Bipolar II Disorder | Lived Experience

It's All In Your Head podcast host, Jackie Colbeth, first received treatment for Depression as an adolescent at the same time she began struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. She was eventually diagnosed with BiPolar II Depression in 2004 after a decade of being misdiagnosed, addicted and yanked on and off different medications. In this conversation, Jackie also shares what it was like to seek treatment for her Alcoholism and accept her BiPolar II Depression.
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Chapter Timecodes
0:00 Intro
01:14 This week's guest
03:13 Managing BiPolar II Depression vs. Substance Abuse
04:51 The stigma around BiPolar II Disorder
08:12 Getting misdiagnosed & finding the right treatment
14:48 Becoming addicted to alcohol and other substances
22:46 Going to inpatient rehab for substance abuse as a teenager
26:10 How substance abuse impacted her family & being sent to boarding school
33:53 Jackie's journey to sobriety
42:08 Understanding & dealing with suppressed emotions after becoming sober
48:02 Managing BiPolar II symptoms after becoming sober
52:36 Accepting her BiPolar II Disorder & sharing her story
58:53 Jackie's advice for anyone battling mental health challenges
1:00:45 Outro
#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #livedexperience #bipolar #bipolardisorder #bipolar2 #addiction #alcoholism #psychology #podcast

[@smashy_smasherton]

Bipolar 2 folk don’t usually get a true mania. Hypomania is what we get. It’s insidious. After a looong period of depression, that’s often not bad enough to seek help for (even though we should, but we get used to it) we start to feel better. The fog dissipates, the clouds clear, and we feel good. It’s hard to recognize when feeling great is too much and feeling depressed is too depressed. A full cycle could take many months or even years.

[@lilth-mg2jk]

@ smashy_ smasherton , I couldn't of said it better!! I've was diagnosed 8 years after my wife passed from cancer I was told the truma of her death caused it ,I know we're your coming from my friend all the best from Wales uk

[@smashy_smasherton]

@@lilth-mg2jk I think sometimes, as human beings, we tend to grossly underestimate our own sensitivity to various traumas. Maybe we learn this habit as well. It wasn’t until I really delved into why I react and respond to life the way I do and add that knowledge to the fact that I indeed have a mood disorder and other mental health issues, was I really able to have a good grip on myself and start making the tools in my toolbox. This is why AA works. For many people, doing the steps is the first time they will take any sort of therapeutic approach to their problems. It’s so much more than just quitting drinking. I’ve kind of graduated from AA. I attend mindfulness, CBD, and other groups regularly and it all works. One day at a time, one effort at a time.

[@LurkingLinnet]

Power to u❤

[@daciajcksn]

The irritability is the worst, everything gets on your last nerve. The dog eating got on the last nerve that I had to leave the room 🙄

[@rodneuer4600]

O like me ultra rapid cycle I get different cycles every day sometimes weeks but mostly I shift mood daily.

[@j-lew]

I was diagnosed bipolar 2 like 7 or 8 years ago, and was immediately put on meds. Well, about a year ago, after having to constantly adjust meds for a couple of years and not finding the "right" combo, I made the "amazing" decision to just drop my meds. Yes, yes, I know. It went pretty well for about 11 months...then something weird happened. I got SMACKED with a true MANIA episode. Not hypomania. Mania. I have never, ever experienced anything like it before. I didn't sleep for 5 days, and it culminated with me totaling my car with no memory of it (unbelievably, no one was hurt, including me). But it was crazy. My smell changed (it's back now), my sense of touch...just wild. So yeah, I'm back on my meds. Take your meds, kids.

[@gevanbelman9839]

I’m sorry you were in an accident. I took a similar route. I was thriving for about 12-13 months. Then I had a depressive episode that was triggered from sexual assault while being an Uber driver. I started Meds, no meds, back on meds after the incident. I still haven’t found the correct combo of meds.

[@NekoNinja97]

I have Bipolar 2 and I never see people talk about it. I'm glad y'all are shining a light on this subject.

