Comments on: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 With Major Depressive Episodes And Rapid Cycling. Feeling Stunned. Advice Needed?

By: Bopped

Bopped — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:40:49 +0000

I can’t give you advice from the perspective of someone with a mental illness, but I can maybe say a little something about being raised by someone with mental illnesses.
My mother explained to me when I was around 10 maybe that sometimes she feels very, very sad and it has nothing to do with me. I understood that. I wasn’t always very kind about it, but I understood it and I’m so glad that she was honest about what was going on with her because it made everything so much less confusing. It made me feel that she trusted me and she was, and continues to be, a most fantastic mother.
When I was older (teens) she was very honest about exactly how she felt and we discussed it a good amount. I remember her telling me once that while the voices in my head probably said nice things to me, the voices in her head said very mean things. I know that may sound to some a very odd thing for a mother to say, I knew what she meant and it helped me understand how she felt.
I think there’s a good chance your children will have a similar reaction to this news as you did yourself. They may be shocked but it will likely help them understand some things. You know your kids, so you’ll do what’s best but don’t hesitate to be honest and open with them. Unless they are very young, they may be your best allies in this.

By: Ambivalent LAUghter

Ambivalent LAUghter — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:04:05 +0000

I have had friends and lovers who were bipolar. You know, it surprises me to think of how many I have known. It complicated things, but people are complicated, and that was no reason not to get to know them.
Honestly, I have the darkest views of those who stigmatize mental disorders. It isn’t a defect of your character, but a trick of your physiology that troubles you. You seem like a wonderful person, and I can’t imagine what sort would want to judge you for something you were born with.
It usually so very treatable. I have seen friends change within a week of receiving their medication. Also, just being aware of what is happening makes a great difference in how you deal with it. You should be happy to now know what was already real. You can now address the situation and make mature decisions on your course of action.
I know the pangs of loneliness. I too am very lonely. It is something that hurts me. I think, “Am I not the obvious cause of my separation from the world? Isn’t it my defect that makes me unlovable?” It is hard to fight this, but I do.
Some years ago I took to having hope. I stopped retreating from the world, and started building a life that others would want to share. I have had my share of heart break, I have one now, but it is better to break a heart than never use it.
It is never too late to start to live to your fullest my dear. You have new opportunities here, new tools to control your extremes. I am happy and hopeful for you.
My E-mail option is open. Feel free to use it if you would like to talk. You’ve been a contact for two years, and it kills me to see you in this spot. Really, anything I can do to help, let me know.
PS If you like you can reach me through my blog: http://herodotus2007.multiply.com/

By: your mama

your mama — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:20:49 +0000

My 40 year old daughter was diagnosed with bipolar about a year ago. She was also very depressed for no reason. I went onto the net and connected what was happening to her, with Bipolar. When she started on medication she was like a different person. As her husband said, you would not believe it is the same person, she is happy and never depressed.
Today she spent the day with me, and we laughed all day. She has such a sense of humour and a most infectious laugh. You see, she used to feel like you do, but she does not anymore.
Of course discuss this with your children. By not doing so it seems that you are ashamed of your illness. There is nothing to be ashamed of. But, only do that if they are teens or older. When they are young, first get treatment with the prescription, then by example, show them how much better you are, and explain why. Teach them that there is nothing wrong with having a mental illness, that nearly everyone gets depressed in their liftime, but that some, like you and my daughter, seem to feel it more. Be proud of who you are. Hold your head up. Get this prescription from your Doctor and you will not know yourself in a little while.
Go into this site -
bipolar.com.au/questionnair.cfm
and answer the questions asked. Then, go to your doctor with that sheet of paper with all your answers on it.
That is what my daughter did and the Doctor was amazed that she had correctly diagnosed herself. He had all the answers down in front of him.
The name of her prescription is:-
APO-DIVALPROEX
But also remember, everybody is different. If this one does not work for you, ask you Doctor to try another one. I know one boy who tried three pills before he hit on the one that worked for him.

