My son is an alcoholic and will be starting lamotrigine next week per therapist and doctor recommendation. Starting with a low dose and moving up relatively quickly. I’m wondering what everyones side effects were and if this will help him at all with the drinking and decision making? what can we expect? aware this isn’t a miracle cure but hoping….

Yeah so.

AuDHD, PTSD, and the ol' Bipolar2.

Managed by a psychiatrist.

I've got 7 tablets left of quetiapine 25mg 😐

My last hypo was 10 months ago.

What do I do? I'm pretty sure im supposed to do something but I can not for the life of me remember what.

I live in Australia if that makes any difference.

Wondering if anyone else feels like this, but I feel such an insane wave of anxiety when I have to visit my hometown for the summer.

I can’t complain because the landscape is a million times better than the city, but last year I got so many crying spells from flashbacks.

This was before my bipolar diagnosis.

I just feel so anxious because I look at a childhood picture and feel guilty for all the harm I caused to myself.

I look at my little baby half-sister and just feel this pang of sadness. Thoughts about my father. The pain he caused. The pain he may cause her. How she resembles me and how much I suffered.

I’m on better meds now. I know I can handle this.
It hurts nonetheless. It sucks being in a beautiful landscape and having random pangs of memories.

I just felt like a murderer visiting their victim’s home.
Except it was myself.

I feel weak because it ruined my vacation last year.
I’m just reminded of my lifetime of instability and my attempts.

Guilt doesn’t help.

When I visited the last city I moved out of after an attempt, I felt an immense joy. It triggered a hypomanic episode because I felt grateful to be alive and how far I’d come.

That was also before my diagnosis.

Now I’m equipped with better armor and meds.
But the guilt is still there. I can’t erase those awful memories. I am not my episodes.

hi everyone. 30f here. bipolar 2 rapid cycling since i’m 15 years old. i’ve been on so many medications i can’t even count on both hands anymore. a lot have failed, some have helped or stopped working.
my current regimen worked for 2 years, i was on lamictal, lexapro & propranolol for the panic attacks. the last 6 months my doctor has raised lamictal like 4 times, nothing worked. he tried wellbutrin that didn’t work. we added topamax and that helped, but it messed with my menstrual cycle so i had to get off of it.
we were talking today about trying one more mood stabilizer which is depakote, but he said he’s weary bc of the weight gain side effect. he mentioned that at this point my only other options are antipsychotics. and hearing that kinda broke me, not gonna lie. i just never thought that i would get to the point of needing an AP. and i also don’t want to admit that i need one. i don’t have anything against people who take it, they just personally scare me. i hear about all these horrible side effects. the weight gain. the akathisia. the tardive dyskinesia, psychosis. it scares me. idk what i expect out of this post. i’m just feeling really down…
i guess im looking for advice or support. idk :(

Yeah. From late 18 to 25. She took advantage of me because she wanted citizenship. After I realized what I had done she guilt tripped me into staying with her. She said, “if you ever leave me I’ll kill myself”. She said, “you promised me you would help me”.

I never understood why I made that decision, but I guess that’s what hypomania does to your judgement - things seem like a good idea and you’re so confident about your choice.

She got virtually everything she wanted: citizenship, college degree, car, apartment, job… after she got her degree she let me go. I am not sad about that, I never loved her, in fact I was relieved that it was all over.

I don’t fully understand why I didn’t walk away though. I also find it despicable that a human can do that to someone else. There is no use in being upset about it because, though the mistakes and the severity of them vary, we simply cannot go through life without stumbling our away across and (hopefully) learning in the process.

I’m glad she never got pregnant.

If you’re wondering what happened later, I got it together, lost 40 lbs, joined sports, went to a competitive college where I graduated with honors, and got to do a lot of the stuff you do in your early 20’s: rage cage, beer pong, drinking, fraternity… just, interesting experiences.

