Isn't it normal to have periods of less intense "highs and lows"? Unless of course they continue for months.

Actually there are about three or four stages of the bipolar condition, the worst of which is Manic-Depresent, which is what I have endured throughout my entire life.

The real problem with a bi-polar condition is that the person who suffers it does not have a clue that they have a problem.

Under ordinary circumstances a healthy individual has average days interspersed with very good days or bad days but those of us who are bipolar have no average days.

In my case, I am fortunate because my normal mood is a high. In fact, I do not drink or consume drugs because I have a natural high that exceeds the illusion those products create,,,,,BUT...such is not always the case... In a matter of hours or sometimes even minutes that mood can change and when it does it goes right to the bottom. When my mood swing occurs I go from happy go lucky, don't worry about anything to mildly self destructive or even near suicidal.

The problem with those of us who suffer this is that we have generally been this way most of our adult life, so we don't see the mood swings as anything unusual. In fact, before my condition was officially diagnosed and I was prescibed a medication, I honestly thought that everybody went through the same mood swings, I never once thought of just having an average day until I got meds.

In my case I take one tiny pill every day and it has absolutely no side effects. It is neither a depresant nor and upper, it is just like a form of a vitamin that helps maintain a certain level of chemistry in the brain that controls moods.

Although my medication is a controlled substance that requires a doctors prescription, according to my doctor it is a totally natural herb based substance and it is still deemed a controlled substance because it is still within the FDA mandated clinical trial period. In fact, if I did not want to take the prescribed meds I could get exactly the same effect by going to a health food store and getting a bottle of "St.John's Wort" and taking two capsules a day.

From the National Institute for Mental Health.

#1 Bipolar I Disorder is mainly defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, the person also has depressive episodes, typically lasting at least two weeks. The symptoms of mania or depression must be a major change from the person's normal behavior.
#2 Bipolar II Disorder is defined by a pattern of depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.

To me it simply semantics. Both are Bipolar. It is just a different range. Twos are generally high functioning. But often left undiagnosed and untreated. Under the right conditions or "perfect storm" they can also have a full blown psychotic episode. My DH did. It could be an injury, a stressful time like a death or illness in the family, any number of triggers.

Unfortunately many people are misdiagnosed as being simply depressed. Anti depressants can send Bipolar person into a manic state.

The whole Bipolar term bothers me at times. Should have kept it Manic -Depressive. Easily understood term at any level.

Isn't it normal to have periods of less intense "highs and lows"? Unless of course they continue for months.

Depends what you do with them. The person having them may feel creative,energetic and clear thinking during that high. Better to ask the people that person lives with how they feel about it.

I see Bipolar people all around me. The spending habits, the intensity of interests and poof they're over it and on to something else. The women who start their day with an early lunch with with drinking friends so they can have that first wine in a socially acceptable manner. The d sad stories of "forgetting " to pay their bills but of course it's the mean bank's fault or they were distracted. The I can't keep a job because there is always someone in the office who hates me crowd.

Everyone I have known who was bipolar had at least one family member with the same diagnosis.

One of the birthmothers who came to our search and support group was bipolar. All of the children she and her DH had (male and female) had some degree of the problem. The now-adult child she had surrendered to adoption only realized why his life was off-track after she found him. He was un-diagnosed bipolar, and with meds, his life stabilized.

We seemed to see a slightly-higher-than-normal percentage of birthmoms with some degree of mental disorder.(Beyond the unrecognized grief of baby-loss.) Given that some mental disorders manifest in late teen years, I've wondered if these women may have been more subject to unplanned pregnancies and surrenders.

A few of our adult adoptees found birthmothers who had surrendered more than one infant. Some of these women said they had felt more 'balanced' while pregnant.

True. It is definitely genetic. I can follow DH's family history and it all becomes clear. He even had a grandfather who ran off and started a new life without divorcing or telling anyone.His father died when DH was young so we don't know about. My DMIL was a head in the sand woman about all the bad stuff around her. I heard stories about DH's father from people who grew up in DH's neighborhood. I suspect he had a dark side. DH's brother was an alcoholic/druggie/generally used everyone kind of guy. Definitely bipolar now that I know all the signs. All the focus was on him so no one noticed my DH's problems because he was so highly functioning and the "good son." It was only after DH's mother died that he was properly diagnosed. How different his/our life could have been if they caught it early.

My ex-husband was bi-polar or manic-depressive. His mother was the same.
He'd be either a great guy, nothing would faze him and be the life of the party, then the next day, he wouldn't get out of bed....spend 2 days in bed with a cloud over his head.

He was on Prozac but didn't like the side effects, or he'd feel better, then think he didn't need to take anything anymore, and it would start all over again.