If you're new to our community, taking the step for the first time to post publicly to a message board can sometimes seem intimidating. Don't be afraid to jump into a discussion once you have registered with us.
We have a very supportive community that serves up heavy doses of support, encouragement and enthusiasm. We love meeting new people and being friendly. While we hope that you'll become an active participant and join in our discussions, you're welcome, of course, to simply hang out silently until you feel more comfortable posting a message.

You are not alone.

~Lindsay, Forum Super Administrator
Trace, Administrative Assistant
Sheepwoman, Assistant Administrator/Mod Coordinator

Hello everyone. Some of you know me already, and for those that don't, I hope to get to know you along the way.

Welcome, wovenheart. Glad to have you here.
Sheepwoman

Hello everyone . Ive been lurking for awhile now . I have finally decided to start posting and see if I can leanr anything or possibly help shareing some of my experiences .
Ive finally found a Dr. that is willing to LISTEN to me and not just say take this and get out of my office sort of attitude.

Hi, tigerguy001 and welcome to the bipolar room,
Read the FAQ sheet at the start of this forum to see if any of it relates to you. What diagnoses did your new doc give you? Are you currently on any medication?

You will find that we are a sharing and caring community. We listen very well and give support.
Sheepwoman

bonscott here. just found you guys today. hoping to find a little help and whatnot. quick question though, how many posts do you have to have to play the little games?

I have been diagnosed as Bipolar or as my Dr seems to like to call it "mood disorder" I think thats mostly to make the insurance company more happy he has told me that I am Bipolar . Currently I am on zoloft and will be starting on Lamictal tomorrow they had to order the starter pack at the pharmacy . Dr didnt have any samples.
After I get started on that Im to come back and discuss options for changeing my AD since the zolft isnt helping much atleast not by itself .... I just wish I could have found a dr willing to listen many years ago . Looking back Im surprised I have made it this far I have been on and off different ad's for awhile

Thanks for the info. Having a little trouble feeling my way around. Seems like a nice site. The help files are pretty good too.

Welcome to DF, cedezi,
We are a very caring and supportive community. The "help" area is a great way to start knowing about how to get around in here. I am sure that that section will give you help in manuevering around. If you still have trouble, feel free to PM any of the moderators for additional help.
Sheepwoman

New here...just diagnosed =/

edit: my post wasnt showing up...sorry about double post

This post has been edited by jersdreams: May 5 2007, 06:49 PM

Glad that you are joining us, jersdreams. We're a good group and, believe me, we understand BP very well. Feel free to join in the New Friends thread or to start your own topic.
Sheepwoman

I'm not new but I haven't been here for awhile. I'm BP 2 and am on a lot of meds. Nothing seems to help my depression- Xanax ER. Lamical, Trileptal, Prozac, Zyprexa- ridiculous. I need help that's for sure.

Kalley

Zyprexa is an anti-psychotic and is a sort of depressant. I stopped taking it years ago because of the excessive weight gain. Because Xanax is a calmative, I think it also is a "downer". If you feel Any of your meds are not working right for you, you should discuss this with your pdoc. There are a lot of other meds on the market that he/she can try.
Sheepwoman

Kalley,

I too am bipolar 2 also, and got diagnosed in 1998. Since then I have gone through many changes in meds. I don't know how much you have read about bp but I have come to learn that it can be difficult to treat. I am currently on Lamictal for mood stabilizer but we have been playing games with my anti-depressant for 3 months. Had a good result mood wise with Mirtazipine (aka Remeron) but it made me eat like a horse and I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks! My Pychiatrist is going to try trazedone next. (I have problems sleeping too, as well as PTSD, Generalized anxiety disorder).

All I can tell you is to be patient with the process and it will get better. I have found that exercise helps with the bp, but you have to force yourself or have a good partner to push you when your depression wants to keep you in bed. I throw all I can into dealing with this disease because it's not going anywhere and I want to be as healthy as possible for myself and my family.

It's not easy but hang in there!

This post has been edited by Cedezj: May 6 2007, 12:52 PM

Hi Tigerguy,

Welcome and I'm pretty new here too. Lamictal is some pretty good stuff. I've been on it for 7 months now and have never felt as stable on anything else. The upload is the pain in the neck and I hope that the dr or pharmacy told you about the rash you have to watch out for. In my experience, I have never known a soul to get that rash. At any rate, I still need an antidepressant. Over the years (I was diagnosed in 1998) I have had to switch meds a few times to find the right "cocktail". There are a lot of drugs out there and new ones all the time. As long as you have a good pychiatrist you should be ok.