[@simonandrews4355]

Hi Neko, research says we BPD2 people are twice as common as BPD1 people but we are often missed and undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed as 'straightforward' depression (MDD) or severe anxiety (GAD) or unhappy like you say. If hypomania didn't upset my family so much and get me into difficulties with emailing etc too much abd being a bit OTT, I'd say it was a very creative time and a time I loved getting lots done without my normal procrastination and mild ADHD disorganisation. The severe depression with little sleep and a lot of thoughts about dying and of terror (my 'psychotic anxiety' is my name for it ) at ordinary tasks and a life on agonising 'pause' was my dark hell on earth for years with huge impact on my family and loss of my medical career through early retirement - I thought I was just burnt out and no longer tough enough to carry on and several Psychiatrists agreed with that and they missed the diagnosis. It's good to share - 3 years after my diagnosis, which took 9 years to get to before that, my family don't want me to be open about the diagnosis because of stigma but that's what I want to do when they do feel ready because until we share about BPD2 openly it will remain obscure and little understood and therefore keep being missed and sufferers suffering unnecessarily, broken romantic partnerships and marriages, job losses, self harm....the sad list goes on. Its also important to be diagnosed correctly because of the high risk of BPD2 patients ending their own lives if untreated - twice the risk of BPD1 people. Ordinary MDD/ GAD type antidepressants make it worse and destabilise it badly often ( but occasionally do have to be briefly carefully used by Specialists) so the diagnosis of BPD2 is so important to get to the life changing mood stabiliser treatments like wonderful Lithium ( I'm biassed) , Lamotrigine etc. which change the game completely when you find your right one and your right dose. Keep bravely sharing Neko. A lot of Primary Care Physicians/Family doctors need to know about it - I didn't know about it myseif- asking round my colleagues, neither do three quarters of them for complex and good reasons. There is much work to do fixing the medical systems so that people with BPD2 are promptly and correctly diagnosed - internationally the average time from recognizable symptoms to correct diagnosis is 8 years because it is so easily missed or misdiagnosed - it's far too long for all involved to suffer such mayhem and risk of all kinds unnecessarily. I met one woman not diagnosed for 27 years. Good luck Neko - we are the lucky ones- correctly diagnosed and successfully treated.

[@rosemarymartinez6709]

I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar 2 recently and it’s been a struggle accepting it as well as disclosing it to loved ones. Thank you for posting this.

[@lilth-mg2jk]

@rosemarymartinez6709 , hi I hope you start to feel better soon and if you need to talk to someone I've also got bipolar type 2 so if you want to chat with me that would be good all the best and take care

[@chrissebastian9571]

@@lilth-mg2jkhey, same here, struggling right now due to so many lost friendships and dropping out academically, not sure how to feel but i hate it so much and i run my own business so thats taken a huge hit too, the anxiety and panic attacks are the worst, i used to not even believe in depression or anxiety at all, now my anxiety wont even let me get out in a crowd, i hate seeing “normal” people that i used to get along with, no longer talking to me and livjng their life happily, i only talk to my family and 1 or 2 close friends but even then i dont go out and enjoy life anymore

[@simonandrews4355]

@chrissebastian9571 my anxiety was as bad as my later severe depression, I call it my 'psychotic' anxiety because it was a completely irrational terror, anxious about normal things - like I'd never known before in my previous six decades if living. Lithium sorted it out and since I started it June 2020 I have only been anxious once and for a very sound reason ...amazing after 9 mainly awful and some of those very terrible years until I was finally diagnosed. My BPD2 diagnosis was one of the best things that ever happened to me - a true liberation because it opened the door to opportunity for the best management. It hits you in the stomach to start with and then opens up for you a way to freedom. BPD2 is as real a condition as a broken leg or as Diabetes and 'Beeped2' is not your fault and you're not to blame. Your responsibility is only to take hold of it and all the advice and ideas and work out what's best for you and to make sure your Mental Health people give their best and you go for it. I found the psychoeducation helped quite a bit too. Grow good ! 👍

[@mustwintv9494]

Imagine yourself cruising down the highway at a comfortable speed of 65 miles per hour when your cruise control goes berserk. The speedometer climbs to 75 and then 85 . . . you hit the button to cancel . . . tap the brakes . . . 90 . . . nothing slows you down . . . 95 . . . your car is shaking and weaving . . . 100 . . . people are honking . . . 105 . . . police cars are chasing you . . . 110 . . . your spouse is yelling at you to SLOW DOWN . . . 115 . . . 120 . . . . Or imagine the opposite: You’re driving through town in a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit zone. Nobody’s in front of you - you’re practically pushing the accelerator through the floor - but your car can only creep along at 3 miles per hour. Your neighbors are honking, passing you on the right - on bicycles - and giving you dirty looks and other gestures of discontent. When you have bipolar disorder, your brain’s accelerator is stuck. At full speed, it launches you into a manic episode. In low gear, it grinds you down into a deep depression. If this were a situation with your heart, somebody would call an ambulance; doctors and nurses would flock to your bedside; loved ones would fly in from other states; and you’d get flowers and fruit baskets. But when your brain is stuck in park or overdrive, people tend to think you’re lazy, you’ve snapped, or you’re too weak to deal with life. Instead of flowers and fruit baskets, you get a pink slip and divorce papers.

