associating with health minded people has helped me immensely, and daily routines of exercise, meds, sleep and meetings increased my moods and energy level. I enrolled in yoga classes, pilates, and one tai chi class. It seems I finally have hobbies, that get me out of bed and refreshed afterwards. I also walk my dog 3 miles a day. My Dr. has noticed a difference since Sept. when I started.
I have this time, since I retired at age 57 from teaching due to severe depression and
though everyone cannot do this, building this important aspect into our wellness program is essential. I hope to continue feeling refreshed in the morning, instead of staying in bed til noon. thanks, anne
The lcms and elca info. on supporting people with mood disorders is archaic. The elca puts us together with those with brain injuries.
I'm not in the mood to challenge either one of them, but it certainly surprised and disappointed me.
For some years, we had a DRADA support group that met in our staff room, but it wasn't part of the churches outreach. We needed a new meeting place and I asked if our facilities could be used. After we moved, they stopped meeting there.
In 2007, there are still people who think we can't function and go around mumbling to ourselves.
I think CBS did a grave injustice to people that have BIPOLAR! Just because one stupid mother od's her child does not mean that the illness does not exist!!
Society was just getting to the point of accepting it a little and that was a major boulder thrown at the Bipolar society!!
CBS needs to apologize to everyone that has the illness and make an effort not to do that ever again? What your thoughts?
Im turning 50 next June. My first severe bout of severe anxiety/depression was 2 years ago and I went on meds. Got well and off meds 6 months later, went through a manic phase then back into a severe depression a year later and diagnosed bipolar.
I was/am a very healthy, athletic, career professional, husband father of two children. Im trying everything I can not to go down again... (Road bike 30 miles plus/day, kayak, active in other sports, try to keep a level family and social life)
Im concerned about the 25 year shortened life span. What is the reason for this? What health issue shortens the life span to cause an early death?
Hi Sue,
This is really in response to your DC and ME post. We'd love to have you join us for a Thursday night support group or guest speaker program at George Washington UniversityHospital. Dr. Fred Goodwin was this week's speaker and, as always, blew us away with his wit and wisdom.
After the talk John Mc did an on camera interview with Dr. G. Try not to miss it!
We could get out and enjoy some of what the city has to offer next time you're in town. Just let us know!
Kathy
DBSA National Capital Area
soooo love to do the advocate thing for bp's
i really think there is so much out there for the general public to learn about the disorder and so much stigmatism and negativity that surrounds the illness...
We, as sufferers, know that the illness is very tough, it is very hard to explain to others, and often we feel so isolated..but we don't need the CBS's and Oprahs and Katie's of the world telling us that, how about an UPBEAT report of one who overcomes or something geez....
..there is never a shortage for people like you who go out there and change the way others view us...
I am with the person who posted about CBS in their opinion that this all has to stop and SOON!!
IT worries me immensly the image that bps are getting...ever since the Oprah show (and i certainly don't think she helped a thing with the man she had on, it was like he was public enemy number one the way she talked and portrayed him)it seems you hear more and more about it and how it is devastating, dangerous, and basically they give the impression that we are not REAL people with REAL feelings, and
literally
make those who don't research or try to find out on their own about the illness think we are basically "less than human" persay......
it really bothers me for at our most fragile states that could be utterly devastating to some....I am just glad that there are those that speak out for us.
I so wish i knew an avenue of approach to voice my opinions/and the TRUTH about bipolar illness....any suggestions???
ALSO I utilize things like: hiking when able, 4 wheeling in the woods/nature/backroads, reading, read the bible EVERY day so spirituality is a BIGGIE for me in coping skills, also do yoga everynight in hopes of relaxing enough to go to sleep at night...(unsuccessfully quite often), writing, drawing, planting and gardening, and of course the good old clean country air!!! So much I like to do also can become an obsession for instance I make rag rugs and one winter when the weather was horrid i ended up obsessively making FAR too many of them but the routine/repetition of it soothed my tics and gave me something to do with those manic hands!!!
I also am an apiarist (beekeeper) and that has been a salvation at times, such peace, serene feelings come over me when tending to my girls that if i could i'd be there 24/7 i think...but of course that isn't the nature of beekeeping. At times a good coping skill for me is to just watch them coming and going, back and forth, busy busy busy and the whole process of nature soothes my soul.
I STRONGLY recommend nature as a coping skill if just walking, taking a country ride, or just watching from a window there is so much purity there that it is a refreshing view from a manic/or depressed state of mind.....just a thought!!
Thanks again for rep. bps!!!! We need all the help we can get in this labeling world!
ctrygirl
Sue. I read your comment about 50 being the new 30 or 75....and I can certainly relate. I have had bi-polar disorder all my life (early teens to my present age 52)
The disorder (I was referring to my disorder as "it" and decided to lose that def. because It felt like I had some alien disease! Anyway. like you I hit a reality check when I turned 5-0. Then I started seeking therapy and medical help (medicine) to deal with bi-polar disorder. After I made peace with myself (repeating the Serenity Prayer over and over (still do) and reading the Bible. I realized that I had let my physical health go. So now Im playing catch up in that area... I read MORE magazine....watch my diet.....and exercise......Peace and Love and Boomers rule!!!! Kaytie
Sue, me again......After reading my comment regarding your post on 50 being the new 30 or 75, I realized I started rambling on.....there goes a symptom....As I mentioned....I had the disease early in my life, however I was not diagnosed until recentlly.....thru the years, I neglected my physical health because of years, yes years of depression with manic episodes.....and raising children as a single parent, my physical health seemed unimportant....Thank God literally for this disease being recognized...........love and peace Kaytie
I'll be 66 next week. About four years ago I learned that the lithium I took for about 30 years to control my manic episodes turned on my kidneys, reducing me to 30% function. (My status had been stable for many years and, with my consent, my family doctor assumed care of my bipolar when my psychiatrist resigned. This turned out to be a mistake as he did not respond to the symptoms of lithium poisoning. Fortunately, I changed doctors for entirely unrelated reasons, and my new family doctor correctly diagnosed the condition. Since my new family doctor weaned me from lithium and dioxipin I have not had symptoms of bipolar.
Because I want to avoid dialysis as long as possible, I have changed my lifestyle. The kidney restrictions require a balanced diet with 60 mg or less of protein and 1800 mg or less of salt daily. I have developed an Excel spreadsheet to track my daily nutrition (calories, protein, fats, minerals) and have daily records for the past two years. As part of that project I have determined the nutritive values of many recipes and do most my own cooking. I also joined the local gym and do weight-bearing exercises twice a week. I feel better than I had for years before and my nephrologist calls me his "prize" patient.
In addition to warning others who suffer from bipolar about closely monitoring the level of medication as they age, I would like to share what I've developed. It's time-consuming but quality of life is so important. Ultimately, I would like to leave my body to research so that doctors/researchers could learn more about bipolar, kidney disease and the effects of diet and exercise. My prior internet searches and contacts have gone unanswered. Have you any suggestions? Cindy, edufarm@aol.com
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Enjoy the half century mark. It's a distant memory for me.
I go to a health place where I have a doctor that helps me with medication.
I am bipolar with borderline personality disorder.