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Topic : 08/01 Extreme Highs and Lows

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Created on : Friday, March 03, 2006, 12:43:32 pm

Author : DrPhilBoard1

(Original Air Date: 03/07/06) Dr. Phil explores the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. This illness takes its victims on an emotional rollercoaster ride -- from elation to extreme irritability, intense rage, or devastating depression. First, Cathy was diagnosed with Bipolar II, 10 years ago and claims she goes from zero to psycho in 15 seconds. Dr. Phil takes a look at the toll her disorder takes on her two boys, and brings the family together for a dramatic moment of emotional healing. Then, during various manic episodes, Fred has stolen a taxi, crashed into a Starbucks, and climbed to the top of a church. He hears voices and believes that movie stars like Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro are talking to him through their movies. Still, Fred thinks he’s ready to move out of his parents’ house and live on his own for good … but should his family let him? Talk about the show here.

Find out what happened on the show.

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bpwoman76

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August 4, 2006, 12:10 pm PDT

08/01 Extreme Highs and Lows

Quote From: lexapro1

Like you I am lucky that I have an inate understanding of what happens to me. So it is controled to a point. I am not like those two either! But I don't believe you are being honest. The fact is my being Bi-Polar manifests itself in different ways. I have had struggles with money and self- esteem and I am constantly exhausted by my brain running out of control! Just to highlight a few. I also believe it is why I am extremely intelligent and creative. I believe you have difficulties you are not relating. And any one with a dibilitating disease will have a degree of selfishness. Our disease is so self consuming it is impossible not to expect it. Could other personality flaws be influencing the two guests? Of course, but it doesn't excuse or explain away there behavor. So feel lucky that your faith and upbringing has given you a better foundation to fight your ailment!

Hi

I do really well with my BP also, but I agree with you.

It is so much more than just mood swings.

I don't have a problem with the money thing, and my thoughts really don't race when I am on my meds, but I also struggle with low self esteem, chronic anxiety, memory problems, ADHD type symptoms, paranoia and I am self centered to a certain degree. I would not say selfish though.

People with a chronic illness need to focus on themselves to a certain extent to stay well.

I think that the two guests do represent extremes of the disorder, but that there behavior is very bipolar. I totally agree with you on that point.

I look at Kathy and say "there but for the grace of God and a good shrink go I" because I am a n angry when manic type too. I have just been lucky enough to respond to treatment and to get early intervention.

But it is hard for me to see the disease in its extreme form and scary too. Maybe that is why the other poster responded in the way that they did.

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janderrick

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August 4, 2006, 7:07 pm PDT

bipolar lifestyle

Hello, I'm 59 and have been struggling with my mental health all my life. I was the child who couldn't read even though the school kept saying I was smart. They didn't have all these labels back then and I suppose I was ADHD. When I hit teens, I started drawing. This was a great containment for all my neuosis. Going to college, I studied art ed and discovered "counseling". When I entered the teaching profession, I only lasted a year do to fatique, depression confusion and general insanity. I moved to LA where I was from and started an art business. I broke even but exposed myself to toxic chemicals in the paint and within three years started hallucainating and having "a nervous breakdown." No meds yet, though I self medicated with that unmentionable cigareets of the time. I thought this helped me lot's. Time moved on and I managed to keep myself going until another breakdown. This time I was put on an anti-psychotic which really helped. I no longer self medicated due to potential legal issues. After I lost a child in a medical mishap, I got into a good teaching career and was able to stay with it for 11 years. Fatique and poor perception of social situations plagued me and my marriage. I'd get up at 2am and clean the house. Or one time, when my husband and daughter went to a drive in movie, I decided to remove the living room carpeting. It was too dirty. Therefore, after 3 hours, it was out of the house on the front porch. Fortunately, we all have a good sense of humor and managed to chalk it up to that crazy artist. During my mid 40's, after much theroputic massage, vitamins, right eating, prayer etc, I went to my general practioner md and he put me on Prozac. It did help lots. I was on it 8 years. After I retired from teaching, I really wanted to go off because I felt so removed from everyone and I was having those weird eye movements.

i went off a year and a half ago. After some stress, I had a relapse in July. I was put on SAMe and some other meds. i retained water and gained lot's of weight in 16 days. I stopped the meds., the water is coming off and so is the weight but I don't feel very good. I live in a very remote place and am able to be alone lot's. This helps calm me. I have learned to manage this problem best I can.

