When I was terribly ill with depression for the first time, my doctor had no idea I was a bipolar sufferer and so thought little of prescribing an anti-depressant to me. Within two months I became hypomanic. I was completely hyper. All my friends said my personality had changed. I was not me anymore.
It wasn't until a year later that I was finally diagnosed with bipolar. I had been on a roller coaster ride with terrible mood swings. No wonder I couldn't do my college work. It was anti-depressant induced mania.
Hypomania (mild mania)
You are impulsive, over confident, a risk taker, joke all the time, hyperactive, rude, inflated self-esteem, rapid speech etc. Hypomania is enough to completely ruin your life. A hospital stay is not always inevitable.
Hypermania (severe mania)
Hypermania is characterised by severe hallucinations, loss of all judgement and with severe delusions, including religious delusions. You can lose all contact with reality, shout and be severely argumentative. People with hypermania tend to be admitted into hospital.
It is thought that anti-depressants are one of the main causes of mania in people who are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder. I was put on SSRIs fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram. I have also been on mirtazapine. All of them made me unstable and caused mixed states and hypo/hypermania. They really shouldn't be prescribed to bipolar sufferers.
Having said this antidepressants are still very useful in treating people with terrible depression, when all other treatments have failed.
Psychiatry these days suggest atypical antipsychotics are very effective in treating bipolar depression and also act as mood stabilisers. Lurasidone and quetiapine are thought to be effective.
There is also some evidence to suggest anti-convulsants such as Lamotrigine and valproate are also effective mood stabilisers.
I would recommend visiting the website below to read reviews of any medications you have been prescribed.
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