Anyone else out there Bi-polar (wanna kno how others coup)

[tackleboxteddybear]

WEll recently my psych confirmed what I had been starting to believe as well as those around me.(& if it wasnt for this I wouldnt be gettin my college paid for by uncle sam).

 

I thought it was just depression & ADHD but recently I also found that Bi-polar & adhd can go together but are also sometiems confused with one antoher when diagnosed.

 

It sucks cause I always get bored real quick have no attention span & Like to drink in nonsocial activities (like watching a movie.I rarely take the meds cause I either forget or fear becoming a complete zombie.

 

I make others laugh & sometimes (if i actually go out witch is rare) am the life of the party but usually dont like going to parties cause im usually not in the mood to mingle.

 

 

Used to be able to play video games but now i just get real bored real fast with them or ill have instences where i play them for hours.

 

I get the real happy feelins but usually get the real low ones just as often (especially after a few days of consecutive drinking which some times can be weeks but not all day drinking just night wise((& I know its bad but the bordem is horrific)

 

Its kinda gotten bad because the last few months i been workin on a branding work of art type thing that goes all around my wrist up to my elbow (im 3/4s done with it & Im kinda embarrased by it but i feel it will be very unique when im dun & i will tattos threw the good skin in about a year after it fully heals)& Yes I feel dumb for doin this but the idea for it stmes from many other things than being bipolar & or drunk at the time.

 

I never really liked reading but deeply enjoy the science channel or discovery (especially monster garage & all the labor type mechanical art shows they have).

 

I feel pretty good lately cause i screwed up bigtime at school & the teacher gave us a massive verbal lashing for my mistake not knowing who did it & after wards I raised my hand & apologized to the teacher & the class & actually earned their respect even though i dont feel i deserved it & felt a nescesaty(mispell) to be honest & truethful.

 

oh well I guess this doesnt mean my buddy can get me into the military but hell be in IRAQ with his older brother atleast until im dun with my welding class.

 

 

 

 

 

But I wanna kno if anyone else is handling this "disability" & How well they are doing with it.Cause I heard it can actually be cured.Im pretty sure alls I need is a good woman but I dont get the "want to go out & socialize bug so often anymore"

[tattoomytoe]

here is a really good site http://www.healthyplace.com

[EnigmaXOXO]

I get the real happy feelins but usually get the real low ones just as often (especially after a few days of consecutive drinking which some times can be weeks but not all day drinking just night wise((& I know its bad but the bordem is horrific)

 

Were you always pron to moods swings, or did they begin after you started drinking? Remember --- alcohol is a depressant.

 

My daughter was diagnosed with Bipolar but her therapist was not aware of how serious and frequent her drug and alcohol use was. Her chemical abuse was not the result of Bipolar disease --- rather her mood swings were the result of her chemical abuse.

 

The meds they put her on did not work because of the other substances she was using. She was not completely honest with her therapist or her family about how serious her drinking and drug problem was. Not until she went into rehab and detoxed did her mood and outlook begin to improve, but it took giving up alcohol and drugs for a long period of time before she began to feel some improvement. At that point, she was able to function normally without the prescribed meds.

[tphillip]

While I'm not Bipolar, I had a serious relationship with a woman who is, and I did a lot of research into the condition.

 

Step one: NO MORE ALCOHOL OR DRUGS NOT PRESCRIBED BY A DOCTOR.

Alcohol is a depressent, and will make any diagnosis difficult. Get off the drugs. Now. If you can't do it by yourself, go to de-tox.

 

Step two: Find a qualified doctor and get a diagnosis. Then go get a second opinion.

 

Make sure that you can get a consensus from qualified medical professionals before you decide you have bipolar condition. Many mental illnesses have similar symptoms and it can be hard to make a correct initial diagnosis.