[@jameemaree4602]

This is such an amazing description!!!

[@christinebrown179]

Wow! This is so true!

[@ksmith7402]

She articulates addiction and bipolar 2 illness so well, thank you

[@annelaurenzo5838]

Love that this deals with addiction and mental health. So many of us live with both!

[@tina4himalone984]

It was certainly difficult to come to terms with initially, but I realized when the mood stabilizers in combo with an antidepressant was working in an almost instantaneously level, it confirmed the diagnosis I was in need of for decades. Part of that can also be not being able to effectively putting a voice to all of the struggles since it included so much childhood trauma. I started drinking and smoking weed at 12 also. Denial played a huge part through the years. I can look back now and recognize that my dad, although never diagnosed, was bipolar as well. It makes so much more sense when you learn about the disorder. Thank you for sharing your story. God bless you. 💞

[@alenapolster6590]

Diagnosed at age 52 but I'm so happy to have gotten that diagnosis. Treatment has gone well and I'm feeling really good. I hope everyone out there struggling with Bipolar 2 gets the treatment they need and deserve.

[@BigE-qx1jb]

Diagnosed at 50 and have been on 3 different medications with brutal side effects, what has worked for you? I asked my psychologist about lithium and she said that might work for me, do you have relationship issues? Sorry I know it’s a lot of questions but your the first person I’ve seen diagnosed after 50

[@jason_hodous]

Thank you for making these videos and sharing your story. I suffered in silence for 35 years because of denial and the stigma around mental illness.

[@too_tired_for_this]

Bipolar depression has been hell for me. I wasn’t diagnosed until I turned 37. I had a lot of hypomanic episodes before I was medicated, and now it feels like I’m medicated and depressed all the time.

[@joycomesinthemorning2043]

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I'm so sorry you're going through so much pain but know that God loves you. Just call out to Him, if you don't know Him because He understands. He will never leave you nor forsake you. The LORD knows what we are going through more than we know ourselves. Go to Him! Repent of your sins (turn away from your sins). Give your life to Christ Jesus. He died for you and made a way because He is the way, the truth and the life no one can come to the Father but through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). God bless you!

[@Katsnacks]

I definitely feel you on that! Have you tracked when you feel a change in mood? I started using a tape recorder on my phone, if I have the time and go in a space alone or bathroom , any space that’s not occupied, and track my feelings. I was told in therapy to jot down my feelings, with the medications it affects my eye sight. I just started medication too , and I am treating a 10cc uterine fibroid. Now I will cry out of the blue a few minutes, a few times a day. then Fine. My hyper mania will come in too so I believe it’s due to my chronic pain & fatigue. I’m doing cognitive tracking to anything that reminds of trigger/repression memory or situation that may stir my anxiety. I started also tracking the things that would spark my joy responses and try to connect them with times and occasions where I felt good as well. It’s still a battle but know ur not alone in the polar universe friend !

[@simonandrews4355]

Hi 'too_tired', if you feel depressed and medicated - my advice as a BPD2 'Beeped2' person myself (and retired Medic) is go back and back and back some more to your Medics if you can until you get relief. There will usually be a better dose or a better medication for you. Theres a number to choose from. It took me several try outs before I got to my lifechanger Lithium which has nearly no side effects - slightly puffy ankles on some hot days is all I have after 3 years - and blood checks every 3 months. I feel fresh healthy and 'me' again after terrible years. Don't tailor your expectations to what your service is prescribing but ask them to try different doses and medications to tailor to your needs. Don't give up 'too_tired' , there's better for you up ahead.

[@simonandrews4355]

@joycomesinthemorning2043 Hi - these are wonderfully encouraging verses. Seeking to provide and to promote the best God given and God inspired medical treatment and health care is a Christian obligation. Both spiritual help and medical help running intertwined together - we are indivisibly human in body and spirit, wonderfully made in God's image and our spiritual needs cannot be separated from our physical or practical ones in the bodies and lives we have been given. I was sick and you visited me - we serve rhe sick as if they were Christ himself. The Samaritan poured in oil and bandaged his wounds and put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn and paid for his room in Jesus's parable. As Jesus said, it is not the healthy that need to see a Physician but the sick. Jesus did not heal all the sick in Israel, Elijah healed only one leper who was a foreigner. As a Medic for 30+ years and as a Christian who was myself also really poorly with undiagnosed BPD2 in a secured Psychiatric ward for 5 weeks in 2013, Psalm 42 given to me then by a friend. was so important to me and has remained so for the ten years since through another admission and horrendous times to my eventual correct BPD2 diagnosis and then after other failed treatments finally Lithium brought me back out of that dark wilderness in 2020. I am well and hugely encouraged that God loves me still and was guiding me and my family through those nine years of chaos and distress and despite the fact I often couldn't feel Him there at all. Psalm 42 is even more real now and Psalm 27 and others too are living of the pages for me and alive with hope. We are indivisibly spirit and body and mind and soul and are flawed and imperfect and deeply connected to those we are close to - and to all humanity - and nothing can divide those links. And nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus. Romans 8:35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 .....indeed, nothing ... will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. ... He is right in the mix with us, come what may. 'When I was sick you visited me' - He is with us in it there too. So we can and must use health care as His gift to us , held in His hands for us. In Christ's control is care of all types - undivided , spiritual and physical - and mental.

