[GoldenRivet]

My girlfriend of not quite a year is very likely bipolar. Her and i have both reviewed the signs and symptoms and given that it is even very difficult for a medical / mental health professional to diagnose - we accept that its impossible for us to know without a battery of mental evaluations.

In a nut shell:

Symptoms

MANIC EPISODE
* Elevated mood
* Reduced need for sleep
* Racing thoughts and low attention span
* Feeling of being "unstoppable" or on a "special mission"

With her - she does experience about a 14 day period of elevated mood, generally being happy, in a top of the world sort of attitude. She does exhibit a reduced need for sleep as in many cases staying up until very early hours of the morning and still able to rise by 9 or 10am. Her thoughts tend to race during this time period - i have observed serveral instances of her starting a project like a journal, a craft project or a writing project etc and then not seeing it through to completion because of the onset of a depressive episode - never to visit the project again (i have a stack of 5 or 6 journals with one entry). Her feeling of being unstoppable or on a special mission shines thru in her school work she attacks it ferociously and pours a great deal of thought into her work and works tirelessly on it - in spurts - throughout this period. The also invests a lot of effort into being a perfect girlfriend.

DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

It is important to note that a depressive episode may not necessarily mean "Depression or sadness" but it can. symptoms include...

* Loneliness
* Self Loathing
* helplessness
* irritability
* lack of motivation

This manifests in her for about a 2 week period as well: lonliness... despite us having plans or conducting social activities she will feel alone and saddened by this loneliness almost as if she is cut off from other people despite being physically present. Self loathing - she exhibits guilt about having to rely on others for help be it financially or through moral support. Helplessness - she feels that she cannot complete her school and all but officially removes herself from school. Irritability - her mood is punctuated by almost constant anger and frustration often times finding the smallest of triggers to fight about. Lack of motivation - she will not finish projects she starts, sometimes scrapping them altogether, She will either lose sight of her life goals or change all of her life goals completely during this time.

This has an intense negative effect on our relationship as we generally have two weeks of euphoric romance followed by two weeks of inconsistency and confrontation.

Her depressive episodes - once per month for the past 4 months - have resulted in her deciding she wants out of the relationship. Breaking up with me, un-friending me on facebook and making a scene there, drawing questions of friends and relatives id rather not have to deal with.

almost as clockwork, her manic episode returns and she invests a considerable amount of her energies into "winning me back"

let me just say i care for this person greatly, we have developed a bond in our relationship, its hurtful when she goes through these issues for a number of reasons.

I want the relationship to work... she is a cute bird, petite, with nice T&A, the sexual appetite of a rabbit tripping balls on ecstasy, is a kind hearted person, very attentive to my needs, expresses her affection well and good when she is not having a depressive episode.

Despite wanting it to work... i grow tired of this back and forth and hot and cold episodes she goes through. I'm honestly not sure i can do it any more.

suggestions?

she does not want injections and has an aversion to popping pills but may be willing to take a pill if it doesnt require a prescription.

I will see a witch doctor at this point.

Does anyone else have Bipolar relatives or friends or girlfriends ? any advice to offer if so?