Like many here I too am new to this "game" and have recently been prescribed Strattera. In the past I have suffered with massive episodes of depression usually following the loss of a relationship. However for the first time in my life I am starting to act on the knowledge that there maybe a treatable but serious problem in my head. All of my symptoms seem to match those of ADD. However as I look over problems with Bipolar; it makes me wonder if I might also suffer a milder form of Bipolar.
What confuses me is how similar the symptoms of the two disorders are. In my case my moods can change in the blink of an eye. As in I could be in perfectly good docile mood and suddenly switch to a highly aggressive hostile mood and then back again to a docile good mood. All these moods can change in the course of 1 to as long as 8 hours. I have read that the people with ADD often go thru this, so that makes me think of ADD.
Then in the possible Biploar world there is the odd feeling that I am on "nothing can wrong roll" for a couple of weeks and then BANG. I am in a mildly depresive mood for another couple of weeks... Strange as it may seem I am usually aware of the up mood and I can basically brace myself for the down mood. The anology that comes to mid is that of a slow roller coaster. You know when you are going up, you know when you are at the top, you know to prepare yourself for the downward trip. These up and down moods occur on almost regular basis. So is this just another symptom of ADD or is it Bipolar? I have read that people troubled by Bipolar are not normally aware of the up and down trip until after it has happened. With me I am very much aware of the trip, in all it' stages.
Sorry if I have prattled on a bit, but it is very confusing to me...