[@simonandrews4355]

It took me 9 years to get to a BPD2 diagnosis. 9 yrs of some terrible times of recurring worsening depression and hospital admissions x2. Lithium is far too good just to be put into batteries!😂 The last 3+ years on Lithium has been completely life changing. I'm walking on solid ground now at last.

[@cas8920]

Bipolar 2 disorder for me is a private hell. It is exhausting.. I know people, who are alot worse then i am and those people are Warriors.

[@bmc1717]

In a short synopsis explain why it’s a private hell!

[@cas8920]

@@bmc1717 not sure if I can be brief about it all.

[@tesssangra9901]

I have BP2 and it’s so reassuring to hear someone’s story and insight. Thank you for this!

[@TheHappinessBunny]

In a treatment facility for alcoholism and was diagnosed with bipolar 2. Before this my diagnosis was severe depression. I never knew the signs, but I'll be damned if the shoe doesn't fit. I wish I knew earlier, but at least I know now. Thanks for the support.

[@dorothynegri9924]

Will listen to this later today. Thank you! Love the both of you. 💞

[@charles6677]

Thanks Kyle and Jackie, Jackie thanks for your brutal honesty. Jackie, it is ok to cry. I am unipolar towards the depressive side and was somewhat ostracized by my family for being "different." I know the condition started in my early years and really showed up in my early 20's. I recognize you familiar feelings of abandonment and neglect. Turned out I hand the highest IQ and was the first in either side of my family tree to come home from college and two graduate degrees with honors. I understand the bi-polar 2 disorder...I was married to someone who would not address her substance abuse issue and the BP2. She would not accept the diagnosis and the treatment. She still doesn't. There is absolutely no stigma attached to BP2. If so many more people would openly address the condition they would live so much better. live long and prosper...lol. Some day we will develop the ability and testing to understand the delicate chemistry of our brains.

[@jennifermckeown7093]

Just got diagnosed with bipolar disorder ii. Started medication and I feel sluggish and unsure more now about everything. I pray I can look back and become much wiser. Congrats on your sobriety and wisdom❤

[@vinodsingh-gr1xj]

Thankyou for your broadcast on bipolar mental issue and interview with Jackie, I am from India and been suffering from last three decades, awareness is not much because people don't talk about mental illness, it's stigmatize. I value and appreciate the interview.😅

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

I was misdiagnosed from the age 24 to 48. 24 years of wrong medication, alcohol and drug abuse, anything so didn't have to feel and always always feeling like there was something wrong with me.

[@susanmann5286]

Difficult to find this type of information about Bipolar 2 Disorder. Thank you so much!

[@FergusScotchman]

Thank you for sharing! I resonated with many things only a bipolar person would understand. I had the same misdiagnosis from 22yo until 51yo -- until 3 months ago. All that wasted therapy time and energy. This journey has been a real bastard; a current I'm continually swimming against, making things twice as hard. I perked to the zoloft trigger. When put on my 1st ssri, zoloft, I had a two-day manic episode, but I loved the feeling and didn't understand what was happening. I went from introvert to a charismatic extrovert. No sleep at all. i'm going through my database of past memories, and there are many instances I can remember where biploar fits better than my narrative. I started drinking at 15, and recall that same feeling. That was the only time I was in the moment and burdens felt lighter. And add some weed onto that, and we've got a weekend binger. I was also the overachiever; star student and athlete and prestigious college, but in 9th grade, when I won every award there was, I was a hair's width from ending things. It would've shocked everyone.

[@huntsvilleshuffler8834]

Jackie’s Sober Date of 08/18 is my birthday! I have also recently been diagnosed with Bipolar and came here to get more information.

[@smashy_smasherton]

Alcohol was the medicine that worked for me. Like she said, it provided a pause. Later on, I simply identified as a ‘functional’ drunk and it worked well until it didn’t.

[@DelphineTheWorstBladeEver]

You're so strong for being able to overcome this. Do you have any advice to someone who is trying to help someone currently going through what you described? What made you stop?

