New here, I'm bi-polar, just wanting to connect with people that understand

LINDA - posted on 02/14/2010

I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS BI-POLAR ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO. I ALWAY HAD THE FEELING I WAS ON A ROLLCOASTER. I EVEN WENT TO A GENERAL PRAC. TO DISCUSS IT AND HE TOLD ME TO RELIEVE MY STRESS. YEA JUST LIKE THAT. IT WAS WHEN I WAS SCREAMING AT MY FAMILY AND FEEL LIKE I WAS WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE THAT HAD ME WORRIED. IT TOOK MY ZONING OUT AND TAKING A PLASTIC KNIFE TO MY WRIST THAT I DEMANDED HOSPITAL TREATMENT. ITS BEEN A LONG ROAD WITH TRYING COMBO OF MEDS. THEY WORK FOR A WHILE THE MY BRAIN GOES OF INTO ANOTHER DIRECTION AND HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN. HUBBY IS SUPPORTIVE, SO ARE THE ADULT KIDS, JUST WITH A LITTLE MORE DISTANCE. MY MOM TELLS ME I GET IT FROM THE DADS SIDE OF THE FAMILY, BECAUSE HER FAMILY COULD NEVER BE CRAZY. MOSTLY IM DEPRESSED AND WHEN THE MANIA HITS WOOO. I UP AND CHATTERING FOR DAYS NONSTOP. ITS NICE TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO CAN RELATE TO THE WEIRD THOUGHTS AND FEELING FLOATING IN MY BRAIN.

Suzie - posted on 02/01/2010

Im also bipolar Im not taking medication since I had a bad reaction to paxil and scared to take anything else. Now that im clean off the medicine I feel somewhat better. I have my ups and downs but I dont believe pill popping is the way to go if you can control it. I occupy my brain with listening to music and doing chores. It helps a lot to just take a break from whatever is stressing you out at the moment and take deep breathes. listen to music while doing chores that what i do if you need to cry go to a different room and do it just not around your child/children, cause it does affect them. Always make sure you have a friend who understands cause they do come in handy to talk to about problems especially if they dealing with the same problem. No one is perfect everyone has something wrong with them so don't be down on yourself. If you need to talk I am here for you or anyone wanting to talk, I consider myself my own therapist dont get me wrong I have a therapist who I also talk to so I do have someone to help me keep sane and I have a great friend who understand also and my bf from time to time also. So I am here for anyone who wants to just let it out I am a good listener and I can try to help make things better but dont stop taking meds cause I did its hard to control but I am doing it day by day. I just remember to breathe and glad I have suportive people in my life to help out.

Rebecca - posted on 01/21/2010

It has bee n a little while going through the blues that I went through after my son was born. I was diagnosed finally after I had him. I still was recently going through some rough mood swings. They took their toll. If you want to talk I will listen.

Zindy - posted on 01/05/2010

Hi. My name is Zindy and I have Bi-Polar type 2. WOW reading all these quotes is like someone has looked into my mind. It's so easy to feel alone as I suffer from depression too. I am in JHB South Africa and am fortunate enough to have found a support group here that starts on the 4th Jan. Hang in there Moms, I know it's not easy. My email adress is zindyvisagie@yahoo.com if anyone would like to chat or add me on facebook. Regards and Strength to you all.

Josephine - posted on 11/24/2009

i would like to ask is this page only for people with bipolar i suffer with severe depression but i do not have bipolar so i dont know if im meant to be on this page or not..

Lynn - posted on 11/24/2009

Well it seems as everyone is new, and i would have to be in that category as well. I was diagnosed with bipolor a yr ago after having two children 15 months apart. I also have a 10 yr old who has adhd. I cant tell you how horifying life has been for me these last 3 yrs. I am so scared, on top of postpatum and having a tumor on my pituatoy gland, i was a mess.. the tumor is know monitored and my hormone leaves are normal, and so know its just the bipolor, last night i really came to gripps that i am bipolo i didnt want to accept it at first. i am scared I do not want to take my rage out on my children as well as yell alll the time. my husband is supportive and works for a federal grant that is a systems change for chidren with mental health. But at the same time gets overwheld with my son and I. i also have pptsd. I just want to be stable for along period of time and i have read around and heard its posssible.. but do not want to keep feeling numb. I am also afraid that my ups and downs wiill soon affect my children as i think it has my 11 yr old. help i think maybe i should get my own place and just not let them see the bad days.. im so confused dont understand as well as friends and family dont as well and when i mention it to my friends its uncomfortable do to the education piece.. i would so much rather have a physical condition than a mental one. cause at least you may only strugle with depressionand meds can help that. its so hard to get rid of the stigma but its true, if you think about it, personalitys chang, cant keep consistant with jobs, and much more..

Toni - posted on 09/26/2009

I am new here too. I have 4 kids and work. I also have bipolar,anxiety and depression. I am finally on meds that I can function in my life. But I still have major ups and downs. just not as frequent. I read alot of these posts and I know there are people out there that can relate. My mom works in the mental health field and years ago when i started seeing someone about it she yelled at me and told me I was just trying to get attention. I get no support from her or my huband of 7 years. He left me because I ended up going through a major med change and took an over dose of lamictal. he threated to take my kids and treated me like shit which made everything worse. He ended up calling my mom and she told me i was ruining my own life. It took awhile but I live for my kids and me. I am happy your husband is supportive, that is the best!! hang in there, things will get better :)