By: Yoyo NellyBelly Living in Joy

Yoyo NellyBelly Living in Joy — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:54:28 +0000

I found that following my physician’s instructs as far a a couse of therapy (not bu polar, but another illness) resulted in marked imporvement. Including appropriate medication. Also self help groups can be a blessing. There are multiple medications available each with its own plus and minus points. Sometimes talking to people who have tried different things will give you some ideas to discuss with your Dr.

By: lostinsi

lostinsi — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:45:03 +0000

Oh, sweet woman, how very tough life has been and is for you.
As a psychotherapist with no experience of dealing with diagnosed bipolar disorder, this is just my two pennyworth from my particular viewpoint.
Firstly, I am highly suspicious of psychological diagnostic labels. True bipolar is one of the few that is really useful, but even then, it lumps together a huge range of very different people, gives them a label and presents them with a set of expectations that are group-defined rather than related to that individual. And there is absolutely no dividing line between those with a mental disorder and those without. We all have quirks and odd nooks and crannies in our psyches – some end up with a label because their particular suffering causes them or those around them major problems, but the sickest person I ever worked with had never had a psychiatric label applied because she’d managed to avoid ever coming into contact with mental health services.
Secondly, I very much understand your sense that life could have been easier had your parents sought help for you. However, you may have been saved from a dreadful chemically-coshed life by their avoidance of the problems. All too many young people are ‘treated’ by medication which often does little more than suppress the ’symptoms’ and along the way crushes their creativity and life-energy. So it may in fact have been a lucky escape.
I truly believe that therapy is the most likely way that your relationship with your moods will change. Sure, coping skills/techniques can help, but it’s the inner shift that happens in good therapy that leads to coming into a different relationship with one’s suffering, moods, etc and behavioural change results from a change in the inner feelings.
Wishing you all the very best in the huge upheaval that this change in your perception of yourself has caused/is causing. Never forget that you have hugely wonderful qualities that have taken you through a life with great successes in it. Nothing has been lost; this change in perspective does not devalue all that you have done and it definitely doesn’t mean that your life would necessarily have been better with an earlier diagnosis. (((((Red Queen)))))

By: blue chaos soɐɥɔ ǝnlq jpa

blue chaos soɐɥɔ ǝnlq jpa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:25:20 +0000

I have this as well. If you could contact me, maybe I could reply and we could talk more privately. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago and it sure explained a lot of what I was going through.
edit: Still can’t reply to you through email or messaging.Just whenever you feel like talking is fine by me. If you don’t want to that is okay too. I’ve been there – and it’s do-able.

By: Yusofa's 3 Tribes & 2 Clans

Yusofa's 3 Tribes & 2 Clans — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:33:44 +0000

{{{{{{{Amy}}}}}}} I do so wish I could come over and give you the biggest hug ever right this instant. But a virtual hug will have to do instead and just imagine it to be the biggest, tightest, cuddliest hug you have ever received, ok?
Now, as you may be aware (or maybe not, I can’t remember if I have told you about this or not), I do have depressed periods from time to time, sometimes lasting up to several days. I USED to be on antidepressants, but they have been stopped since the transplant. I also live with mum who definitely does have some kind of depression, although, as she refuses to go to the doc about this, we have no idea what sort of depression. So, I am going to answer 3 of your questions, but bear in mind that I have hardly any experience with dealing with depression. Depression, yes. Dealing with it, no.
1 – What do I tell my kids?
2 – Can I learn to control my snappish moods, or does this come about through the use of meds? What coping skills do you employ?
3 – How did you get over the stigma of having a mental illness?
Ok, my answers:
1 – The truth. That is the ONLY thing that will help both you and them cope and understand more, by them having all the details you do.
2 – The antidepressants helped me with this bit. This was something I really was not good at. Even now, I can get VERY snappy and moody when I’m feeling low, now, more than before the transplant.
3 – I felt a tiny bit ashamed. I told mum. Her reply was ok. I felt a bit encouraged. So I told one of my sisters. Big mistake. Her reply? You should start eating well, exercising, working, you’ll stop feeling depressed. After that, I didn’t tell any of my family. My other sister found out only by accident more than a year after I started the antidepressants, coz she saw a friend taking the same antidepressants I had, and she wondered why I was taking those tablets.
Ok. Now, you’ll be wondering why I said to tell your kids. Actually, of course it is entirely up to you. I’ll take my answer back to that question. Is there one of your children whom you are closer to, whom you think would be more understanding than the others? Maybe you could start with him/her then, and then get their help to tell the others?
Oh yeah. “I have no friends, yet I am frequently lonely” Did you mean you have many/some/a few friends Amy? If that is what you meant, then I will say this. Taking your friends into your confidence can be effing hard when you’re feeling like this. But you CAN do it, and you NEED to do it. And in fact, you’ve done it a bit by asking this question on here. Well done you
Amy… I wish you could see how PROUD some of us are of you, how much we love you. You wouldn’t be able to believe how much, and you’d be totally amazed and asking “so much?”
Sending you lots of love and energy and prayer wishes and angel wishes Amy.