[@smashy_smasherton]

@@DelphineTheWorstBladeEver I ended up seeking help and stopping with the help of AA because I was finding out that I just couldn’t drink enough for the desired effect anymore. I couldn’t not drink, either. My options were mixing with pills and hard drugs or quitting completely. It was truly a ‘jumping off’ place in my life. I’m grateful I jumped in the right direction.

[@smashy_smasherton]

And I don’t think there is much strength or willpower involved. After a few days, the physical addiction to alcohol is very manageable (seek help if needed, doctors know what to do) but the action comes down to getting your thinking right. When I quit, I had quit, and any cravings I had were quickly met with a kind of revulsion. I can’t picture myself as ever being able to socially drink. What would the point of that be? Being stuck where I can’t quit again seems absurd. I didn’t quit drinking on my own. I had the support of other sober people. I wanted what they had and they showed me how to get it. I wish anyone the same.

[@OnTheRiver66]

WOW! What a wonderful person!

[@Wishing_you_peace]

Kay Jamieson, an unquiet mind, great autobiography by a Dr.

[@Platttraining]

I listened to all of this soul sharing whole video. I am Bipolar, treated, do not drink and very happy. I wish my family members would not be so damn self righteous and realize it is in our family genetics.

[@saeedakhtar5239]

Patient really struggles in bipolar 2.. At first pt also can't recognise, what's all going on, racing thoughts, overthinking, and in depression Phase constant fatigue and difficult to start and even complete any task... Be in touch with psychiatrist and psychologist sessions are very important

[@YogidancingBear]

I’ve just accepted I have bipolar 2 two days ago. I feel totally crushed, and I feel like my whole life has been Pulled out from under me. I feel like things that I thought I like or just a part of my illness and things that make me sad or just a part of my illness and I don’t even know who I really am anymore. This is hard

[@BigE-qx1jb]

It’s definitely a hard diagnosis but you knew that something was wrong but just couldn’t put your finger on it? Because I was misdiagnosed for years until age 50 and knew something was definitely wrong with me

[@lf9341]

@@BigE-qx1jb Was it ADHD? I think my 22 year old son has this. He was diagnosed at 9 for ADHD and addicted to pot at 15 and now pot and alcohol.

[@rodneuer4600]

I was just diagnosed 3 weeks ago 31 years old. Of course I always knew something was going on specially when I hit puberty.

[@Rollacoastertycoon]

Welcome brother

[@dmgsoultogetherness6667]

amazing interview..

[@ThePyroLady11]

I feel like I'm listening to myself try to explain my life. I can agree Alcohol did the exact same thing. I've always said it's the only thing that can get the elephant off my chest. For the first time in my life I feel like I've found a story I identify with. I now can truly convince my brain I've struggled with Bipolar my entire life. I have dismissed that I have Bipolar so many times in my life & struggled in silence. It wasn't until my son was diagnosed that I was forced to look at myself.

[@ibrahimissaiaawad2888]

My good woman, I hope and pray that you find kind community, and friends who surround you with care, and love, and who are well enough educated to know how to help you when you come to them in a critical condition!

[@brandy6625]

Children aren’t diagnosed with Bipolar disorder because of the hormonal fluctuations that are going on. Bipolar 2 disorder isn’t watered down. This is what is so frustrating. Thank you for sharing. I can’t imagine how nervous you must have been ❤

[@randysnewbiebluesrockguita7782]

I always knew I had something that wasn't quite right with me. I lived through a lot of trauma as a kid and underlying things I wasn't even aware of in my family finally that finally came to my attention at age 60 and they are very revealing to me. I was diagnosed with colon cancer in Jan. 23' and am currently stage 3B with mets to the liver. When I get the chemo I really mentally react to it more than normal, confusion and anxiety with depression. I can't concentrate on things and I do things and agree with things that aren't in my best interests . I take small disappointments and catastrophize them like my cancer diagnosis, I've got myself dead already and I can very well recover from this. It seems like the closer you are to me the harder I am on you with my personal issues and I can take people to really dark places and that isn't popular in my circles to be sure. I've basically killed any relationship I have with any family member and not because I don't love them but I can turn on them while I am depressed and say things that are only sort of true, I attach much more damage to the situation than it requires. I've always been this way and I've always had dark thoughts come into my head, not violent thoughts but morbid situations I would make up in my mind like I still do today like my dying before my service dog and his wondering why I just left him, I agonize over these made up situations until I am depressed to the point I can't get out of bed. I was adopted at birth during closed adoption years and I can't find out any of my biological family's medical history to know if I inherited this condition . I am currently on my chemo pump and have it removed for 2 weeks tomorrow morning and hopefully the after effects won't throw me into an episode. My family doesn't believe me when I tell them I have been diagnosed with Bi Polar 2, I had to show them the paperwork saying I had cancer before they would believe me and I had gone from 205 pounds to 105 in 7 months and I had to have emergency surgery because I was waiting 2 weeks for the surgery but I formed a full bowl blockage and had to be EMS'd to the hospital. I had a mass the size of my fist in my lower colon and it grew into my abdominal wall and they took 3 ft. of my colon and 28 lymph nodes and about 5 pounds of tissue from my abdominal wall. I went on FOLFOX treatment but after 5 sessions I went into anaphylactic shock from one of the drugs, so now I am on a milder form of chemo but possibly not as effective but I still have 11 treatments to go. With the chemo and this condition I've basically killed all of my relationships except for my room mate who is an old friend and I still give him crap but he just deals with me because he knows its not really me at that moment.

