Expert: Libby Bonner - 9/26/2009

Question
Hello/ I am diagonised with Bipolar and OCD, I WANT TO TELL U that ocd thoughts doesnt irritate me when i am in depressed phase ocd thoughts doesnt irritate me when i am in manic phase
it only irriates me when my mood is stable, i can bear my depressive episode i can also bear my manic episode BUT i cant bear my OCD THOUGHTS, IT is very painful
                            I just want to ask that just because of ocd thoughts i am not getting BIPOLAR EPISODE OR what, IS IT RIGHT, DOES MY OBSESSIVE THOUGHT acting resistance to Bipolar episode, what is the connection between bipolar and ocd... i hope u understand my question. bye

Answer
I do understand your question, but am not well qualified to answer it.  I did just finish reading some psychiatric articles on the co-existance [comorbidity] of the two, and find that it is not uncommon to find them together.

Are the thoughts present when bipolar and when manic, but more tolerable because more of your energy and attention are drawn toward depression and mania?  That is, are the obsessive thoughts the same thoughts, but intolerable, when you are neither manic nor depressed??  That would suggest that the mania or depression over-ride, or mask, the thoughts....though the thouhgt are really still there, but tolerable.  Is that right?

Or do the obsessive thoughts change in nature and content, when present by themselves, in ways that make them entirely intolerable?

In either case, I hope you wll get your doctor to listen to this complaint and understand it, such that s/he will take steps [medicine or other therapy] to lessen or eliminate the thoughts that are so troublesome.  You should speak plainly to him or her, especially if the thoughts feel very dangerous or cause you great anxiety, or if acting on the thought could cause harm to  you others.  

I'm not sure if you are able to work or not, but tell the doctor also, if it is true, that the OCD alone might put your ability to work at risk.

Do make it very clear to your doctor what your OCD thoughts are and how very painful they are.

I hope you will be able to get some relief soon.