April 30, 2011
Hi I have just recently as in last week been diagnosed with BI-Polar II disorder with some Obsessive compulsive and avoidance tendencies. My main job caused the complications (complete meltdown) from this condition which lead me to an awesome therapist for a diagnosis. I have another part time job which is not stressful at all and I quite enjoy it. I wanted to know if anybody can tell me if it is legal to take FMLA from full-time job until I can get effective treatment and continue with my part time job. The second job is one day a week and I have had both jobs for over 10 years. Right now I can’t handle the stress of the first one but the second job is a breeze so I want to be sure before I continue further. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To preface this, I am NOT an attorney, nor is this [...]
April 27, 2011
I am bipolar II and seem to suffer from mixed states. I am wondering if can I ever just have depression or just hypomania? Also when someone is in a mixed state, is the treatment the same as if someone was just hypomanic or depressed? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mixed States are one of the most complex and difficult parts of the bipolar disorder. I’ve been diagnosed as being in a mixed state while hospitalized, yet until now I didn’t fully understand what the definition of a mixed state truly was. I’m really good at identifying my depressive and manic episodes but when it comes to mixed episodes this expertise may take a few more years to master. A mixed state occurs when symptoms of both mania and depression co-exist. Often these symptoms can include: irritability, insomnia, impulsiveness, guilt, change in appetite, and suicidal thoughts. These kinds of episodes can often be quite [...]
April 26, 2011
My boyfriend and I have been dating for eight months, and I was told he was on medication for bipolar disorder. I just didn’t realize how severe it was, and i didn’t have much knowledge on the disorder then. He’s on medication for bipolar disorder, OCD, anxiety, and for panic attacks he has a lot. He was diagnosed when he was fifteen, and his father died soon after of cancer, which I believe intensified his emotions to the extent that he starting doing drugs even more and doing reckless things like selling his father’s guitar for money. He was in rehab for a year, and has been on medication ever since. I didn’t know him then. Recently I noticed the signs of a manic episode but didn’t know what it was at the time. He started acting strange almost immediately when Xanax was substituted for Klonopin. He’s in a mental [...]
I live in Texas and go to our local small town MHMR clinic. A couple of months back–out of the blue–they suddenly called me and aske me to come in and visit with them. When I went in they advised me to apply for disability. After putting off doing this, feeling that I did not want to take money I did not deserve, I finally turned in the application about a week ago. Is it truly realistic to expect to get approved for disability for a diagnosis of Bi-Polar II, and if so will the powers at be approve this easily or fight it to see how long I will hang in there? I have pretty much been out of work for the past two years. My work history has finally hit home in my town of 12,000 blessed souls, so I could use some monetary help if it was [...]
April 25, 2011
My sons girlfriend is diagnosed manic depressive she is on medication which seems to knock her out as she sleeps for long periods and can not be woken and has memory loss the next day this does not seem to be helping at all her family seem to have given up with her saying she is doing this for attention she has lost interest in her work and spends most days shut in there bedroom sleeping or on the computer her doctor seems to be no help only strengthening her medication my son is very worried she may do harm to herself our question is what can we do to help her without professional interference are there any guidelines to follow is getting her out more herbal remedies not sleeping all day we just don’t know should we just let the medication do its job HELP ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am so [...]
April 24, 2011
It’s that time of the year again … Spring. Some celebrate Easter, some Passover, some the Equinox (Shout out to my sista! Hollar! Sorry… or is it a Solstice? UGH) But regardless, they all signify the sameish thing, New Beginnings. I like to look at them as a Fresh Start. Kinda like when you get out of the shower and you smell so fresh and so clean clean. Everything is perfect at that moment. Recently, I’ve been in “Crisis” mode (as my PDoc calls it, he didn’t like me referring to it as mental breakdown. Meh…) and I KNOW I am in need of a Fresh start of some sort. Though the funny thing is, it was recent fresh starts that put me in Crisis mode. New Job New Home New People New New New (Except I like the new clothes….) And I like the new job, and the new [...]
April 23, 2011
My mind is swirling and whirling and exploding with thoughts. Big ones…lots of them. It’s weird. My overall feeling is anxious and depressed, but my head is just pumping out ideas like there’s not tomorrow. And I’m pretty sure there is a tomorrow. So idea number one… I recently put my cards up in my PDocs office. Apparently people like them! (They are kinda pretty) And so I was thinking … wouldn’t it be fun to start a “Not really a Support group” Support group with the people in my area? More like a big fat festival of people sharing how their week went while dealing with bipolar. No one has to ask for advice or anything … it would be just like a FB group, but face to face! Idea number two came to me while running my first 5K on the treadmill They have SOOOOOO many classes on [...]
April 20, 2011
I am currently trying to get back to work after being out for about 6 years due to my bipolar…..are there any suggestions or past experiences you can share about how best to be prepared for going back to work? Thank you for your help. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Funny this post should come about today. This past February I returned to work full time for the first time in three years. I was pumped, super excited to get back in the game. When I took the job, I needed it. Life’s circumstances demanded it, but once I started the need was no longer there. But I WANTED to do it. I wanted to be back in the working world. And at first, it felt great. I was working down town, working for a program that was perfect for me, keeping homeowners out of foreclosure, and I’ve been through foreclosure, so it felt [...]
April 19, 2011
Do you ever try to prevent a change in your mood or do you just let it go? And is there anything you can do to prevent the change? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well first off, depends on what kind of change we’re talking about. I’m obviously not going to lay a finger on a good mood trying to work its way in. I’m going to let that puppy come in and settle down on my couch. I’ll try to make it comfortable so it never wants to leave. I guess my couch kinda sucks though, cuz my good moods never seem to want to stick around. I suppose I definitely TRY to prevent bad moods from creeping in, with try being the key word there. Problem is, most of the time I’m blindsided by the change. My moods are no better than the weather here in Michigan. Seriously…two weekends ago it was [...]