[@liesbethannemariewhite5830]

❤ thank you for this video. Also bipolar 2

[@lilth-mg2jk]

@ liesbethannemariewhite5830 , I hope your well and and I've just subscribed to your KZbin channel I hope you don't mind and that it helps your channel take care

[@willowmorst8861]

Bipolar 2 is not watered down bipolar 1. Don’t pass on inaccurate information.

[@sarahhalasz9103]

I would say that bipolar ii is definitely not the “watered down” version of bipolar i. With ii I believe you can still experience delusions, and the depressions of ii are infamous for their severity, length, and frequency. I’m always concerned when people distinguish between them in any way that becomes like comparing trauma. It’s also a spectrum; someone with mild bipolar i might have a very different experience with people that have severe bipolar ii. She might have just been trying to categorize her own experience, but because the stigma is so substantial-even within the bipolar community itself-I think being careful with our words is important. As someone with bipolar ii, I’ve experienced that first hand so I am admittedly very sensitive to such wordings.

[@preppingforbeginners1347]

I was diagnosed yesterday with BP2 It was a relief actually to know why i go through this shit I would feel amazing and terrified at.the same time cause I know it will last a day and ill be back to the depths

[@jamera8223]

I was told by a psychologist bipolar2 has lower highs and lower lows. It tracks for me. Getting older changes the manic experience as well.

[@CapoG21519]

Ooh rah

[@NatureHeadSupreme]

"It's that serious" is all facts.

[@jameemaree4602]

I would love to see you all do a series on Bipolar 1. I’m seeing lots of videos on 2, and while there has been a lot to gain from those - interviews or videos on 1 would be a great addition. (I’d even be willing to be interviewed, as long as someone was asking the questions lol)

[@JohnSmith-ys4nl]

There's a lot of bipolar 1 material here on youtube.

[@oldbastard2149]

Thanks for sharing you're story Jackie. I had a girlfriend that was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She had a drug and alcohol addiction as well. OMG she was hard to live with ! At the time it wasn't funny , but today I can look back and laugh about our relationship. 😂 Needless to say , I'm single today and I thank God for that.

[@sally-kz7nz]

I'm in a fairly new relationship with a bi polar guy. He's a lovely man but I do struggle to support him... The good times are fabulous but I get a lot of ouch moments and often pushed away and that's followed by his massive guilt about not wanting to hurt me emotionally. I've tried to tell him I can take it - cos it's an illness and not deliberate. Luckily he hasn't got any problems with substance abuse ... I dunno if we can make it long term - friends tell me I don't need the problems and they're right of course - but there are such good times too. So I was interested in your comment. Good you can look back and laugh .

[@oldbastard2149]

Essentially , only you know you're tolerance level with you're new relationship with a bi-polar guy and none of you're friends can advise you any differently because they don't live in you're skin. If you're not being emotionally and physically abused or being financially manipulated then that's a positive. Most importantly to note , Bipolar Disorder is a Life Long Mental Illness and it just doesn't go away like the common cold , so don't fall into the trap into thinking you can try and change his behavior because you're going to be rowing upstream without a paddle and be playing the victim unnecessarily. Live & Learn and I wish all the best for you ! 😊@@sally-kz7nz

[@JesseAbair]

@@sally-kz7nzI can relate to this 100%. Just remember that it gets way more difficult to be supportive if you get to the point where you are also suffering. Stay open, be real with things, and keep trying for him. It means the world to him, I am sure… even if in a rough episode it seems like it doesn’t.

[@sally-kz7nz]

@@JesseAbair thank you so much! I do feel on my own a lot of the time as a supporting gf ..