In the meantime, learn to love yourself. I used to feel like a slave to this disease but now I just consider it a part of my life. Let your pysch know how you feel on the different meds you try. Meds poop out sometimes after a while so don't be surprised if something that works now, doesn't work 2 years from now. Don't stress over it either.

Good luck and don't give up!

I'm looking here for info on Bipolar since its one of the many terms used to describe me, by my family.

Hi loljohn,
I hope the FAQ sheet gave you some info on bipolar. However, you can only be truly diagnosed by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist. Many people are not fully informed about various types of mental illnesses and their claims are totally unfounded. In my opinion, your family is not informed. Hope to see you around.
Sheepwoman

I am new to this forum. I am having some problem accepting Bipolar as one of my diagnoses. I have a pdoc and was in therapy for awhile, but recently stopped going. I hope to get some insight and hear from people that can understand what this roller coaster ride is like. Thanks in advance for listening.

DJK

Hi DJK,

to the forums,

It is good to have you on board! Are you on medication? Why did you stop seeing your counselor?

I am looking forward to seeing you around and giving you support!

SN

hi everyone,
My name is Marion, and I have a bipolar disorder, I take lithium and also citalopram. I was on Olanzipine (Zyprexia) for a while. I had a really bad period of illness 2 years ago, where I went high then low this low mood has been hard to shift. Would like to talk to others who've experienced similar.

to DF ((((marion))))


i have bipolar as well, i can understand how you feel... it is very hard for the low phase to shift back, i hope you will feel better soon! feel free to post as much as you like here (once you've made five posts you'll be able to start your own thread, if there is something that doesn't have its own topic yet :) ),


~adorabelle

Hi,

I'm not new to the group but I usually post in the depression areas only. I was just diagnosed with bipolar II after many years of being treated with antidepressants for unipolar depression. Apparently, I spend most of my time in the depressive phase with some episodes of hypomania. I'm a bit nervous because this is all new to me; I am starting on lamictal today along with 20mg of prozac. Just looking forward to getting stable on some meds.

Cat

Hi, misscat,
You'll have a lot of company here as we all have BP I or II. This is a great place to talk about your condition and receive support.

There is a FAQ sheet on BP that you maybe interested to read. It will give you some insight about your condition.

Glad that you have joined us.
Sheepwoman

hi my name is alyssa... I have been diagnosed as schizoaffective -bipolar subtype. I was labeled that about 2 1/2 years ago, at Riverview. I hope I can recieve support from you guys.

Welcome to DF, Alyssa,
You will receive a lot of support from us. You definitely won't be alone with us.
Sheepwoman

Hi to you all,

I'm new here - obviously - and just posted in the depression forum, not realising that there was a BP forum! As you can see, I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I'm 38, living in the UK, married with a child and a dog. I used to be an academic, but had a breakdown about 3 years ago and basically suffered through a major depressive episode for several months. I went on Prozac and into therapy for over a year, and gradually got better, but was plagued by intense mood swings, anxiety and powerful religious thoughts (I believed I was meeting the Goddess in a nearby wood - I hope you don't mind me being candid like that!) Like Marion, I was prescribed Citalopram, mainly I think for the anxiety. But I was unhappy with the idea that I was unipolar depressive because it didn't account for the mood swings, the occasional euphoria and so on. Following a psychiatric evaluation that delved into my past, where we looked at two previous 'mini' breakdowns, they suggested that they thought there was a 'very high likelihood' that I had a mood disorder. They have put me on a low dosage of lithium, but kept up the Citalopram to avoid a relapse into major depression.