 

Assuming you are diagnosed with bipolar disease, here's what I learned about it. Much of what I talk about is applicable to most mental illnesses:

 

Biploar, or manic-depression, is not a curable disease. Many doctors believe it's a chemical imbalance in the brain but to date there's no proven cause of the condition. For many people the severity of the symptoms becomes less as they grow older, and how rapid the symptoms change becomes slower. Think of a bell being rung: At first the sound is very loud and resonates strongly, but as time goes on the tone becomes more quiet and the vibrato fades.

 

There are many medications that are used to treat the conditions, but nobody reallys knows why they work, and most drugs work only for some people. In addition, most drugs take time to become effective (As long as eight weeks), take time to get off them (You can't stop them cold turkey; the dosage must be gradually reduced), and have side effects (Usually a loss of sex drive). There's a lot of trial and error with getting the right medication for the right person, and as a person gets older an effective medication may become ineffective, requiring the whole trial and error process to begin again.

 

There have been a lot of advances in the field, and the latest drugs have a lot fewer side effects, but it's still a "black art" rather than tried and true science.

 

Living with the condition is possible, and what we did was:

1) No alcohol or drugs not prescribed by a doctor. Period, end of sentence. No exceptions. Ignoring the effects of alcohol and other drugs have with brain chemistry (And thereby reducing the effect of the medication), nearly all the medications used to treat bipolar disease interfere with the liver's normal operation, requiring regular blood tests to avoid permanent damage. Throwing alcohol or other drugs into the mix is risking severe, permanent, and potentially fatal damage to your liver. If you can't stop drinking, don't take the medication.

 

2) FInd a local support group that specializes with the mental illness you have. Talking about your day-to-day living experiences, along with hearing from others who are also coping with the condition is a good source of emotional support and strength.

 

3) Find a good therapist you can trust. Not all techniques work with all people, so if a therapist isn't helping you with coping and working with the condition, find another one.

 

4) Gather support from friends and family, but don't dump on them either. You can get a lot of support from people you know, but you can also burn out that support if you're not also helping yourself and constantly "on their doorstep". It's important to help yourself first, and turn to your friends and family second.

 

5) Find a good psychiatrist that will work with you. At least in the US, it's the psychiatrist who will prescribe the drugs (Most regular doctors won't because they aren't qualified and don't want to take the risk of a lawsuit) so find one who will work with you and will switch meds when the ones you currently have aren't working.

 

But above everything else take charge of your condition, do what it takes to manage it, and do your own research. Even the best doctors can't keep up with all the latest information on medications, treatments, and research done on mental illnesses. I have seen time and again those afflicted by a mental illness know a lot more than the doctors that treat them (Not to fault to doctors because they have a lot of different patients and have to keep up on a lot of different topics. They can't know everything). If you take control of your condition, you'll find that working with it and getting effective treatment will be a lot easier.

 

I hope all this helps. If you have any specific questions, I can try to answer them or try and find someone who can.

[moimeme]

I thought it was just depression & ADHD but recently I also found that Bi-polar & adhd can go together but are also sometiems confused with one antoher when diagnosed.

 

That is very much the case, and many of your symptoms are common to folks with AD/HD as well. Neither bipolar nor AD/HD are curable, but both respond well, for the most part, to treatment. It can take a while, however, to get the right combination and dosage of meds.

 

ABSOLUTELY STOP DRINKING

 

As the others have said, drinking or drugs will wreak havoc with your treatment and make your conditions worse. People use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate for their conditions. Stop the non-prescription stuff and work with your docs to get your meds straight; then you won't feel the need for other drugs.

[lotsoffun]

Using alcohol and drugs (especially in young people) is a common form of "self medicating" for ADHD and bipolar folks. They will take some form of "upper" to get the energy to do the things they need to do, or when they feel depressed, and then drink alcohol to slow down or feel like they fit in, in social settings. I've known people like that who feel they have to drink to get to sleep at night and it becomes a vicious cycle.

 

Under this scenario the symptoms and cycling of bipolar will only get worse. Do yourself a favor and go see a psychiatrist for a correct diagnosis.