Carmen - posted on 07/31/2009

boarder line personality can't be treated with medication it is something you learn to deal with - I have fragmented personality with traits to borderline personality - I am learning to deal with it by making sure I don't have alot of stress in my life - because that is a trigger and can make me go for days without sleep - the longest was 10 days and 6 hours sleep, so yeah it's knowing what triggers it that helps you to deal with it, it can make you feel depressed or hyper, it sways like bipolar but the meds for bipolar dont work, what you need to do is to get a journal and write down the times you feel stressed and really hyper and or depressed and then work out what happened that day to make you feel like that - that way you will have a good idea of what the triggers are that cause the problems - another good thing is just talking about it whether it be to other people on here or to someone at the mental health unit (like a community worker for the mental health) they can help you identify and if not teach you the things that can help youlearn to cope with this - it's not an easy task but admitting you have it is the first step to opening yourself up to communicating with others like you and not everyone has the same triggers but knowing your triggers is a really good and important step in with dealing with it! Good Luck

Arlene - posted on 07/30/2009

ive been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder but no on eems to offer anything to help. ive had antidepressents that dont help but worsen me, no therapy, no groups, nothing but the info i get from the net. i know no one else like me other than its simlar to bi polar. im finding it a struggle n hard to cope. any help or advice is most welcome :)

Carmen - posted on 06/11/2009

hi - I am new on this site and I have bipolar2 and unipolar ( a fancy word word for depression) - I have had unipolar for over 7 years and have been dealing with that well, I recently however got diagnosed with bipolar ( it's also known as the hereditry illness) people that have bipolar have one or sometimes both of their parents have it - that is why it is called a hereditry illness, my birth mother has bipolar - and it explains so much of what she did - as for me being diagnosed finally gave name to what was wrong with me - for many years I use to just think I was nuts or that I was wired wrong - but now I know what i have and I am being treated for it - I understand why i did all those things that no one else could understand, my friend and I live together - I rent 2 of her rooms - she was diagnosed with bipolar as well - it is so much easier having someone that you live with that understands what you have and where you come from than being judged by everyone else, and hey at the end of the day - it's not the end of the world we just have good days and bad days - and in my case more bad days than good - but that's okay - and remember YOU ARE OKAY - YOU ARE FINE - IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND OR DON'T WANT TO - YOU ARE OKAY!!!

Jennifer - posted on 05/20/2009

Chin up, smiles on.!!

Monique - posted on 05/20/2009

Hello Amanda, I'm Monique, I'm new here too. Unfortunately not new to bipolar. I was diagnosed 5 yrs ago after I had my first daughter. Now, I have another girl and a baby boy (well I still call him my baby boy even though he is 18mths now lol) I have Bipolar Type 1 with schizoaffective disorder which is borderline schizophrenia. I too had to go off all my meds during my pregnancies and it was hard to find the right combination afterwards. I also had PPD with all them. But finally after 4 1/2yrs they finally found it and I'm very stable. I too have a family that doesn't understand one bit of it even though my older sister has it too, which she finally just got back on her meds!! I'm here if you ever need to talk, you can add me as a friend or even on Yahoo Messenger if you would like, I would love to be there for you. my messenger is mizmeikob!! Hope to talk soon, take care and keep your head up!!



Monique

Janee - posted on 04/30/2009

If you ever want to talk, you can always send me a message. I have been through somewhat the same and have 3 kids.

Julia - posted on 04/12/2009

Hi Amanda, I also have bi-polar and have 2 teenagers.  I am up and down in my mood and I didn't cope well on medication so have managed to keep out of hospital and on a half dose of Olanzapine for over 5 years.  Every year I have to temporarily raise my dose if I become unstable and after a couple of months drop it back down to a half dose.  It seems to work for me and in the last year I have found a lot of help from CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) which teaches you to turn your mood around by addressing wrong thinking.  I have to also add that I am a christian and I get a lot of help from christian friends, prayer and having a relationship with God.  Don't worry I'm not going to force religion on you but I thought it should be mentioned as it has helped me significantly.  My husband also is very supportive also but has his moments when he throws his hands up but he is only human. I have on the whole a good life and manage to do everything that other mums do.  I have few regrets about the kind of mum i've been but I wish the years hadn't rushed by so quickly and that I'd stood up to the doctors sooner who wanted to put me on unhelpful drug regimes.

All the best

Julia

Amanda - posted on 03/25/2009

my husband and i basically just moved to Lloyd, and yes i found a really great psychiatrist, one that doesn't just want to drug u up and send you home, i had one of those, they suck.
thanks for replying its nice to hear from others like me
take care
Amanda

Amanda - posted on 03/25/2009

thank you for your kind words, it makes me feel like im not alone in this. Its also nice to talk with people who understands what people with bi-polar go through.

Jennifer - posted on 03/24/2009

Been there done that. It is so tough. I am here anytime you want to talk. No matter how long it takes, hang in there and get the right meds. I too am going through med changes. it is very frustrating, trying something, it not working and going to the next, however I have stuck with it in the past. and had great sucess for years. ill chat anytime. glad to hear that your husband is supportive. are you seeing a therapist?

Jennifer - posted on 03/24/2009

Amanda,
Welcome to the Group. You'll find a lot of support here from others with bipolar. I've had it for years and I know how fun it is to be in flux with your meds. Especially with a little post paraum thrown in to top it off. I am lucky, too, I have a wonderful husband who supports me. I am the only one in my family with a mental disease, but over YEARS they have started to accept it and even started to understand what it means for me. Good luck and we'll all be here for you.

Cindy - posted on 03/23/2009

Hi! I'm Cindy. I'm new on here too. I also have Bipolar, Type 2 for me. My brother has type I and my first cousin has type 2. I truly understand where you come from. It is not easy and not everyone understands good days and bad days for us. If you want to talk any time, I am here. You can add me as a friend if you want.