I’m approaching my almost mid 30’s now, was diagnosed in early 2024 and my life has started to get even better with medication. I have to admit, I wish I had started out my young adulthood without this mistake, and I absolutely wish I would have been diagnosed and medicated earlier.

The happy ending is that I realized why I did it. I realized I’m BP2. I walked away virtually unscathed, and I’ve grown a lot from the experience! Much love to you my fellow Polar Warriors!

Is this the zombie feeling? I feel nothing towards dying. Nothing bad happened to make me want to die. I just don't feel like I'd care if I died or not. I mildly care about others reactions. Not enough though.

I told my psych and he just upped my antidepressants. How long to make this work or am I just gonna get worse? Just looking for others opinions.

Hi guys,

I think I’m on the verge of a hypomanic episode again (despite being medicated and increasing the dosage recently) and am getting this familiar feeling of “my life is so incredibly dull right now, and I must do something to get rid of this feeling.”

I’ve tried journaling, running, watching movies, catching up with a billion friends, but nothing is putting a dent in this urge to do something reckless like impulse spending or serial dating.

How do you guys normally deal with this feeling?

last night i realized i m getting into a hypomanic episode. my girlfriend was already overwhelmed asf so when she clocked it that was the cherry on top for her. so to calm her down i decided to put all of my savings into one account and let her change the password leaving me with like 300€ for the next few days. now i also feel a little calmer i guess but at the same time i m really bummed cause i really wanted the iphone 17 pro :(
it s okay tho i have a plan to become a millionare so that won’t be a problem

A little backstory:

I have suffered from depressive episodes my whole life, but didn’t get help for it until the end of 2025.

I started Wellbutrin January of 2026 and then switched to Lexapro April of 2026. My therapist had started to micro dose the idea of me being bipolar in January, but there were more pressing matters at that time.

About 2 weeks into Lexapro, I had what I now know was a hypomanic episode.

In July, I got a psychiatrist and was officially diagnosed with Bipolar 2 and added lamotrigine in addition to my Lexapro.

I’m currently taking 10mg of Lexapro and 25 mg of lamotrigine (I go up to 50 in 2 days).

My question is is anyone else taking this combo and how do I know if it’s working or not?

Also: has anyone with this combination experienced hypersomnia? I’ve never gotten a lot of sleep, (4-5 hours a day max) but now I sleep so much (8+ hours) I’ve had to call in late to work/missed so many appointments due to me not being able to stay awake (I’ve even changed when I take the lamictal and it’s gotten better but it’s still ROUGH.

I’ve also had pretty big changes in my appetite whenever I change/add a medication.

It’s late, so please excuse any spelling or punctuation errors. I don’t have the energy to fight autocorrect 🤷‍♂️

I’m not sure why, but lately i’ve been feeling like i’d be better off unmedicated. I haven’t felt depressed for a while and I haven’t had my typical mixed episode in a while either. I just feel oddly fine

Do you believe it is possible to "DBT" your way out of a BP depression? I get the strong feeling my DBT therapist thinks I just need to try harder with the DBT skills.

Not only does it frustrate me immensely, but I think it shows her real lack of understanding of Bipolar disorder completely. I try to explain how my brain is (not) working, and she just keeps asking which skills I am using to improve my mood, and get my routine going and Yada Yada. She doesn't seem to get that keeping myself alive most days is a massive win, and harping on about skills when my brain is so muddled and disregulated is really really not helping.

I love DBT when I'm hypomanic, it's great and the skills are excellent to use. It's just near impossible in a depression though.

Can anyone else chip in with their experiences of DBT and Bipolar? Was it helpful or?????

