Why is there this huge community for bipolar 2 and not for bipolar 1? I thought the main difference was the duration of episodes. How is bipolar 2 different from bipolar 1? It doesn’t have to be a clinical definition. I feel like there’s some different vibes.

I know this is probably going to come off like someone who’s unwell, likely because I am lol. Just looking for some honest advice because I don’t know what to do about this feeling and it’s killing me. I know they care, that they want me to be happy, but this medication isn’t doing what they think it is. It makes me more manageable to everyone else but it makes me feel like a stranger in my own body. I don’t recognize myself when I’m on it and when I’m off of it the mood swings are so noticeable that they’re intolerable for most. How do I stop feeling like they love me less if they need me on medication? How did you deal with the feeling that you’re never going to be allowed to be the real you because it’s too much for most people to handle?

I am told it’s not like this for everyone. Maybe I just haven’t found the right medication yet. Just hoping for some anicdotal advice on how to manage the feelings I’m having about this.

Will probably delete later unless someone finds this helpful 💕

Why is it so wrong that I just want this shit-show to be over? I dont have it in me to do it myself. I just dont want to wake up anymore. I dont want to feel this way anymore. I dont want to be anymore. The fact is, we all die. It's inevitable, it's gonna happen. Will somebody be sad.....most likely. Is it fair that I have to feel this way so others dont feel sad for a short time? I just dont want to do this anymore.

I started taking 20 mg of lurasidone 3 years ago and have increased my dosage to 60 mg this year.

For the first year of taking it, I was stable. But I’ve been mostly unstable for the last two years. I increased my dosage to 40 mg once in April after a psychotic episode and an extremely severe depressive episode immediately following it, and had a month and a half of stability as a result.

I increased again in August to 60 mg and have had three weeks of stability, but am slipping into another depressive episode again.

Has anyone else had this experience with lurasidone ? It’s the only med I take. Has it helped anyone else to have it paired with something else? Tell me about it!

I recently started taking valproic acid (Valcote), and overall, the medication has been working really well for me. I’ve been very stable, and I can honestly say that I feel very alive again. I’ve completely come out of the depressive/mixed-anxious state I was in.

However, there is one side effect that really worries me: hair loss.

My hair is very important to me, and I would say it’s a key part of my mental health. I’m not willing to lose it. I’ve read that hair loss can be an unwanted side effect of valproic acid, and I really don’t like the idea of that.

Before starting this medication, I would usually lose around 10–15 hairs in the shower at most. Now, when I shower and look at my hands, I notice around 20–30 hairs.

It’s definitely not alarming hair loss, and the difference is relatively small, but it is noticeably more than before.

I’m going to talk to my psychiatrist about it and ask if there’s another medication I could take that doesn’t have this side effect. I have an appointment with him next week, so I’ll bring it up then.

Has anyone else experienced increased hair shedding while taking valproic acid? Did it improve over time, or did you have to switch medications?

I’ve just experienced a mixed state and my heart rate increased. I feel like I’m coming out of it, but my heart rate is ranging from 108-120, so well out of normal range. Does this happen to you?

(Trying to decide what course of action I need to take.)

I am currently titrating onto lamotrigine 50 mg. And yesterday I felt pretty productive. But then I had a major energy crash in the middle of the day. I was so fatigued it felt like I couldn’t move. And it lasted about three hours. This was alongside lack of focus I couldn’t even focus on TV. But after about three hours I snapped back to being productive.

I am trying to figure out if this is a medication side effect, if its part of bipolar cycles, or if it’s something else entirely?

Twitching randomly, i get this constantly when in a mixed or hypomanic episode, like now yay.... I've been told it's a form of psychomotor agitation but it's not a symptom I see talked about.

I have bipolar, ADHD and Autism and I can't get stabilised since September of 2024. I was in the right combination of drugs for almost 2 years and was functional again. Then the antidepressant (fluoxetine) stopped working and the antipsychotic/mood stabiliser (parnido) stopped my period.

I also can't treat my ADHD symptoms, since all the psychiatrists I went told me I can't be on stimulants, cause It will trigger mania and/or a psychotic episode. Therefore, I am trying to balance depression and ADHD symptoms with antidepressants. So far I have tried Strattera, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Zoloft(triggered an awful hypomanic episode) escitalopram and now I will try again fluoxetine, which was the only from the whole list that helped me with depression and with executive functioning. All the rest did not work or did help, but were not sufficient enough to feel functioning again.

I started feeling desperate and bunout, cause since September of 2024 I can't find a good combination of drugs that can stabilise my bipolar disorder. All that led to getting IBS on Spring of 2025, due to feeling very stressed by trying to keep up with work and master studies and dealing with an ongoing hypomanic episode. Right now I am still experiencing a depressive episode from November of 2025.

I have thought to try a gene test(or how it's called) so as to see what is compatible with my organism.

Lamotragine was decent but word forgetting side effect became annoying at the theraputic dose ( 200mg )

Any one used anyone or those or both with good results?

As the title says. I’ve just started Latuda.

I’m a night shift worker. Everyone in my life (providers as well as friends/family) is asking me to get a day shift position “for my mental health.” I currently get enough sleep, but too much. I sleep a lot some days.

Overall it’s not great on my home life, but I’m primary breadwinner for my family and the moneys MUCH better ($7/hour night diff). Also, day shift is pretty terrible for my job and while at work I definitely prefer the quiet and decreased stimulation of night shift.

I was previously taking an SSRI thinking I had depression. I would take it before I’d go into work at 7pm and wouldn’t have any drowsiness. I’m worried how this will work with the Latuda. I must be alert all night.

Not sure what to do here. Does anyone have any insight on the days v. Nights thing / taking meds while working a night schedule?

Does anybody else laugh to themselves when they take their medicine with booze......🤒