I haven't really been ready to talk to anyone other than very close friends and my immediate family about this. I was just diagnosed about 4 months ago.
Would love to hear some tips on getting by day to day. I don't want to sound harsh, but I have enough trouble of my own and am not interested in talking to folks who seem only content to whine about their disease. So if you are proactive and have some good advice, I am all ears.
PAZ,
D.
Thanks for the replies. I am finding that I cannot drink alcohol-though I wouldn't call myself a drinker (a serving a couple times a week) because I feel so funky afterwards meaning the next day. I think it screws with the medication. This bums me out because my husband and I enjoy a glass of red wine every now and again and had even planned a trip to Napa/Sonoma valley. I don't think that will be very fun for me now.
As for caffiene, I have long ago given that up for a number of reasons...anxiety increases(I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder) and more importantly, an overactive bladder, LOL. Too much information, huh?
You asked for proactive suggestions:
Read books about the disorder to get familiar with what is going on and why
Do the psychotherapy to help manage the disorder
Medication is only to treat the symptoms and not the disorder and there are loads of different meds for the symptoms
Each med is different to each person. One may take a drug while another can't. It truly is a hit or miss thing. Some, most, have to take a combination of several drugs. Meds are to treat the symptoms - psychotherapy manages the illness.
If you have a support group in your area, join. It helps to have others who are experiencing or have experienced the same or similiar things to talk to that aren't inside a computer screen.
Work on figuring what your trigger(s) are that may or may not bring about episodes
Keep a mood chart so you can track the cycles of your particular illness
Sleep on a structured sleep schedule so you know you get some each day. If you can't speak to psychiatrist
If you aren't able to do a lot each day, do one or 2 things. Make a list and scratch what you accomplish. If you can't accomplish a lot then give thanks for the perhaps 1 or 2 you did do. As times goes on, you'll finish the lists each day.
It takes effort, diligence, and more importantly - time.
Tabby and HappyGraham,
Thanks for the support and some tips I have not explored yet. I am on a combination of medications...zyprexa is my "bipolar exacerbation" medication. My shrink tells me to use it like a headache med. Works great except my fine motor skills go to hell when I take it.
I will try some of your suggestions and because my manias are almost always dsyphoric, I am quite committed to taking my medication at all times.
HI Bebemommy
Hope that you are getting to grips with things. I was diagnosed a year ago so know the feelings. Felt like I went into Gods Tumble dryer and was given every emotion possible so beware, but look on it as fun.
I tend to take each day as it comes, and this can be difficult, but if you start to worry about the past or future it can make you stall.
I am based in the UK, so not sure if this can help, I have a Mental health counsellor who monitors my moods / emotions . First this was on a week basis, but now its usually once a month, Her suggestion was to feel the emontions, dont dwell on them or try to understand, just feel them and remember that they do change and 'normallity' does return. Once I was comfortable with the new stuff and had come to terms with the situation. I decided to go into emontional counselling to which has allowed me to explore my emotions and therefore my triggers. To this end I have just finished some emotional counselling ( Christian based ) Once I have owned the trigger I can put into place some controls. I have found from this site that 'Mindfullness' is an important tool. I would recommend that you don't jump into this to early, You will know when you are ready
I do also use self hypnosis and found that if I could not own fully what was thrown at me this helped greatly. I have around 40 mp3 files on various subjects, and now I am at a position to only use 4 on a regular basis, revisiting the others if nessecary. The three I use are
1. Stress relief. ( keeps me in control in stressful situations - such as family stresses )
2. Impulse Control ( umm helps with the pre-frontal lobe and stps me going to high )
3. Guided Meditation ( quick start meditation used in Mindfullness )
4. Smell the roses ( Take one day at a time )
These were all downloaded from one site, whom as a Christain I trust. -www.hypnosisdownloads.com who charge quite resonable prices.
And remember We Fly, so dont soar, just learn to Glide, live life to the full, and see it as a gift with a small curse attached. I am sure when we are slightly up everyone wants some.
It gets better if you can get some control, and life will be good. So always enjoy what the Lord gives you
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Dear bebemommy,
I am brand new to this site. I decided 2 weeks ago to try to find others who are like me online. There are no support groups within an hour of here. I was diagnosed 3+ yrs ago with on occasion some obvious signs even I recognized as abnormal. My symptoms become prominent under severe stress and lesser also. Number one would obviously be try to keep stress in your life at a minimum. Here are some sypmtoms (and treatment)that alert me to upcoming or ongoing illness. Cannot sleep, therefore I make sure I am maintaining a regular sleep schedule even if it means Klonipin dose increase. Lack of sleep will bring on episodes of mania for me. My thought are obsessive on things that bother me, I go from subject to subject continously in my speech, I am oversensitive to others reactions or treatment of me, I find I am having angry out bursts with family. I am over-doing goal oriented activities like gardening, housecleaning, painting etc. I know at this point it's too late but it's not too late to contact your physcian to up your med, add a med or change your meds. I take omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil capsules. ( I read this helps) I have not let my doctor decide what drug works best for me. Some made me sick, others wouldn't work or made me worse and I eventually asked for lithium because I was tired of being wired, against the grain in conversaions with others, can't sleep and working my self into the ground with goal oriented activity. Lithium works and has bad side effects but it's a tried and true standard treatment. Having a pet may help too. Good luck to you. dbletlk 1