Hello everyone, I am new to the post but not new to BP, as I have suffered, dealt with, embraced, denied, and suffered with it all my adult life. I am currently stablizing from the most dramatic eposode that I have endured in the past 16 years. Honestly, it frightened me as I didn't think I was coming back away from the abyss.
At age 47 I find myself more and more concerned with my inability to concentrate and focus and the foggy (where on earth have I been all day) periods. I am currently medicated on Lithium and would be interested to hear all of your opinions and experiences in this regard.
I look forward to an engaging exchange with all of you.
Hi, Coaster,
I both have bipolar disorder and have sustained a brain injury. In my journey with these two issues, I have learned several tips for concentration and focus. The people who do work with brain injuries, and who I think could help those with bipolar as well, are specially trained speech pathologists. Here are just a few tips I learned in treatment that could be helpful:
The more fatigued the brain becomes, the longer it takes to rest it. Therefore, if you are doing something that requires concentration, take frequent breaks to rest your brain. 15 minutes on and 5 minutes off (perhaps with a brisk walk or deep breathing) can make a world of difference. It can also help tame mania/hypomania while supporting the high productivity.
Use a "take along" notebook that is always with you and allows you to know where you have written down information. Make sure you write down complete descriptions, especially if you want to follow up on something. (Instead of, "Call Fred"—"Call Fred Jones to review plans for Saturday's hike.")
Make templates for stuff you do. An example is to have a sheet of paper at the door for you to check off the things you will be taking with you when you go places (keys, directions, wallet, hat and gloves, take along notebook). This can prevent frustration and frequent trips from car to house to car. Another example of a template would be one for thinking through problems. It might show a circle with lines coming off of it to do the following steps in sequence: Define Problem/Propose Solutions/Choose Solution/Try Solution/Evaluate Success (If successful continue doing or stop doing when problem is completely solved. If not successful, start around the circle again. Either improve on your plan or choose a different solution. I found that as I used templates diligently, my brain developed new pathways to accomplish certain tasks and I no longer needed the templates, or I would advance to simpler templates that wouldn't require so much detail.
Use color coding both on your computer and throughout the house to help you with categorizing. Label the places where you put things so you both know where to put them away and where to find them later.
Think about the flow of paper in your home. This is a constant cause of confusion and being unable to complete tasks. I use this system: ALL paper (mail, bills, checks, magazines, notes and print outs) that comes into house goes into box that ALWAYS stays in the same place. Daily file everything in the box. If something isn't filed away in the proper place, it has to be in the box.
Perhaps some of these ideas will help. It takes some discipline, but it also results in more focus and greater functionality.
DocJane www.BeyondBipolar.com