hi, lex here i m newly diagnoised with bipolar depression, i am sad, i am scared could someone tell me what it was like for them. perhaps a expert , now i know why antidepprsants never worked, i have ptsd, at least i know why for 20 years a have suffered i could hide it when i was in my 20's, then i withdrew have a masters degree, i worked then i dont know how to explain it someone please tell me your experiences. , lex9
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I've had bipolar disorder with depressive symptoms as long as I can remember. That includes the factor that you have fewer memories of happiness when you are depressed. So I have problems contrasting fatigue, for example. What is more fatigue than usual, when usual may be from depression. What is more than normal when you don't know what normal is? What is just due to getting older? What should my expectation be? When should I decide I need to try to discontinue a medication or try a new one? Is this all an example of difficulty with decisions? All the same goes for concentration - am I just not very good at the work I want to do, or would I be good at it if I felt better? Will I ever feel better, or is this just it?
great topic!! great comments and questions! I too have had these issues for many years.........well.........sorry I still have no real answers and I am now 61! I have been thru much in my life, like we all do. I had a minor stroke last year and that has caused havoc....some for the good! I had to stop and really evaluate my life.
My chemistry changed drastically this past year, the drs and I are still trying to find my NORMAL. We have discovered that STRESS really affects me physically, emotionally and almost all aspects of my chemistry. So far, what works best for me is low or controlled stress. Meaning periods of unavoidable stress (family,work,traffic, etc...life) followed by down time (reading, friends, laughter, gardening, etc). I need periods of alone time too!! Just to get my bearings and find my own answers. Some days I even allow the sleep and tiredness to win!
I guess just balance as best you can.....and variety! But, we are all unique, and what works one day, well .....hang in there, keep trying! STRESS can KILL....LAUGHTER helps heal....sassybarb ^i^ ^j^ ^i^
This is for "SassyBarb". I thought I had written what you posted and forgot that I wrote it then saw that it wasn't me that had written. Can't tell you how much you and me are alike. Stress just about kills me. I can't get away from it. I too am working on trying to be a normal person. I turn 60 in a couple of days; had a mini-stroke some years back; fall apart whenever the stress gets to be too much. I need that alone time too just to recoup. The ups, the downs, truthfully, never a dull moment inside my head!!!! Oh well, such is life.....I take my medicines faithfully unless I forget and they do the best that they can do. If I didn't have restless leg medicine to combat the RLS, (it has something in it that knocks me out for about 5 hrs. a night) I know for fact that I would never fall asleep. Before I had the restless legs and before being treated for the depression, I would just lay in bed all night and then get up in the morning and proceed to go to work exhausted. Thank God for the medicines and for retirement early on at age 5l. Life isn't great but I deal with it. Some happy times but a whole lot of not so good times more so. Some day I will just die and be done with it. I wonder what's next. I hope it's better than here. Hang in there to all that has this kind of sickness...."G"