By: holiday treats

holiday treats — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:25:50 +0000

Wow, how hard for you. My Ex has this, even more severe than you. I have met people with this disease and you’d never know it! There is much hope that you will have a much more stable life if you stay on your meds. What happens for many is the meds make them feel better so then they think they don’t need them anymore and stop taking them! Don’t feel ashamed, you had no choice in this! If you tell people about your problem, they will have an easier time in accepting your odd behavior at times. I sure wish you all the best with this and keep an eye on your kids as one or more of them could have it too!

By: I AM RICH

I AM RICH — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:09:53 +0000

If you absolutely need to talk with someone, call the nearest mental health hospital. They have an on call therapist who can help you work through some things over the phone.
For those of you with bipolar or another mental illness, advice, please. While I absolutely respect my therapist, it is you who lives with mental illness. How do you cope?
Meds help, a lot. Trust me, I’m on one.
How did you get over the stigma of having a mental illness?
I just deal with it. They will never know unless they deal with it some time in their life.
I frequently misunderstand what others mean when they speak, cannot catch sarcasm, have no humor and take things personally — How to get around this?
Sorry, I can’t help you on this. Sarcasm is one of my main weapons in life.
I have no friends, yet I am frequently lonely. I will do all I can to push others away from me, and will deliberately do something to make them turn from me. I would like to be surrounded by others, but I have rushing thoughts and rapid speech. It’s humiliating, and I hate it. If you have gone through something similar, how did you get over it? CAN you get over the rapid speech? If not, then how do you learn to live with it? These speech patterns are present even during my depressive episode — it never goes away.
I’m still working thought this myself. Meds help here too.
Don’t apologize, there is no need for it.
(((RedQueen)))

By: ☼ GƖơώ ✞ Ѡɪηʠs ☼

☼ GƖơώ ✞ Ѡɪηʠs ☼ — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:57:23 +0000

Doctors seem to be all practicing–life is a guess, drugs they push for everything, do they look further? Maybe there is a connection to your arthritis? Body fights as best it can. Other issues might be there and they stop looking at the first sign of finding something.
There has been some weird research on this by people with Bi-Polar in a good sense. Some found out through tests, they had sleep apnea, serious enough, they actually stopped breathing for a few seconds after or during REM. Once they had the proper equipment, they were able to be like they were and the real cause was a sleep disorder.
Another one is also experimental. Getting off of all corn oil products, including corn starch cosmetics, etc. No popcorn, no corn flakes, no corn bread or even corn syrup. It is a hard diet, but 2 out of 10 made a change for the good, now they feel good and no mood swings. One out of the 10 also did away with mixing dairy products with chicken, beef, lamb and other meats and eliminated all nitrate products and add 42% Gallium nitrate, I think they mixed 100 cc in a liter of water and divided the water mixture into 2 days and drank daily. This person has done remarkably well. I don’t know if any of the above can be your problem, we never know what chemicals we need or what we have in us that is a problem. The nitrate got rid of excessive calcium in her body & other chemical imbalances that were throwing her body into turmoil.
Also, not having the right balance of magnesium and vit. D3 & calcium can make a difference, also check your levels of potassium too, low blood sugar can also mimic mood changes. So much they don’t check when they find one problem, and don’t keep checking.