Information and opinions on Bipolar from LifeontheIsland at BipolarConnect.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961 http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961 http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/50638/husband-abusive Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:59:14 -0000 LifeontheIsland Winter is almost here. Sure feels like it here in Seattle.   My question is this: Are many woman with BPD abused by their non-BP partners? Are the statistics of abuse higher for BPD women, than women without mental illness?   I know that long term abuse leads to mental illness, and I was abused by my ex-husband for 11 years. Even though we've been divorced for almost nine years, he still knows how to get to me. I avoid talking... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/50638/husband-abusive http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/49789/back-sq Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:59:54 -0000 LifeontheIsland This is a flower in my garden last summer.... oh, how I miss summer...     I feel like I did before I got diagnosed with BPD; depressed, nervous, can't seem to "get over" my thoughts, envy people brave enough to try suicide - I never would because of my kids and husband and my mom...but sometimes I wish I could, I feel 'keyed up' all of the time, but at the same time I'm down, I only feel happy and 'up' around other... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/49789/back-sq http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48953/end-friendship Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:55:16 -0000 LifeontheIsland Yesterday I went to the funeral of a friend. All of us that went were experiencing some anniversary grief, based on our own previous losses. Some people were hurting more than others, and some drank WAYYYYY too much. A woman who I have concidered a friend was very nasty to me toward the end of the evening and accused me of sleeping with her boyfriend. PAH-LEEEEEZE! She was kind of drunk (not that 'drunk' is an excuse) and she was very cruel and... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48953/end-friendship http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48752/somedays-things Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:28:17 -0000 LifeontheIsland This was an up and down day. Went to my back Dr., for my herniated disk, thinking we were going to schedule surgery, but no. He's got a bad bedside manner and forgets our previous conversations about how I have to have the surgery before the end of the year, or I won't be able to afford it (because of insurance). I left crying. He even has to MAIL me my disabled parking form (for a disabled parking placard), instead of taking a minute and... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48752/somedays-things http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48150/waiting-sun Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:50:54 -0000 LifeontheIsland Sunrise, out my back door   When I am down, it helps to write poems, so here is one for your concideration... It's about my nighttime anxiety and insomnia.       Waiting for the Sun   Summer is past, Daytime shadows now grow long. When early night falls, I feel alone.   The darkness brings with it Anxiety in all it's forms... I sit nervously, My mind hums a dreadful tone.   I wait for... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/48150/waiting-sun http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47788/ms-confusion Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:29:59 -0000 LifeontheIsland Lately I am very confused. I can't keep track of what days are what, I seem to skip days, and think that yesterday was 2 days ago, or visa versa. I even missed an appt with my psych and now I have to pay $50!   I can't seem to form cognitive thoughts sometimes, although I am doing so right now - it feels like I am floating somewhere above myself. All I want to do is sleep, but I can't sleep at night. Nighttime is when my anxiety goes... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47788/ms-confusion http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47422/evening-fatigue Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:52:15 -0000 LifeontheIsland           This is new, as of about a 5 weeks ago... Just about when I started taking Abilify and Citalopram. I have extreme fatigue as soon as I am done eating dinner. I'm so tired that I see double, stumble around like I am drunk, and can barely function. It lasts about 2-3 hours and then I feel "normal" again. Sometimes I will go to bed and sleep for the 2-3 hours, and then get up for a few hours until it is... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47422/evening-fatigue http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47214/bpd-blog Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:21:56 -0000 LifeontheIsland               Rainbow, out my back door!     I've started a BPD blog on my profile page. Check it out if you get a chance!   ~Cathy http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47214/bpd-blog http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47203/featured-halloween Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:20:47 -0000 LifeontheIsland How cool! On the main home page of BPConnect.com, I am a 'Featured Profile'! My husband and I laughed, "Hey look honey, I'm famous for being mentally ill!!" Hahahaha....   I needed a good laugh. I have been pretty down for a while, but Halloween helped to cheer me up. We had about 100 kids come to the door, and then we took off and went to two partys! Fun, fun!! The kids loved my scary decorations and said that my house is their... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47203/featured-halloween http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47003/poem-bipolar Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:14:40 -0000 LifeontheIsland       Crazy?   Crazy is what "they" call People like me Mentally ill, unstable Up, down, bipolar Me Guilt and worry My constant companions People don't understand How normal I really am http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/81961/47003/poem-bipolar