Bipolar disorder
Does anyone else suffer from bipolar disorder? If so how do you deal with it? Do you take any medication, are there people in your life that cause you to flip out? All I'm told is to "take the medication." I hate pills, had a bad history with pills, alcohol and dug abuse. I'm on blood pressure meds now, but don't like taking them even. Anyone else go through what I am going through? Don't really have support, and if I do they don't fully understand me. I don't feel respected, like nothing of what I say or think matters.
Help?
@hubs1386
I do have Bipolar type two rapid cycle in the splash of other conditions. Yes, I take meds for sure :) I am a dangerous person without them, LOL. The meds help me have the tools to deal with emotions and reactions. Addiction is something we face and battle. I have felt exactly how you are feeling. Therapy has helped me out quite a bit. Do you experience some mania and have highs as well? How long have you known you have BP?
I do have "highs" mainia at times, but it's mostly good mania. When I'm up and cleaning or working out in the yard. Mania that keeps me focused i guess you could say. I do think the medication I'm on now is helping, but also males me super tired and have no energy. I've been sleeping during the day... I NEVER have slept during the day since i started it. When the sun is up I'm up kinda thing. I do get depression as well and it's a hit or miss, sometimes I can pull myself out of it and other times it's like a hole I can't get out of. I've been on BP medication for years now. I used to be really over weight and that's when I was put on it by my cardiologist. Since then I've lost a ton of weight, but still have to be on it. And with this new medication for the bipolar, I've also lost more weight and have no appetite, I get hungry around dinner time and that's the only time I eat. My dads side has history of BP and heart problems. I am in the process of getting a therapist again, but i started with a new place and its gonna take some time for them to find me someone. I guess I'm genetically f-uped. Idk. Lol. I take it day by day. Thank you for responding, I've been looking for some type of support group and or just someone that understands what I'm going through. I appreciate it.
@hubs1386
You're not alone. I once thought I was alone and on the edge of a cliff. The journey is hard but worth it. I am sure you will find a lot of help here and those to share their experiences and tools they use. I have experienced a lot of what you talk about and it reminds me of some struggles I went through. There were times I wanted to give up and went to that ledge many times. Stay strong and remember the storms will pass but be prepared for the next one.
I have bipolar as well type 1 which is the manic episodes, I take meds for my adhd which in turn also helps with bi polar but I’ve also found trying to control my emotions and how I feeling by writing it down in that very moment helps as well. I’ve also done a lot of self reflecting as well. Hope this helps and if you need someone to talk to who gets it I’m here.
I will try the writing down emotions and feeling thing, that's a good idea. And thank you for the talking to if I need it, that means a lot, I really appreciate it.
You’re welcome (: and I was introduced to that idea when my dad passed when I was young and I was completely out of control cause I didn’t know how to regulate my emotions and writing everything down helped me cause no one read it so I didn’t feel like I was being judged or told to feel a certain way. I know how it feels not to have someone to talk to about this particular mental health so I’m definitely here any time day or night (:
Yeah I think everything started with me when my mother was murdered by my step father. I got out because I knew the danger (since i was 10 and he came into my life), but by doing so I wasn't able to save her. Ever since then I was just lost. My relationship suffered, everything suffered. I just didn't care anymore. I definitely am gonna have a notebook with me and just write things down now and make sense of it after. Like if we became friends, is this the only way to message you, or is there a 1 on 1 thing on here or what? I'm still new to this app and still learning how to use it. I really appreciate you so much being there for someone you've never met, but I guess when it comes to mental health we are all in this together. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. :)
@niknik9370
Got to love the ADHD mixed in, huh lol. I admire you for being able to write things down. I have never been able to do this, but when I have, I did recognize the person I was when I wrote things down. It was interesting because people around me would say I was a certain way, and I couldn't have been that person, but when I read my journal, I found they were right. I have some letters to myself I wrote while balanced I read when depressed. Thank you for sharing and offering help.
I do suffer from Bipolar 2 on top of several other things like ADHD, depression, PTSD, etc.
I wasnt diagnosed with Bipolar until I was 28 (I'm 38 now). I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist after completing a 5 day inpatient stay for alcohol detox.
I never thought I had bipolar until talking to the psychiatrist then some things started to make sense for me.
He put me on 2 medications and I hated the side effects so I stopped all bipolar meds for several years which was a big mistake. My bipolar depression was literally debilitating for so long. Once I got back on meds and tried a few different ones till I found the right combo I was finally pretty stable. As stable as I had been I many years. Sometimes my brain tries to tell me i dont need these meds because I'm doing just fine. That's because the meds were actually working.
I know that having bipolar comes with a lot of stigma. Peoe assume you're crazy or psychotic because that dont know any better. I think that's part of why we get treated the way we do sometimes. It's kinda hard to find people that relate to you and understand what you're going thru.
If I can be of any assistance or be a supportive person for you let me know. I would be more than happy to do that.
Thank you very much, I will. And very much appreciate the help. That was always a hard thing for me to do is accept the help, growing up if I asked or seeked help it was considered weak, but I realize now that's not true and that was the evil in my life telling me so. I appreciate the help from you and anyone else offering, thank you so much.
@hubs1386
We are so much alike. I fought it for years like you and felt I needed to be tough and was weak for asking for help. Be vulnerable, and especially with therapists, let them know everything. It is a safe place. My therapist knows more than anyone else in the world about me. You're going to make it because you have the strength in you to fight on through the hard times.
Very true. I'm at a place now where I want the help, mostly so I can be a good father to my children. I can't do that if I don't take care of myself. And you're right about the therapist, I'm just still waiting for them to find me one at the place where my Dr is that prescribed my meds. Thank you very much @kuma78. I really appreciate your words and know now where true strength comes from. Asking for help isn't a weakness, it's a strength. I've got 16yrs of damage done by my step father to make up for, but I'm committed and won't let his hold on me (even though hes not on this earth anymore) mess up the rest of my life.
thank you
I know you posted this a long time ago but I'm also bipolar. I'm on medication but i'm constantly up and down it's so tiring
I have bipolar and PTSD. I take medication. I do well with antipsychotics but mood stabilizers make me more depressed
