a few oldies what kind of depressing songs are we talking it may sound odd but I like depressing songs... songs with meaning or emotion I should say.
”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”

SteveW

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2013, 02:20:05 PM »
Music is a great outlet. I was lucky. My mother was a good pianist and she taught me. My grandfather played very good Irish Folk Music on the Violin so he taught me that. Learnt guitar at primary school, we had a visiting Music teacher who came once a week. Flute I taught myself. I just bought one and an instruction book. I was heavily involved with music at one time.

When I left home I went to live in a commune. Loads of us played various instruments so we'd just get together in the evening and play. We did play on a pro basis, mostly pubs in Oxford. We went under the name of Marseilles Pure, one of my early Heroin references. At my best I could play pretty well and write songs for the band. But my fingers aren't as flexible as they used to be. I manage the guitar still but I don't know about the others.

Synesthesia is an odd experience the first few times but you get used to it. I can't say that it ever frightens me. It can get confusing if you are trying to play something specific but if you are just improvising it can add to the enjoyment.
Sometimes the light is shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange, trip it's been

craig84

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Re: bipolar tests
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2013, 03:39:57 PM »
A kind of bitter sweet experience with the synaesthesia then!? sounds a bit like a sixth sense :)

im determined one day to learn an instrument. My dad did buy me a guitar after my parents split but that's where the learning stopped. he must have expected me to learn myself because he never paid for any lessons or made any real effort to teach me. I was in a gospel choir until my voice broke mid solo in front of assembly :) that was pretty funny :) I wasn't really supported in my interests when I think about it... oh well too late to expect it now.

I worked with a guitarist and went to a few jam sessions at a pub where people would just bring their weapon of choice and play blues and rock. realised how much I enjoyed live music at that point but not the type to goto gigs... couldn't deal with masses of people.

have you ever been to any concerts or anything?

I did live with a music producer that taught me how to make tunes using a computer programme but obviously I didn't do a degree in production I wouldn't know enough to make a song... only so much you can learn from readme files!

do you record anything you play ? it'd be great to hear your talent!
”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”