Bipolar Type III??? Yes, It does exist!

I'd like to thank one of my readers for turning me on to an article that she found on the web.

It was my understanding that their were only 2 types of bipolar, type 1 and type 2. If you don't know which each type means then i'll give you a little description.

Bipolar Type I is the more serious of the illness. The patient will cycle frequently from extreme highs to extreme lows. In between these periods of cycling a patient can live a very normal life. I personally have no experience with bipolar type I as I have been diagnosed with bipolar type II.

Bipolar Type II is characterized by at least one hypomanic episode and one serious depressive episode. In between these episode the patient is usually suffering more from depression then mania. This episode I can certainly attest to. My manic episodes have been few and far between but my depression episodes are certainly more common. Because of this I tend to shut myself off from society because that just makes me feel more safe. Even though it might be counter productive (it's always good to be around people) I always felt safe and secure when I was by myself.

Now Bipolar Type III, which a reader of my blog alerted me to, is an illness that is caused by anti-depressants themselves. If you look at a previous post, I state how anti-depressants can lead to hypomanic episodes. Well this is certainly true because I have had my experience of mania when I was first put on a new anti-depressant. Currently I am Luvox, an anti-depressant that is focused on OCD and social anxiety disorder. It really has worked wonders but at the sametime I've had some life changing experiences that have lifted this dark cloud from over my head. As long as I keep myself focused, and don't stray from who I really am, then everything will be just fine.