[@bberrr]

We have lived eerily similar lives

[@jameemaree4602]

My dx is bipolar 1 (with some others in the mix too, of course). But I’ve always wondered if it should be bipolar 2. Have any of you ever had a Dr determine that they diagnosed the wrong variety?

[@gregmoore167]

I think AI may be able to detect BPD 2 by reviewing peoples faces and focussing on the eyes! The eyes always seem so big and bright to me when they r not depressed!

[@boukm3n]

Have you seen any examples of this already being done? I never heard of this before but it makes sense.

[@cassandra555]

I know you’re right . My mother can always tell when I’m hypomanic and she can tell when I’m in a depressive state as well by my eyes. I look at pictures of myself when I was hypomanic and my eyes are bright and excited and I look great in these pictures - I mean the smile is brighter my facial features are perky. I just look good. Two days later I can take a picture when I’m down and I look dull in my eyes, face features change and smile isn’t real looking and I literally look 15 yrs older. I’m sure AI can be programmed to identify bipolar states and it’s spectrum quite accurately with enough data. I’m not sure this would be a good thing if employers were allowed to use this. However considering close to 1 in 5 bipolar patients will successfully commit suicide if AI could save lives it could be for good.

[@volcanixworxSadie]

Just letting you know BPD is a commonly used abbreviation for the mental illness known as "Borderline Personality Disorder" and is not 7sed to describe Bipolar Disorder. Not trying to come off as nitpicking or mean, just letting you know the abbreviation is for Borderline. People that are just scanning the comments with limited knowledge on this could get an unintentional false idea on the 2 Disorders. ❤

[@ZOEZ03]

1:00:40 "and you can"

[@sandrakulikowski6305]

Thank you. Crappy people don’t need to be in the DSM 👏🏻

[@gevanbelman9839]

5:57pm she mentioned she doesn’t switch from one mood to another rapidly. I just want people to know that this can happen. It’s called rapid cycling.

[@dsg77726]

Hi My psychiatrist thinks I may have bipolar 2 after trying so many antidepressants without any success. I just started lamotrigine and am slowly titrating up. If you don’t mind being open about it, what psych meds have you had success with bipolar 2 symptoms?

[@TheArtMamiStudio]

Oh my gosh I was just prescribed this medication as well? If you don’t mind me asking how did it treat you?

[@axiomaticparadox3770]

Imagine being sad while having a job you like that allows you to live in Chicago comfortably. Couldn't be me lol

[@terriwhalen3618]

Amen

[@Kassygem]

I need help. Can someone connect me to a psychiatrist

[@mobilehairstylistniki2968]

HELL YES G........

[@paulflint6254]

There's no stigma where I live, lots of people are friendly with me. Was alcohol dependent until recently but since quitting things are much better. It seems I'm the lucky one. Have Schizoaffective disorder which is a sort of combination of Schizophrenia and Bipolar, go between mania and depression very frequently. No well periods.

[@Rollacoastertycoon]

You must be in nyc or Cali

[@paulflint6254]

UK@@Rollacoastertycoon

[@andrewgeraghty7495]

I AM ROBIN WILLIAMS 8/10/14 I am Robin Williams His separated twin Zany, quick and witty A thousand quips in my comedy clip Take me to a party I sing, I joke, I entertain No need to wind me up I am self winding I fizz like a multivitamin dunked in Coke Ah, coke, that anodyne escape I am exhausting company Funny, hilarious until you ache And each joke is both pushing my outer wall out and puff-padding the inside from my own fears and insecurities Languages, accents and impressions trip from my tongue as I morph From Mork to me to Mad Dog I am Robin Williams When the black dog takes me On inner corridors, lost, By pain and terror bounded To wallow in the Dead Marshes Where I am always lost And what is precious missing My soul is crushed By the whole weight Of the world which others assume, by my comedy, is light and breezy And sometimes it is. But the universe is an abyss None of us can face Alone And that is the place where I usually meet me. (c) Andrew Geraghty

[@bl3524]

Nice

[@stellaancimer8505]

Does anyone take lamictal?

[@gevanbelman9839]

I tried this one a few years ago. It didn’t work for me but now I’m on prozac and it sucks.

[@FionaMarrie]

Not a fan of the watered down scotch analogy. I understand you were trying to make a comparison between mania and hypomania but I think it's irresponsible to suggest that BP2 is watered down or lesser in any way. My depressive symptoms are not 'light' or 'watered-down', in fact they can be completely debilitating. And like another commenter said the BP2 depressive eps are infamously longer, more commonly occurring and can be more intense than BP1 (this doesn't apply to everyone). There is already a stigma and misinformation around Bipolar Disorder and this kind of rhetoric adds to it. Not to mention how saturated info about BP1 is in general compared to BP2.

