Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression?

Whether you are being treated by a professional (seeing a psychiatrist, taking meds, etc.) or following some form of self treatment:

1- What are you doing to achieve emotional equilibrium?
2- What does it feel like to go for a week without extremely angry, irritable, sad... ?

I've been dealing with this for a few years now and can't seem to get it right...

sorry about the typo: "without feeling extremely..."

1- I don't achieve emotional equilibrium. I work with what I have, you know? If I'm feeling extraordinarily angry like I'm about to hurt someone, then I try to expend my extreme amounts of energy and tension by exercising or playing my guitar and singing REALLY loud. If I'm really sad I let myself be sad and cry as much as I need to, and if I'm really happy for no reason I let myself be happy anyway and don't worry about feeling stupid later on. I just try not to be so sensitive to everything I do and everything said to me. It's not worth the heart attack.

2- I don't really every go a week without feeling something extreme. The worst is when I can't turn my head off and I need a break, and I'm sad and angry and don't see a point to living. If I went a week without feeling extremely angry, irritable, or sad, I would probably feel deprived of emotion. I don't think I'd like that either.

Right now everyone is going swell for me, so I don't know if i'll be much help. I don't take medication, but I've been diagnosed by a psychiatrist and a psychologist for bipolar disorder. I don't really think of myself along those lines though, and I take full responsibility for my actions EVEN if I did them in a rough time. I don't think of myself as bipolar-- I think I am a unique person who's got some out-of-hand emotions at times. I even have some light hallucinations when the mania is really bad, and those are scary, but I am a ******* strong person because I deal with it and don't turn myself off.

In fact, because of being "unwell" and dealing with all of the scary things up front, I have become stellar in the face of conflict. I am a problem solver, and I can get things done even when I'm in a million pieces and sinking.

ALSO, and this might help you so pay attention! Taking some philosophy courses at my University really helped me. I can't stop being rational! So, I may FEEL in extremes, but I know when I'm being unreasonable and I don't let myself get away with it. Philosophy courses are AWESOME for the emotional wrecks out there.... just to let you know.

Getting my eight hours sleep every night makes all the difference in the world. I can always start the day feeling refreshed and ready for almost anything life throws my way.

I'm on 1200mg of Lithium and 1000mg of omega-3. I want to go on an anti-depressant but I'm scared of sexual side effects. This combo is working pretty well for me. My mood is VERY stable... it's just not as high as it should be (which is why I want anti-depressants). But we'll see what happens.

I take Paxil 10mg. I still have bouts of depression tho, it's just with the meds their not as strong and don't last as long as without.

Lithium.