[harmony]

if and when you need or decide to go on meds, please ask for either celexa or lexapro. i have friends and a sisters friend who takes celexa for bi-polar and it works wonders for her and the others as well. start a very low dose so the side effects dont scare you off. it does not make you a zombie either. QUIT DRINKING! bad for you anyway.

[tackleboxteddybear]

Originally posted by EnigmaXOXO

Were you always pron to moods swings, or did they begin after you started drinking? Remember --- alcohol is a depressant.

 

My daughter was diagnosed with Bipolar but her therapist was not aware of how serious and frequent her drug and alcohol use was. Her chemical abuse was not the result of Bipolar disease --- rather her mood swings were the result of her chemical abuse.

 

The meds they put her on did not work because of the other substances she was using. She was not completely honest with her therapist or her family about how serious her drinking and drug problem was. Not until she went into rehab and detoxed did her mood and outlook begin to improve, but it took giving up alcohol and drugs for a long period of time before she began to feel some improvement. At that point, she was able to function normally without the prescribed meds.

 

I did have these mood swings before i ever started drinkin.When I was around 8 or 9 i was diagnosed with adhd & put on dexedrine which was almost a catalyst for the mood swings & as I got older they upped the dosage more & more & the mood swings got more & more intense.I never took anger out on friends or family or living things for that matter butinanimate objects sure felt the pain (walls electronics not working properly,etc)

 

I am trying to slow down if not stop drinking but sometimes its difficult & screw rehab I dont have a dime for that nor do my family.My psych recomended it to me but not every body lives under a money tree.

 

Today I missed school even though i took the depakote last night & still had the very low feeling when i woke up this morning so I ended up sleeping all day.

[lotsoffun]

It sounds like you were diagnosed bipolar if you were prescribed Depakote. But it's only effective if you take it regularly and just as prescribed, and if you don't drink. If you've been on it a while and you still have problems, you definitely need to talk to your doctor about switching you to something else. There are a couple of newer medications out there now for bipolar since Depakote. Also, sometimes the psychiatrist will prescribe antidepressants in conjunction with Depakote.

 

Also, if you have trouble getting to sleep at night, it's better to take something prescribed by the doctor to help with that rather than drink.

 

From the way you described your childhood and your reaction to Ritalin (a stimulant), it definitely sounds like you were Bipolar and not ADHD. My son went through the same thing.

[tackleboxteddybear]

I feel that I may also have it if not symptoms that pertain to it.I have a very poor attention span.I cant sit there & read a book for I feel very discomforted & get very bord with it do to the lack of stimuly.I exceeded in art class but in reading I always dreaded reading.But this doesnt mean I cant read or am horrible at it its the adverse.I just dislike it alot.It doesnt stimulate me.(dont know if these are particular signs).But also when younger I would act out for fun trying to get a rise outa ppl with practical jokes in the class room.Somewhat of a class clown.Like i am saying i had a hard time consentraiting do to a lack of stimulation(not speaking drug wise but activity & intrest wise).

 

I plan on not drinking all week long & I have bookwork (though its rare for my welding class) that i need to do.& I plan on taking the meds which i was prescribed prozac but they had me on lexapro (which i dont kno y was takin off I think its cause they wanted me to pay for it instead of getting free samples).

 

But I do plan on Having a lil more than a six pack to drink on saturday for the Rams Panthers playoff game with a few of my buddies.I also plan to start getting fit again but its not that i dont have the time its the drive i lack.

[EnigmaXOXO]

When I was around 8 or 9 i was diagnosed with adhd & put on dexedrine which was almost a catalyst for the mood swings & as I got older they upped the dosage more & more & the mood swings got more & more intense.

 

Does that mean you have been on some form of medication for the last 15 years? Has your body ever gotten a break from the chemical assault in all those years, rather prescribed or self induced?

