Bipolar Depression

Hi. I'm bp II. Does anyone suffer from hyper sensitivity? It seems that many people every day bother me (a person in line at the bank talking on a cell phone loudly) and that comments made echo through my brain all day, over and over. Is this bp related? How do you get past this? I wish people would not bother me. Many seem purposely rude or their parents did a lousy job of teaching them to be sensitive to others. While I am far from perfect, I usually think before I speak and I am genteel.

My husband is bipolar and is super sensitive. He gets very aggrivate at people at the store, the bank, driving in traffic. The world is in his way to drive him up a wall. I go with him places and these people are rude, but i can let them go and not let them intirely get to me- he can not. He is super sensitive in other aspects too. My sister just got married over the weekend. Two things bothered him. My thank you card from her was extremely sappy and made me cry ( she is my sister). his thank you card was very nice but not as sappy as mine- that hurt his feelings. Then at the wedding she did not ask him to dance with her. I tried to tell him if that was something he wanted he needed to ask her, she was the bride with 150 people there to see her. His feelings were once again hurt.
I am not sure if the hyper sesitivity is a biproduct of bipolar but there is a good chance.
Good luck with everything wish i had some advice for you.

Thank you for your response to my question. While not an answer, it's a little comforting to know I'm not alone. I'm taking Lithium for the bp and maybe I need to be more medicated, so I'm not as sensitive. I really don't like being angry, sad or hurt. I want to be the guy where things roll off my back and I'm always up, but it's hard for me to be that guy. It is almost a curse. So many people bother me. Good thing is, I don't act on it, so I do not pick fights with people. But the damage is internal because I keep thinking about it. If I can figure a way out of this, I'll let you know. I have a girlfriend and three kids that would be happy if I was less hyper sensitive. It seems that many people let me down, even my loved ones. Thanks again.

My husband is on lithium as well. But the doctor is weening him off of that right now. Whie his lithium was in full amount he was better about letting things roll off his back. He was on 1500 mg of lithium and 4mg zanax and 37.5 mg paxil. This was a great combo for him. He said he finally felt himself. Unfortunatly the lithium side effects were bad on him. He had the tremors so bad he could not even sign his own name. My hubby is so talented artistically that he could not live without being able to work with his hands. They have now switched him to lamictal- Its not nearly as good. I asked him what he has been doing to try and stop letting people in the outside bother him. He said he cant make it stop, it gets to him so bad. He said he just yells- not at them but in his truck alone and lets it out. He is still angry and bothered by them but he feels a release.
How do you deal with you spinning thoughts. My husband has the biggest propblem with them. That is why the doctor gave him zanax. Well that and that he told him that he smokes weed.

Thanks J.A.S. I, too, yell in my truck. I don't act out my anger with someone, but I express it alone. So it still gets to me. How do I deal with spinning thoughts? I'm having a very hard time with it. That's why I wrote this post, hoping to get ideas from bp friends. I am trying to live the balanced life my doc recommends-spritual, physical, emotional and have lots of happiness sources. But that's easier said than done. I'll go to the bank, someone will be talking out loud on their cell phone, or someone at work will say something insensitive, and I'm angry. Or I show up and my girlfriend looks like she's dressed for cleaning the house, not for seeing me. It all makes me angry. I actually thought about weed, but won't do it. I think meds, exercise, prayer and planning stuff with my friends is the key. Any time I get too dependent on my family or work, I think I'm setting myself up for disappointment and anger. My doc said the three keys to not being disappointed are: Having more activities, having relationships with more friends and lowering my expectations.