I

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patrobbins

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August 5, 2006, 9:05 am PDT

Dr Phil Get Real

Quote From: jennifer93

I appreciate your show and all the topics you do cover, yet, I didn't feel that the show and Dr. Phil did justice to the illness that is bipolar. I felt that Dr. Phil did sensationalize the Bipolar illness with examples of the two people he had on his show. I feel it further alienates those of us suffering from the illness as psychotic people who are of threat to their children and society, even though I am sure that was not the full intent of the show. I wish you would have shown more examples of people who are on regular medication and who have gotten their illness under control.

I fear that the stigma of those suffering from mental illness was further perpetuated from this episode.

Yes, those of us suffering are mothers, fathers, teachers, counselors, artists who are born with an illness which affect us for our entire lives.

I am a 40 year old who is intelligent, attractive, vital member of society and a mother of 3 beautiful children who began to have episodes of bipolar illness beginning in my teenage years and was not diagnosed until my 30's.

The mania and the depression has been difficult in financial, emotional, and physical ways. I work doing work that is below my intellect, yet in times of confusion and anxiety ridden days, the work seem above my ability.

My children have amazingly been through an emotional storm; yet, their resilliancy gives me hope that overall, they are happy and healthy still.

We are good people with a bad illness, straight and simple, and not to be feared or outcast with judgement.

Hi/ I could not have expressed it better on how the show was presented. I also am sure that I had it in my teens, but I was not diagnoised until this year, and I am 62 now. Lots of tranc. and anti-deppresents, but nothing helped until I got on Seroquel and Celexus. Thank you for expressing it so well

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slytlymad

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August 6, 2006, 2:07 am PDT

08/01 Extreme Highs and Lows

Quote From: ehd8906

Bipolar Disorder is a new name for what was referred to as Manic Depression. Being Bipolar is different from having schizophrenia, very different. And it does not include anti-social behavior. Go on the internet and google Bipolar Disorder or better yet the DSM - the Diagnostic Criteria for Mental Illness.

I get frustrated when people don't know the answers, I'm sorry but it just bugs me. I was born with bi-polar disorder; I inherited it from my mother and didn't know until I was in my forties! I confirmed it by asking my father when he was in a vulnerable position this year. I guess it just wasn't talked about when growing up due to social fear and fear of being put in a state hospital for the rest of her life. BP was called manic depressive disorder up to the 1990's and it was considered a Mental Illness. It has now been physically proven to be a mood disorder caused by chemical imbalances. My oldest sister has BP with ADHD(?) and I have psychosis attached to it. Anxiety, panic attacks and psychosis can be attached to BP as well. My anxiety can be so bad that panic attacks cause me to see things out of the ordinary. Things that scare the hell out of me. Bi-Polar disorder is not something new!! It's just a new name for something old. I could tell you some really sad stories and some crazy ones but not today. Thanks for listening and reply if you want.

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cynara2012

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August 6, 2006, 3:36 am PDT

Re: Bi-polar disorder

I have been diagnosed with bi-polar since August of 1998. I take Depakote and Effexor and Xanax.

While taking my meds my mood is stabilized. I also see a therapist weekly who works with my psychiatrist. I have a 13 year old daughter that I am concerned about. She is already showing symptoms and signs of bi-polar. My mother is diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder with bi-polar symptoms. I also have a 21 month old daughter who I am also concerned about. Mental illness runs on both sides of my family. Although my paternal side is totally in denial about any kind of mental illness and refuses to see a doctor or therapist. Living with this illness is a nightmare if you are not taking meds and receiving counseling. I believe there are many people living with this illness but are to scared or proud to seek help or counseling. I think the people on the show had a lot of courage and I am grateful Dr. Phil is helping them and making the public more aware of this illness. Society automatically thinks we are crazy people but that is absurd. It is because the public is very uneducated on this subject. I am thankful that Dr. Phil took the time to address this subject on national television.