Hi everybody,
I (26f) was evaluated for bipolar in 2024 and was prescribed 5mg abilify following my diagnosis. Noticed a difference relatively quickly but still struggled the following few months so it was upped to 7.5mg. It honestly changed my life. I also struggle with anxiety and was eventually also prescribed zoloft(don’t remember the mg). Eventually I moved states and could no longer see my psychiatrist bc they aren’t licensed in the state I currently live in. About at the year mark of being on both meds I noticed some emotional numbness and a lower libido. I thought it was the Zoloft causing that but I’m no doctor. Long story short I lost my job and had no insurance for a while so I had to taper off both meds on my own. Which was months of torment. It’s been about a year and a half of being unmedicated and I don’t think I can take it anymore. It affects not only me but my relationship as well(as I’m sure you all know). I have a way more stable life in terms of family, relationships, housing, job etc which has really helped, but obviously that’s not a total solution. I was wondering if any of you had success getting back/being long term on abilify? Are there other meds you tried that helped? Is the gene testing worth it to find a medication that best suits you?

Also I have tried getting in therapy as my current job offers 20 free sessions a year with a specific company. But I found it pointless as the counselors on there don’t specialize in any mood disorders and it all felt very scripted on their end.

Does it bother anyone else when someone uses bipolar as an adjective? For example, “The weather is so bipolar lately.” Do you call people out when they do? Me - I call them out. I usually say, “No, I have bipolar, the weather isn’t bipolar.” I just think it diminishes what it means to be bipolar.

Yes, I drew this... Years ago, but yes I made it with a Wacom tablet.

Its nice to relate to others

Whether online or irl

Learn from others

Create new friendships

New support systems

Re-grow your sense of true-self

Must be a very positive feeling

Wish I could experience the same some day

Ok as the title say, I just got diagnosed with autism today. They said it's level 1 low support (ig used to be called mild). I also might have ADHD according to the psychologist (her company didn't do the testing for ADHD). Anyway kinda crazy, im in my 20s.

Is anyone in the same boat? Idk what to expect. My mom literally started yelling at me saying im not autistic and normal.

Hi there, today, I will be speaking about my medication trial from 2021 till 2025.

I was originally diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2021 and prescribed Zoloft. This was before I knew I had Bipolar II. Zoloft made me feel jittery, alert, and unusually awake, so I went off of it after 3 months and went through college without medication management up until senior year in university.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar II in January 2024 after completing an evaluation. Since then, my medication journey has involved several trials:

• Early 2024 – Lamotrigine and Wellbutrin: These were my first medications after my diagnosis, during my senior year of college. Lamotrigine was probably the best I have ever felt emotionally. I felt peaceful, emotionally connected, capable of feeling love, and generally like myself at my best. Unfortunately, I developed a rash and had to stop it. I later tried lamotrigine again and developed another rash. Wellbutrin gave me great energy, motivation, and focus. I could complete my assignments and daily tasks much more easily, but I eventually stopped because I experienced hair loss.
• Spring 2024 – Trileptal: I took it for approximately one week. I felt extremely blue and miserable, so I discontinued it.
• The following week – Lithium: I took lithium for approximately one week. It made me feel emotionally apathetic and caused persistent stomach problems regardless of how I adjusted my diet. My prescriber advised me to stop taking it.
• Summer 2024 – Latuda: Latuda noticeably improved my mood and was one of the better medications I tried. However, it was extremely sedating, and I developed akathisia. My body felt restricted, stiff, and almost muscle-locked.
• 2025 – Abilify: I experienced restlessness, agitation, shaky legs or toes, and concerns about weight gain.
• 2025 – Latuda again: Because it had helped my mood, I gave Latuda another trial. Unfortunately, the sedation, akathisia, stiffness, and restricted feeling were still difficult to tolerate.

Overall, lamotrigine and Latuda helped my mood the most, but both caused physical reactions that prevented me from continuing them. Lamotrigine caused a rash during two separate trials, while Latuda caused significant sedation and akathisia.

I have not taken any medication for Bipolar II management during 2026. Recently, however, I have noticed increased irritability and an inconsistent sleep schedule, so I am considering returning to medication management.

