I'm 29 years old and after a suicide attempt and various anti anxiety/ depression medication trials and mood charts I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I'm not exactly sure how to deal with this. I didnt think anything was wrong with me other than crazy mood swings and suicidal thoughts. Any help on how to deal with this?
I was diagnosed a year ago but I had it all my life. I was getting so ill for the pass 6 years that I knew something was not well in my brain and it was more than anxiety and contemplating suicide and so on. After the meds start doing their job and if it is the right combo, you will find that some of the things you used to do were not from your personality but from bipolar disorder.
We do have both, we are not the illness, you have your personality and then you have those extra brain attitudes that you will, with time, learn how to coupe with. I do recommend therapy to help you with the copping skills.
It's good to have doctors a psychologist and a psychiatrist to help us along the way because alone we tend to isolate ourselves and not even vent because no one understands what's going on with us.
Group supports are great but don't work for everybody and you have this site or others where we know what you are talking about and you will find support from us with the same disorder which makes all the difference. I wish you the best in you new journey with living with this disorder. I'm here for you if you need me.
Alex
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You're probably shell-shocked. But at least you can put a name to it, some relief. The community on this website is very understanding, compassionate and experienced.
There was a share-post a few months back of the 10 things you would tell someone who was recently diagnosed. I can't find it anymore.
Meds: you have to be patient with them. Everything always take 2 weeks to kick in. And meds react differently in different people. So, it's trial and error to get the right balance for you. A lot of meds, you have to take the description with a grain of salt. Bipolar uses drugs in different ways than they were intended. Abilify i think is referred to as an anti-psychotic, but for bipolar is a mood stabalizer.
Keep taking meds even if you are feeling better. After a year of my diagnosis, i went off the meds & a few months later wound up in the hospital.
Sleep: It's very important that you get good sleep each night. I use trazadone for sleep. Also clonopin can be used.
Discipline: sleep the same each night. This way you know if you're off. Monitor food intake. Some drugs are said to cause weight gain, but I've found that I just need to be extra careful about food intake. Be consistent.
Therapist: Can be very helpful. Shop around for a good one. They're great - they're you're secret weapon. Get someone that has bipolar patients. They see patients and can share their tricks for dealing with the illness. I got a referral to a hyptmotist that can help with sleep. I also get help in how to deal with the psychiatrist.
Other websites: I've found drugs.com to be very helpful to look up meds and their interaction with other meds.
Hang in there,
C