 

I'm wondering how your body would fair if it was just given a rest for a while. Have any of your doctors or therapists ever suggested this? Of course, that would also mean laying off of the alcohol and any other substances for a while. Might be easier said then done, but if it were me, I'd be curious to find out.

 

As far as you attention span, if you can focus on artwork and welding (which requires a lot) you're not doing so bad. It's not unusual to lack focus in things that don't spark an interest in you.

 

I hated reading, too. And still can't spell to save my life (That's what editors are for)...but I managed to write, illustrate and publish three children's books by the time I turned thirty. I also HATED math! Never focused in class because the teacher had the personality of dry wall. But to my own surprise, I ended up being good with numbers anyway, especially when it came to COUNTING MONEY… and was offered a fiscal job with the Government.

 

Right brained folks NEED creative stimulant, otherwise boredom sets in quickly. You need to be constantly challenged and physically engaged, which is why hum-drum desk jobs don't fair well with the artsy-fartsy crowd. Don't fight it...go with it. It's just the way you’re made and I'd be willing to bet you're far more intelligent than you even give yourself credit for!

[eyeofsilence]

I also have ADD w/ bi-polar. I can realate to everything you are saying. The only main bit of advise I can offer you is to lay off the drinking. Trust me you can cope without it. People with ADD are very prone to alcholisim.

 

Every time I get really depressed I long for a drink, but I tell myself I don't want to end up like all the rest of my relatives (most are recovering alcholics). Alchol abuse is no fun thing and you end up hurting everyone else more than yourself. Not being critical just trying to give some good advise.

 

When you feel really depressed it's good to go for a short run or if you have a dog or cat or something they can be really good compainons. I have a loving dog and he has been such a help to me.

 

Call an old friend or just get online and play mindless games, read a good (uplifting) book. Another thing that can help is to put on some music you can dance to and just start acting like an idiot! It may sound crazy but I works for some and it is worth a try.

[moimeme]

As far as you attention span, if you can focus on artwork and welding (which requires a lot) you're not doing so bad. It's not unusual to lack focus in things that don't spark an interest in you.

 

With all due respect, these are also symptoms of AD/HD. Yes, regular people get bored, but the difference is the degree and severity of inability to sustain attention (as well as to hyperfocus). People with AD/HD suffer in their lives due to these tendencies because they extend to a much greater degree than they do in non-disordered people. If he has been professionally diagnosed, rest assured that it was not just a knee-jerk reaction to a recitation of symptoms. I can give you the link to the AAFP diagnostic guidelines, if you wish.

 

I'm wondering how your body would fair if it was just given a rest for a while

 

This is actually a dangerous piece of advice to give someone who has been diagnosed with a disorder, particular bipolar. It can take a long time to get the meds balanced, and to go off the drugs can precipitate a severe manic or depressive event. Too many people with disorders get this sort of 'advice' from well-meaning people who foist their own anti-med bias on them, go off their drugs, and end up in hospital as a result.

 

Tacklebox, please listen to your physicians. People on this board are not professionals and are not familiar with your case history.

[EnigmaXOXO]

This is actually a dangerous piece of advice to give someone who has been diagnosed with a disorder, particular bipolar. It can take a long time to get the meds balanced, and to go off the drugs can precipitate a severe manic or depressive event. Too many people with disorders get this sort of 'advice' from well-meaning people who foist their own anti-med bias on them, go off their drugs, and end up in hospital as a result.

 

Not "advice." Merely a "question" if you go back and re-read. Which is why I asked if it had ever been suggested by the doctor and/or therapist before. (?????) As I stated..."if it were me"...having been on meds since the age of nine, I'd be curious to know how much of my mood swings were do to my disorder, or how much of it could be attributed to the constant influx of meds and other chemicals. My curiosity is also attributed to my own experience with my daughter and other children diagnosed with similar disorders.

 

I never suggested or implied that he "go off his meds" without the advice of his physician...only asked "if he had ever." However, I DID suggest that alcohol be avoided from the mix. Not anti-drug bias --- just good common sense.