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allycp

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August 6, 2006, 11:26 am PDT

Healed from Bipolar

Quote From: crazycham

ok first my name is Chelsea. well.. instead of telling my whole story like i was planning to.. iam just going to reach out for help and hope mabye an angel will come to me with some advice and if iam lucky peace. i was diagnosed with bipolar 1. i was told when i was 14 that i had it from a phychiatrist but then she said 'oh' now i think you dont. so i have no idea what to think anymore. that same doctor also had me on 21 pills a day. the doctor that did diagnose me with it later when i was 17 i do trust and hes a well known doctor in my area. but i pushed those people away because once again i thought medicine and theorpy wasnt for me. i tend to ruin things in my life when they might just be getting better. its inevitible. the truth is, is iam getting worse. not that it wasnt going to happen anyways but i know for a fact meds and certian theorpy isnt for me. is there anything else out there. i see me getting to the point of the people on the show someday and iam terrified. iam only 18 and iam deathly scared of what will become of the next day. my anger has gotten so bad that i can no longer control it anymore. i dont think before i say or do anything. i just do it. ive always had the control of common sence, for example ''dont throw this because you dont have money to replace it'' but now i just dont think at all. i break so many things because if i dont break things i will hurt myself or iam afraid i will hurt someone around me at the time. ive started to get physical with my mom and hurt her and then right after i do it something else clicks and i say "what am i doing, this is my mom , the one who has cared for me forever." i dont understand why or how my moods switch so fast but i want it to stop and iam willing to try something new to stop it. ive tryed anger managment..that didnt work it was just fun to go to because someone listened to you and i was away from home. this is all taken a toll on my life and others around me. ive ruiend great relationships over this and lost many friends because i cant be normal. for one year i think i was 15 i wouldnt go out of the house becuase i was scared i was going to get killed. i was paranoid that someone was after me and i felt the presents of them watching me. i got over that but i still dont go out alot. i turned to drinking and drugs which got me into more trouble with the law and iam now handling that. i have lost jobs and got behind in school because of this. now that i think of it iam pretty lucky where iam now. iam lucky iam not dead, in jail or someone else got hurt or even in a hospitil. its a daily struggle. i talk to my mom like i would a dog. and i dont know why and if i try to stop it just gets worse and i say even worse things. i just need help and i hope posting this doesnt get me put away into a hospitil because that wont help me i just need support and help, mabye suggestions. i need to talk to people with the same problems as i have. i have so much i want to do in my future and iam 18 and at the time where your adult life starts and i need someone that can understand and support me soon. i dont want my dreams ruiend. i know there is something wrong with me and i have no doubt that it is bipolar and mabye other things. i want to add that my dad is bipolar and it is hereditary. my dad wasnt good to my mom and hurt her in every way. i dont want to end up like my dad and i know my mom sees my dad in me with the way i talk to her and act. its time for this to stop. can anyone help me please my e-mail is crazychameleon143@yahoo.com please please just hear me out someone. i always thought that i was just different and just going crazy but when i saw this show i saw so much of them in me and now i know iam not alone. if the people on the show see this i just want to thank them for showing me iam not alone but just need help. thank you.

hi im Ally. I suffered

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jojoscared

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August 6, 2006, 3:56 pm PDT

Getting diagnosed!!

I was 19 years old when I met my husband. He had a 12 year old brother. His brother was a cute, sensitive, intelligent kid. As the years progressed I watched "Steven" grow to be the most amazing person. He "flew" through school. Was chosen, top three, over 500 applicants for GMI (General Motors Institute) to go to Flint,Michigan. He was articulate, creative, exciting, energetic. But something bothered me about him! He went to GMI, left after a few months. Bought expensive cars....sold them days later. Was depressed at times. He worked at menial jobs, way below his abilities. I wish I knew then that he had a serious problem. "Steven" was bi-polar. His brother and I divorced and I lost track of "Steven". One day, seven years ago I got a call from my ex-husband telling me "Steven" had killed himself. I was devistated. Apparently, several months prior to his death, he was finally diagnosed with bi-polar. He was put on medication and hospitalized. I was appaled to hear how long it took the Doctors to determine he was bi-polar. One night in May, "Steven" walked out of his hospital room and drowned himself in a local river. I wish I knew the signs of bi-polar. I wish I had access to the internet back then....so many sites give you the signs and symptoms. I had no idea....Watch for those signs...get a proper diagnosis. Talk with the Doctors, take your meds. You can conquer this disease. God Bless you all. JoAnne