April 18, 2011
My awesomesauce dad told me about this spot on the Today Show. It was interesting to kind of chat about. I think it’s funny that people are surprised when celebrities come out of the “Bipolar Closet”. They are actors/actresses. They are massively creative and artistically talented. What is there to be surprised about? I have to admit though, it makes me happy to see them admit to their disease. It gives me hope that with every celebrity that outs themselves, the stigma will disappear just a little more each time. I applaud Catherine Zeta Jones!!! And I thank her for being willing to be honest. Hopefully it will inspire those of us who are not willing to be honest about ourselves. Because there is NOTHING wrong with being bipolar! What are your thoughts on this video? Do you have a question that needs answering? Click here to submit… Tweet087bc1e798b765b7322b51953a6ea0adLink to [...]
April 16, 2011
I really should have been nick named Day Runner, the Daily Planner. I honestly cannot function without having a plan. Wing it? Is that a rhetorical question? Do you know what happens when I wing it? ANXIETY!!! OMG What’s going to happen next? What if it doesn’t work out? How do I know if people will show up? anxiety Anxiety ANXIETY So I plan. I write it down. Make agenda’s. Plan FB events. Plan plan plan. And what happens? LIFE! Life always screws up my plans. My phone dies. My charger goes missing. I can’t get ahold of those I have plans with. My car breaks down. Costs lots of money to fix. Can’t afford to get to where I planned to go. I get sick. Can’t get out of bed. Must cancel said plans. My kids get sick. Or have the day off school. Can’t get a sitter. Can’t [...]
April 13, 2011
I enjoy getting out of my house, whether it’s to go shopping, pay bills, go to the bank, whatever. My problem is, once I get out and have been out for even just a bit, I start to get extremely irritable, and sometimes, really angry. “Stupid” drivers, too many people in the grocery store, things that might seem like minor annoyances to some people are a great stress to me, and I know that it is one of my major triggers. I can’t, however, stay in my house 24/7. And the other half of the problem is that, I KNOW when my mood is changing, but I am powerless to stop it once it goes, and it continues to get worse thru-out the rest of the day, not better. After that, even the most minor things make me really angry or irritate me beyond any normalcy. What are some ways [...]
April 12, 2011
***DISCLAIMER*** All information in this answer post is pure opinion, and not backed up with facts at all. Though I have done a bit of research, I have kinda come to my own conclusions on this topic. I’m wondering if you were born bipolar or if it is something that you acquired over a period of time? If it was acquired, do you remember the first time you experienced/realized that this condition was affecting your life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I actually DO believe you are born with Bipolar. (Not necessarily true, but all the things I’ve learned and experienced in my life lead me to believe that this is more than possible.) I’ve even read articles that suggest this is possible. After doing a great deal of research, I found that stress during a pregnancy may cause a child to have mental or behavior problems as well as low birth weight. I [...]
April 11, 2011
Why does bipolar make me so moody? I think anybody with Bipolar Disorder has asked themselves, “What is wrong with me?” It is very frustrating to have an illness that really isn’t understood and we have to try and deal with it. And for many of us, we do not have support so we are literally facing this illness on our own. In all reality, I do not feel there is something wrong with you or anybody else who has Bipolar Disorder. You have a condition that has been diagnosed that has symptoms that aren’t very pleasant. I so get that. We are constantly dealing with a roller coaster of emotions, moods, and other behaviors. We have to try and balance that out so we can live our lives effectively and to the best of our ability. And sometimes our reality is hard for others to understand. I often ask [...]
April 10, 2011
This is a funny question really. Considering I’m not really talking much these days. Keeping much inside. Acting indifferent. Being held together by cheap glue that I keep applying so nobody can see the broken parts. But it’s what’s behind those cracks that is screaming. Wishing someone could hear me. Yet at the same time hoping they won’t. I mean, anyways … Can’t they already hear me with their eyes? With what they see? This is not to say I haven’t TRIED to talk. But the words never manage to communicate what I’m trying to say. What I’m feeling. Do you ever get to a point where you just don’t want to talk? I mean you WANT to talk, but you’re so tired of not being understood that you don’t want to waste your time? Sure, people HEAR me with their ears, every word I speak … but they definitely [...]
April 6, 2011
How long do your bipolar states last? Can it be just a few days? Or months? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To answer your question in a single statement… or rather a single word… that answer is: yes. Most certainly people I’ve known can have them last months, weeks, days, and sometimes I feel myself that it could be down to hours. There are multiple defined mood disorders and I can list them and encourage you to look into them should you be interested. The varying types are based on… you guessed it… the frequency of mood changes! Honestly though there is more to it than that… there is also the type of mood change (mania, hypomania, etc). There is also the notion of ‘Rapid Cycling’ which means the individual cycles mood very frequently, beyond that of the definition of Bipolar. * Bipolar Disorder (Type I) * Bipolar Disorder (Type II) * Cyclothymia So [...]
April 5, 2011
Dear Spectacular Sammi, I read your profile on ‘About the Author’ and it sounds like you are on the road to stability and I am so glad to hear it! I have a friend with bi polar and I would never have known it if she hadn’t told me. However, she says it deeply effects her relationships. So here’s my question: how does having bi polar effect your relationships? God Bless ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Relationships??? What are those??? No, seriously, bipolar affects my relationships in so many ways… The most profound way it affects them, however, is actually having them… I find it extremely difficult to make friends, or even introduce myself to someone… It’s easier when someone introduces me to one of their friends, and I know we have something in common… But I almost never randomly go up to a person and just start talking to them, not even people [...]