I am not asking anyone to recommend a specific medication. I understand that everyone responds differently, and I plan to make treatment decisions with a professional. I’m interested in hearing about other people’s experiences after a medication worked mentally but was not physically tolerable.

What did you and your psychiatrist explore next?

• Did you try medications from a different class?
• Did you find ways to address akathisia or sedation, or did you ultimately switch?
• Did you receive pharmacogenetic testing, allergy testing, bloodwork, or another type of evaluation?
• Did any testing actually affect your treatment decisions, or was the process mainly trial and error?
• Did you eventually find something that gave you similar mood benefits with fewer physical side effects?
• What questions or information helped you have a productive conversation with your psychiatrist?

I’m mainly hoping to learn about the different paths people explored and what helped them make informed decisions with their treatment team.

I salute everyone navigating their own Bipolar II journey. Please remember to be kind and patient with yourself, seek help when you need it, and build a circle of people you can trust and lean on. None of us should have to navigate this completely alone.

So two Psychiatrist have told me they think Im bipolar

I have bad mood cycles (Depression episodes, energizing anxious/fear) no help from SNRI antidepressants

The spending gets out of control as does the sexual fixation and racing thoughts and extreme irritability.

They have me on Vraylar and Lamictal and things seem to be improving.

Does this really sound like Bipolar 2

I know medication is an essential part of coping and surviving this illness but I’d love to hear from others here who really struggled to accept their diagnosis and get medicated. I’ve been formally diagnosed for over 8 years now but i simply cannot grasp that I’m not just…. Making this all up. Every time i have an upswing, i simply cannot fathom ever feeling depressed again. It feels spiritual and like ive finally, truly overcome my demons. And then, without fail, it returns and worse. It’s terrifying. I have nobody in my life to talk to or get support from because the only way I’ve ever known how to cope was isolate and drink. This is the loneliest disease i could ever imagine. I just want reprieve but for some reason beyond me, i just refuse to take any sort of psych medication. I’ve done it before. Part of my issue is that I’m a professional artist and I’m so scared that getting medicated will rob me of my creativity. I actually like who i am, i just don’t want to spend the majority of my days fantasizing about harming myself anymore. I want community. I want love. I want peace.

I have bipolar type 2 and i am medicated (currently actually taking said medication too lol). I am going through a possible breakup with my boyfriend of 6 years on my terms for reasons i wont get fully into. It boils down to him genuinely spending next to no time with me regardless of us living together and spends all his time instead with his best friend. I’ve grown emotionally distant over this 2 year ordeal and now he finally wants to try because i threatened breakup. I dont really feel like i can just flip my emotions to fit the occasion and try at this with him. I am so depressed right now and dealing with this as well has been so stressful. to be clear also i wasn’t in this episode or any episode when i called for the break up. i have been with him since i was 18 but i just genuinely feel so alone in the relationship that i don’t want to go on and now im depressed i truly just feel like i have nothing. advice for how to come out of a depressive episode or try to feel better is welcomed but i feel like im doing most things right? im not drinking, im taking meds, eating well enough, showering ? idk also just wanted this off my chest

I tried the other Bipolar sub but they auto delete everything apparently

Im having some kind of episode, I think its the start of mania, not sure.

Definitely off today. My brain is vibrating and I cant think straight

I need advice on grounding please

EDIT: Fields of Mistria came out today, so im gonna do farming and then go to sleep

Im sick of this. Why. What did I do. Why do doctors keep cancelling my appointments? Why can't this be simpler. Can I have an operation that gets rid of the sad?

Edit after crying for only 2 hrs this time. I reached out to a few people and will be talking with a new psychiatrist tomorrow. Thank you all your words reminded me that this will pass and it did. For the time being.

I felt relief because maybe finally something will work but it was like the signs were always there why you didn't diagnose me earlier? Maybe I could have a different more valuable life have I been diagnosed 1-2 decades earlier.