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myangel125

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August 6, 2006, 7:34 pm PDT

Bipolar disorder I--the unwanted ticket

I was diagnosed with BP I during graduate school. I was studying and taking a full time course load plus working a full time job as a casemanager (working with MR and troubled youth). It started out as (what I thought) a bit of depression--which I thought was due to stress. I saw my PCP and he gave me Zoloft. I began feeling better after a few weeks--however the "better" turned into exstatic and hyper. On one hand I thought it was great cause I had the energy to get all my work done, plus I was popping out great papers in school (my vocabulary seemed to expand and become very creative). It caught up to me --the lack of sleep and the energy I liked in the beginning turned into anxiety as my thoughts seemed to be racing and spiraling out of control. This was the start of my cycling. I was in and out of hospitals for several years. Now, here I am about 8 years later and I have finally some control over my life/emotions. I felt like a ginea pig for quite a while and at one point was on 8-9 different medications. Some of the meds were to counteract other meds...like when I developed joint stiffining (I forget the clinical term --something like tardivdiskenisia). When I met my husband he felt that I was too drugged/doped up and I went to a different doctor. By this time I was frustrated and felt so hopeless. I was tired of the pills, the different diagnosis (one dr said I was BP I, then BPII, then Borderline Personality, then Schizoaffective Disorder, then just Depression with Anxiety and postramatic stress disorder), the different therapists, the talk groups, the hospital stays, and above all the rollarcoaster ride I was on --it seemed that I had acquired a everlasting ticket on this ride and couldn't get off. I always tell my husband that he was a miracle sent to me because the new Doc took me off all those meds. I'm on just one now (Seroquel) and I have been doing very well for two and a half years now. I haven't been in the hospital since then. I was even able to (with close monitoring from my Doc) sustain pregnancy without taking my med and had a very healthy 7.9 pound darling little girl on December 12, 2005. For years I was under the impression that I couldn't have children because of the medication and that I didn't want to try to raise a child with my disorder--how could I be a good mother while I'm cycling so. Well, she really is a little angel and her pediactrician says she's doing fine. I'm alittle afraid that she'll develop my disorder but I figure that if anyone can help her if this happens it is my husband and I. My therapist said that I am a very good (and insightful) mother. Looking at all that I have accomplished I think that having this disorder does put you on a bit of a disadvantage and you do have to try harder. But it doesn't mean that you can't have a fulfilling life. Yea...I have to pay attention to my moods and watch how I react to stress. I can't avoid stress...but I can react to it in ways that are healthy. I'm not gonna lie--there are days were things get to me, which is why I keep a good support system. At first I was terrified when I felt even the slightest hint of sadness or happiness. Now I have a full ray of emotions and can feel and express myself without fear. I can honestly say that I feel "normal." I don't feel like I stick out in a crowd. It took a long time to get where I'm at and my ride isn't over. But now I know when thet loops are coming and can brase myself. So...to all of you out there who also have a ticket on this rollarcoaster--don't give up hope. I felt like I was climbing out of that hole only to fall back in for years....I am at peace with myself now and I hope it happens for you too! Good Luck and God Bless y' all.

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mermaid53

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August 6, 2006, 7:36 pm PDT

Intervention

Dr. Phil -- Some intervention is needed for the boy who hides behind his long hair on his face. He needs to cut his hair and see the world. These boys have been scared by their mother, and I hope there is someone who can help them. More attention should have been given to the boy hiding behind his hair.

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angief

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August 7, 2006, 2:22 am PDT

Debts

Quote From: mrblick

I racked up several credit cards to the tune of a couple of thousand bucks, which I will have to pay out of my own pocket (my husband and I keep our finances separate). I never spend on myself -- always on my daughter or household junk, but it just adds up. I also had to spend nearly a thousand bucks to go out to my nephew's wedding last month, so that didn't help. I closed out the credit cards the minute I got home. It's very hard, because now even Exxonmobil lets you take cash out on THEIR card. I will have to close that one out, too!

Thanks for replying - nice to know that others are going through the same thing. My credit record is now ruined thanks to bipolar & I have no idea how to go forward.

Please e-mail me tips you have on the above.

Thanks,

Angie

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