>>27694469
anti depressants are a sham. Stay off them, the side effects bear more burden than depression.

Doctors like to think that just because you took an SSRI and turned manic/hypomanic then that means you're bipolar 100%. No.

I took an SSRI and on the third day I became hypomanic for a week straight. It felt like I was on some meth or something, but it felt a lot more "natural". Thoughts were racing so fast through my head that I had to have dozens of sticky notes all around me so I could write them down before I lost them. I got so much shit done, so many appointments, and wasted so much money on buying gifts for everyone. It was awesome for the most part. It went away and doc gave me some antipsychotics and said I am bipolar. Had to take mood stabilizers and shit like that.

It didn't work. I didn't believe I had bipolar, this was the first time I was manic.

then I learned about SSRI-induced mania. It's a thing. Took me so long to find a doctor who didn't just throw the fucking bipolar diagnosis at me.

>>27694469
I think that's called bipolar type 2or something

>>27694636
Bipolar 2 is the latest fad in the psychiatrists toolkit. It puts depression on a "Bipolar scale" so they can medicate you with the latest and greatest drugs even when you don't have severe symptoms.
These diagnoses are mostly guess work when you first start seeing someone. They only know what you tell them, and a real pro won't start non-emergency meds until they've had a good chance to get to know you.

>>27694558
I'm really afraid my homicidal thoughts will turn to actions if I start on them.

I always have thoughts of:
>I should just kill everyone and kill myself. Fuck it. Go out in a fun way.
And then immediately
>That's.. That's such a fucked up thing to think. I don't ever want to do that. I'd rather kill myself before letting that happen. The fuck's the wrong with me?

>>27694469
>Is it possible to have major depressive AND bipolar disorder?
Technically, by a strict reading of the DSM criteria, yes. But no competent psych should use the DSM like that.
Bipolar is often predominantly depressive (especially Type II depression which is characterised by an absence of any manic episodes) with many patients find the depressive episodes both harder to treat and much more disabling.

>Also, if I take an anti depressant instead of a mood stabilizer if I have bipolar, will it fuck it all up?
This is a question that should be answered by your psychiatrist. They're the person that knows your situation and the person with the training. With that proviso in place...
The drug treatment of bipolar depression is somewhat controversial for two reasons. First, until recently there were few well-conducted, randomised, controlled trials reported in the literature and second, the condition entails consideration of lifelong outcome rather than discrete episode response. We have some knowledge of the therapeutic effects of drugs in bipolar depressive episodes but more limited awareness of the therapeutic or deleterious effects of drugs in the longer term. In the UK, NICE recommends the initial use of an SSRI (in addition to an antimanic drug) or quetiapine (assuming an antipsychotic is not already prescribed). Second-line treatment is to switch to mirtazapine or venlafaxine or to add quetiapine, olanzapine or lithium to the antidepressant.
Lithium alone is probably effective in treating bipolar depression but its antimanic effects are considered more robust. Fairly strong support for lithium in reducing suicidality in bipolar disorder. SSRIs are widely used in bipolar depression, particularly for breakthrough episodes occurring in those on mood-stabilisers. There is a risk of cycle acceleration and/or switching. Continuing antidepressant treatment after resolution of symptoms may protect against depressive relapse, although this is controversial

>>27694636
Not quite. BPAD II is a form of bipolar characterised by depressive and hypomanic episodes. Hypomanic means they're like manic episodes but less severe and, essentially, don't disrupt your life. They might include more energy, racing thoughts, impulsivity, euphoria just like mania but you can still function in society and aren't distressed by them. Patients may quite enjoy the hypomania, very rarely bring it up as a symptom (we have to look for it) and there's generally no need for it to be 'treated'. The depressive episodes on the other hand can be disabling.

>>27694721
Quit talking shit.
> It puts depression on a "Bipolar scale" so they can medicate you with the latest and greatest drugs even when you don't have severe symptoms.
Complete nonsense.

>>27694528
DO NOT listen to this shill. They saved my life.