hey guys so ive been feeling in the dumps lately. im not sure where the sadness stems from, but it usually lasts a few weeks. after that ill feel really energized, talkative, confident. for a few weeks too. this cycle has been occurring for around a year or so? i did some research and found my symptoms really alike to that of bipolar III.
on top of that i dont really have any friends nor family. the people i associate with in school, i dont talk much to them, so of course when i reach home no one texts me. the loneliness overwhelms me especially during the nights. my family, not only are they not supportive of me, they just brushed it off saying that im must being stupid and i should just get over it, not like i have a boyfriend or anything to be sad over. (i know, it has no link at all but thats what they said). also im the middle child, and im literally just thrown aside. my other 2 siblings are all showered with love and praises. when i try to be filial to them they just say that im being extra and i should stop trying to do that kind of rubbish. they just keep picking arguments with anyone about any thing and it just makes everything worse. i dont know who to turn to.
I’m really sorry to hear you’ve been struggling so much lately! However, I must admit that I was a little confused by your submission, as before this I had never heard of Cyclothymic Disorder being referred to as bipolar III. I’m glad Google exists so that I could found out what you meant and therefore help you out better :3
Cyclothymic Disorder is a disorder characterised by periods with hypomanic symptoms, that do not meet the criteria of a hypomanic episode, and depressive symptoms, that do not meet the criteria for a major depressive episode. Another characteristic of Cyclothymic Disorder is the amount of time you have to be dealing with these symptoms; namely two years (or one year in children and adolescents).
This is an abstract of a page that is part of the Mood Disorders series that I’m working on. It will be coming soon!
I’m not a professional so I can’t diagnose you! It does sound like you’re struggling with different episodes of mood disturbances, but to be exactly sure of what mood disorder you could be struggling with, you’d really have to see a professional. So that’s what I’d recommend you to do! You can go to your doctor and ask for a referral to a therapist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional. A professional can not only diagnose you, but they can also get you on the road of getting proper treatment. For bipolar disorders this usually contains both medication and talking therapy. If you want more information about getting help and the different types of treatment available, then you can take a look at our Getting Help page, as well as our Getting Help video.
I’m really sorry that you’re in such a difficult situation with your family. It sounds like it’s affecting you a lot, in a negative way and I’m so sorry about that. Maybe you can look into talking to the guidance councillor at school? You can talk to them about the mood disturbances that you’ve been dealing with, but also about your social situation and your home life. You really don’t have to go through this all by yourself! <3 It might also be good to talk to your parents about how their behaviour is affecting you. If you’ve done this in the past and it didn’t work out then talking to them again most likely won’t change anything, but if you’ve never really told them, then it might be helpful! I don’t mean to invalidate what’s going on by saying that a simple conversation will solve everything though! It won’t be a simple conversation and it won’t solve everything, but it can be a start.
You could try to become a little more close with the people you know from school, by for example texting them with some questions about school assignments. This is what I usually feel most comfortable with, as it’s socialising without the social context pretty much. You can stop after you’ve been given the information about the assignment, or you can ask them a few more questions and generally chat. There’s no pressure and it’s all in the open! I understand it’s difficult to text them first, but with a question about an assignment it might be a little easier? I hope it will be of help at least <3 You might also want to look into joining a club, getting a job, or doing volunteering, etc. That way you can meet new people that you might have shared interests with, and therefore are able to connect with. There’s no pressure at all though, it’s just an idea!
Sometimes what seems impossible, is just hard.
Keep fighting beautiful <3