[@gevanbelman9839]

Agreed

[@marygreen1495]

Doesn’t everyone get this « my mind can take a pause from this incessant anxiety » feeling when drinking alcohol?

[@unapizarra]

Jackie I’m hearing your story and I just I feel so sorry for you. You had no real support system. Your community, your family, abandoned you for your brother, and even you believe that his lived experience and him getting the full attention of your parents was more important than you. YOU DESERVED A FAMILY!!! When are we going to talk about the role of community in healing? Why are we starting your story at your diagnosis? What were your parents doing the whole time that you were drinking from 13-16? Are they not responsible for their child? Were they just screaming at you the entire time? I would be angry too. In fact, I’m angry for you.

[@colleenmartin-peterson2403]

How hard is it to diagnose someone with Bipolar?

[@PinkFlip23]

I didn’t get a Dx for 10 years. I was treated for MDD until a year ago. I was in my mid twenties when I got Dx(this is usually when symptoms become more pronounced.) most people get diagnosed in their mid twenties. Hypomania can be easy to miss as those around you and yourself can miss it, it can be very subtle. Dr. Tracy Marks has a good video about signs you are likely Bipolar. She talks about having a depressive episode before the age of 25 is a good indicator. Also, why are you still depressed is a book I am reading now that is good insight into it too.

[@colleenmartin-peterson2403]

@@PinkFlip23 who is the author of the book?

[@daciajcksn]

It's not easy, and it's very hard to finally find the combination of mood stabilizers. It took me yearssssss, but I finally found that combo and very minimal side effects.

[@PinkFlip23]

@@colleenmartin-peterson2403 The author is Jim Phelps. It's a good read! I related to a lot of what he said. It gives you more of an insight than you get normally from anyone else about it.

[@a.m9452]

Literature says average is 8 years from the first episode to being diagnosed.

[@colleendrake9661]

This guy does not know how to ask her quality questions at all. "Did you want to stop drinking?" What kind of question is that?

[@krislynch7454]

Its dangerous to teach nick how to do stuff was not a nice comment and not even what u meant. Thats your friend and business partner. Plz be kind.

[@bentlight04]

1. Bipolar Depression is not a a Disease, it’s a disorder. 2. Alcoholism - I’m not sure but it’s definitely not a disease I am familiar with both so I know what I’m an talking about

[@JB-uf3sx]

Question, what is the distinction imply? Genuinely I’m asking. Like if I say bipolar, depression is a disorder and not a disease. What does that change for me? Does that change my treatment? Does it change how people react to it like what function does it have to point out this distinction to others? I’m genuinely asking so that if I do make this distinction, I can say why it is relevant.

[@mares3841]

Dude! @54:47 in one phrase, you put out ageism, racism and sexism . Via negativa: can you cut that out? 😞

[@joycomesinthemorning2043]

Great testimony Jackie Colbeth! I hope you reach out to God fully because He was the one talking to you in the spiritual experience. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father but through Him. He loves you and He wants a PERSONAL not religious relationship with YOU. Repent of your sins and give your life to Christ! God bless you and God loves you!

[@susangllodas5794]

Why can’t bipolar take responsibility for their actions

[@shaunkelly5994]

Her eyes

[@Soundofsilver2007]

(Trigger warning) I’m a 26m and I have severely severe BP2 (and BPD:) I am bedridden, lived at home, triggered by intense daylight, haven’t worked in 6 years, never dated because of anxiety and don’t know why I’m still here because I’m getting worse. What takes the cream of the crop for being my top trigger (making me most hopeless) is knowing that I will probably NEVER find a SO…. My day to day life is like being eternally stuck on a merry go round in the beautifully twisted film #carnivalofsouls 🎠🎟️😱

[@kadenfraser4525]

I haved lived this way all my life ... bipolar Two ( i think )... The hypo mania made me very successful in life and i did well ... but the depression was such a crippling weight and close to suicide a few times ..would lose my relationships every 6 years . When i tried to get help they all said i had depression due to a lot of death and other Traumas in youth i tried ssri , counseling , over the years i tied many different high end places ... but none of them ever even mentioned bipolar ? i was recently at a 50 k place because i was in bad shape and they said i may have cptsd or ADHD ,,,, i did not think it was right and rejected the meds . Since getting out i have done daily videos and now can see my patterns . this has been my whole life ... for sure i was able to mask it well , but i just thought i was crazy and did not know who i was .. used booze ,sex and drugs to confuse it all . I am 60 now .. just retired a year ago and have now the time to explore my mind and why it has crippled me so . Thanks for the show .