Might be a stupid question, but my doctor wrote “likely bipolar” in his notes.
I have no sz/sza in family. Last 2 years, have been hard, but improved dramatically.
Vraylar helped with mood/psychosis, but I gained a lot of weight, have low motivation, and have slight problems, cognitively, compared to before my illness.
If you experience psychosis during the highs or lows then you will be placed on an Antipsychotic.
Usually occurs with bipolar type 1 but can also occur with type 2 etc…
When I was initially diagnosed they said I have bipolar and put me on an AP not a mood stabiliser until only a few months later. The AP helped me more.
Then I was told I have sz and recently diagnosed properly with sza. I take two AP’S now. One acts as a mood stabiliser. They work well together.
That’s good to hear!
Antipsychotics are prescribed more widely for bipolar than they are for psychosis. You don’t have to be psychotic. They work as mood stabilizers.
I am SZA bipolar and take an ap
I am bipolar 1 with psychotic traits and i take an antipsychotic. APs have felt better to me than the mood stabilizers I was on originally
Yes APs make excellent mood stabilizers also.
Forgot to mention this.
Seems a little heavy-handed for bipolar disorder, considering the long term side effects that can happen as a result. To me they are only worth it because sz is just so unbearable, whereas bipolar was merely inconvenient to me.
I guess if you bipolar can be controlled with a mood stabilizer, then you may not need to an antipsychotic.
@agent101g, I have been diagnosed sza for the last 24 years. My bipolar symptoms have always been every bit as unbearable as my sz symptoms have been unbearable. Both in equal measure.
Same here. I am sza, bipolar type and my mood symptoms are terrible. So i’ve always been on APs.
I wouldn’t give myself a truly credible voice in the realm of psychoactive medications… however I think you’d be dealing with a double edged sword.
It might be good at constraining the mania associated with bipolar, but would only exacerbate the negative symptoms (of both bipolarism and the more abstractly labeled negative symptoms of psychosis.)
Meaning the lows would be more pronounced… Depression… lethargy… avoltion. I think treatments for bipolar are meant to reduce or eliminate the drastic nature of the swings of self…
Though a lot of more modern anti-psychotics are finding greater effect on an individuals life for their capacity to provide mood regulation to some extent.