Bipolar II Story - what helped, and medication juggling act (reposted)

Hi, I'm Tori. I was diagnosed with Bipolar II earlier this year, after suffering with anxiety and depression for the past eight years. I first began to suspect it towards the end of last year, while I was seeing a psychologist. I was put on Paroxetine (Paxil) in November for my incapacitating depressive episodes. These episodes were so extreme that I stopped attending university, speaking to my friends and family, and even taking care of basic tasks such as eating and showering. All I could do was curl up in bed shaking and crying!

After a few months of this antidepressant I felt much better but began to experience episodes of what I can now identify as hypomania. I would talk incessantly, clean obsessively, felt overwhelming affection for everyone around me and spent all my money buying nice things for our house - which I can't say I 100% regret as I do enjoy having a hammock in our backyard! The most problematic symptom, however, was that I absolutely could not relax to sleep. At first the hypomania was almost pleasant in comparison to the deep depression I'd been experiencing, but not being able to sleep as I lay in bed each night felt like torture!

In late January a psychiatrist diagnosed me, and I was subscribed Seroquel to help with sleep and hypomania. At first I was reluctant, I was scared to add another medication and intimidated by the possible side effects, but at the end of the day my need for sleep outweighed my hesitation! And wow, I can honestly tell you that within fifteen minutes of taking the first tablet, I curled up in bed and fell into the most blissful sleep. It was 100% what I had needed.

The problem with this whole medication juggling act, however, is that now that I'm taking this medication I have been having some troubles getting up in the morning. Despite my gratitude for the positive impact these medications have had on my life, I would love to one day be able to manage Bipolar medication free. So if anyone else is in the same boat I want to tell you the things that have helped me, and advice my mother has offered from her experience with Manic Depression.

My mother's mantra was always 'eat, sleep, exercise', and I think this is absolutely vital. As I take Paroxetine in the mornings, and must take it with food, it's forced me into eating breakfast each day, and I have to say I really believe this has benefitted my feeling of wellness and my emotional stability. Sleeping is the single most influential thing on my moods, and exercise helps me to sleep better, as well as giving me a better feeling in my body - like it's been all stretched out and I don't feel crampy and uncomfortable.

Once your health is pretty good, I really recommend having a good support team - friends that you can trust, a patient and understanding doctor, and a psychologist that really gets you. In my opinion therapists are like medication, it takes some trial and error to find the one that is perfect for you!

Finally, I really believe in meditative and grounding activities. I found writing in a journal really helped with my anxiety, allowing my mind to feel less cluttered. Meditation, yoga, gardening, long walks in nature, things like that all can help to give you a feeling of peace - especially gardening as you have a sense that you're nurturing something, and it's nurturing you! Creative expression can be a great and often therapeutic outlet - singing in the shower, dancing to music, splashing paint on a canvas.. well I'm sure you get the point.

So how did you guys find out about your Bipolar?

What symptoms do you think have effected you the most?

What do you feel has helped the most?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmth,

Tori