 

What a shame so much confusion is created by misinterpretations. Then again, its the nature of the beast, I suppose.

[tphillip]

Tacklebox:

 

No alcohol means NO ALCOHOL. No sixpack once a week, no glass of wine. NONE MEANS NONE. No one can stress this enough. I've talked to people who mixed drugs and alcohol with their illness and medications and the result was always the same: a disaster. Alcohol will deepen depression, mess with the medication, and cause a host of other problems.

 

Also...take your medication as prescribed by your doctor religiously. DO NOT MISS A SINGLE DOSE. It takes weeks for the brain to become "tuned" with the medication and let the medication do its work. Missing even a single dose can throw it all out of whack. No matter how you feel you have to take your meds.

 

The above probably sounds harsh, and it still doesn't convey the tone I want to. I have heard from people who have done the above. A month of involuntary committal at a psychiatric hospital and organ failure is not something you want to experience first hand. If you don't care about yourself, your friends, your family, and those close to you then by all means...take the meds when you feel like it and drink to your hearts content. Just don't be surprised when it call comes crashing down. And don't expect sympathy from anyone when it does happen (And it will).

 

To everyone else: Yeah, I'm being very harsh. But when you see it happen to someone you care about first hand, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, then we'll compare notes and see if I'm being unreasonable, vicious, and unfeeling.

[moimeme]

What a shame so much confusion is created by misinterpretations

 

My radar about this is tuned to 'high'. Some folks are highly suggestible - whether or not you ask if the doc has been involved may not prevent the person from thinking 'hey, going off these meds might be a good idea' if you use phrases like 'give your body a rest'. Sorry, Enigma, but I, too, have seen too many people go off meds at the slightest excuse with disastrous results. I just think it's not a good idea to ever even hint at it for that reason.

[EnigmaXOXO]

Point well taken!

 

...and I admire your passion and enthusiam regarding this subject in particular.

 

Don't you ever change!!

[tackleboxteddybear]

Originally posted by EnigmaXOXO

Does that mean you have been on some form of medication for the last 15 years? Has your body ever gotten a break from the chemical assault in all those years, rather prescribed or self induced?

 

I'm wondering how your body would fair if it was just given a rest for a while. Have any of your doctors or therapists ever suggested this? Of course, that would also mean laying off of the alcohol and any other substances for a while. Might be easier said then done, but if it were me, I'd be curious to find out.

 

As far as you attention span, if you can focus on artwork and welding (which requires a lot) you're not doing so bad. It's not unusual to lack focus in things that don't spark an interest in you.

 

I hated reading, too. And still can't spell to save my life (That's what editors are for)...but I managed to write, illustrate and publish three children's books by the time I turned thirty. I also HATED math! Never focused in class because the teacher had the personality of dry wall. But to my own surprise, I ended up being good with numbers anyway, especially when it came to COUNTING MONEY… and was offered a fiscal job with the Government.

 

Right brained folks NEED creative stimulant, otherwise boredom sets in quickly. You need to be constantly challenged and physically engaged, which is why hum-drum desk jobs don't fair well with the artsy-fartsy crowd. Don't fight it...go with it. It's just the way you’re made and I'd be willing to bet you're far more intelligent than you even give yourself credit for!

 

When I was around 16 or 17 I started lowering the dexedrine amounts which i was supposed to take then around 17 or 18 i stopped taking them completely.

 

& the Depakote is wierd for me if i get a harsh cough then i get a wierd temporary headache midbrain usually in the left hemisphere.

This week is the first week imona try to keep takin the med.

& I will drink for the remainder of the rams season (meaning per game) but thats it.I quit the pot already which not giving it much acknowledgement but it actually helped out the mood swing issue & I was a pretty deep thinker on it.

 

I coulda conquered cold fusion.But yes im putting those days behind me for a while if not forever.