Unfortunately, the mood swings have increased in frequency, though lessened slightly in intensity. I'm not sure whether this is the medication regime, or something else - I'm afraid that I might be rapid cycling. I'm mood charting, and have had two bouts of hypomania and many periods of depression since last September, since I started keeping a close watch on myself. This just increases my uncertainty. It doesn't help that the 'diagnosis' is so vague - it increases my anxiety and uncertainty. I'm not sure what I'm dealing with. If the diagnosis is right, this is a major, lifelong illness that does need some sort of life adjustment. But can you be convinced you have symptoms that you don't have? Do others with mild symptoms wrestle with this dilemma? My wife is supportive and on board, but just as confused and uncertain as I am. She's been with me for 15 years, and this new development does explain some of my odd (read: relationship wrecking) behaviours, but she's also bound to say that she never saw me as someone with a mental illness. Ditto my mother. But a year or more of therapy convinced me that rooting for causes of my depression was not as effective as identifying triggers for my many moods, and that is what made me accept that a BP diagnosis is probably right. But I really don't know! Just dealing with it seems to be occupying half my life at the minute, and having no-one who knows the condition first hand makes it feel like carrying a radioactive lump around in my pocket. I'm really looking forward to chatting with others here who have spent some time coming to terms with this illness.

I hope you don't mind this very long introduction! Two more things (quickly!) When I get to the end of a hypomanic period I get a sort of agitated state of mind, where thoughts are relentless and clashing and very very dark. Is that common/typical? Secondly, I've read that hypersexuality is a feature of BP. I don't get this, per se, but when I am going through a sustained period of high intensity I become passionately, intensely infatuated with people. Do others have that, or is that less a sign that I'm BP, and more that I'm having a mid-life crisis? I have a very intense crush on a friend at the minute, and that ebbs and flows with my mood. My wife is (obviously) troubled by this, even though I have no intention of acting on it and am making every effort to contain it as an unfortunate by-product of my mood. I can point to the fact that I've always had them - that they're part of my 'love of life' period. Do other people have this? If so, how do you deal with it, without causing chaos with friends and family?

If you've read to the end, many, many thanks for your patience, and I hope to be able to contribute at least as much as I am drawing from you all here!

Jeremy

Welcome to DF, viriconium,
Bp IS a lifelong illness that can be helped with medications and sometimes therapy. It is not unusual to have the up periods that you described in your post. There is more info on BP in the FAQ sheet in this section of the BP room. It will give you insight on the types of BP and the symptoms. People are not fully informed about this condition and will usually shy away when they hear the name-it's the stigma of mental illness. It's not something that always manifests itself in younger people and it is very hard to diagnose. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my late 30's. I have learned to live with it, but it perdominates most of my life. A combo of meds keeps me in check most of the time, but not always.

Talking about and sharing experiences is very important for us. We understand what BP can do and being in this forum allows you to express yourself. Hope to see you in here to get and give support.
Sheepwoman

Hi Sheepwoman,

Thank you for your warm and helpful reply. I've read a lot, a LOT of stuff now, and I think it's probably the only way forward, but I also just get this nagging suspicion that I am convincing myself of a lot of things, you know? It goes with, as you say, the very difficulty in dxing the disorder. And in the UK they don't like to dx it without clear signs of mania. I haven't had that, but I readily identify with periods of hypomania, and am pretty certain by now that depression is not right. I'm resigned to this being a pretty long road. I have found Ramirez's Bipolar Workbook really helpful, just for picking out some of the strands out of the ball of wool that is my brain...

I look forward to spending time here, and thank you again for your kind welcome.

Much love,
Viriconium

Hello Viriconium, hello everyone else!


I'm new here too, I have depression - what else, I don't know.

I've already posted in the main introduction thread in the New members part of the forum, but I figured I'd post here, too. :)

My name is Alina, I'm 16, and I was diagnosed with BPD and ADHD in November or December of 2006, and am currently taking Bupropion (though I forget it a lot of the time >_>). I was diagnosed with depression for the first time when I was about 10, and was on Zoloft for awhile, but got taken off and stopped seeing a therapist after not too long... I personally believe that I never really got better, I just got better at hiding it.

Anyways, I don't really know what else to say, but if you have any questions, just ask.

Welcome to the Bipolqar fourum, heartbreaker,
Have you been diagnosed with bipolar? From your introduction, you did not include BP. However, this is also a room for depression as that is part of BP. There are forums for BPD and ADHD that you may want to read.
Sheepwoman

I meant Bipolar when I said BPD, that's always the acronym I've seen, haha.

welcome to the forums heartbreakr,

i love your quotes

Hi, just new, not much to stay really, been looking around today and yesterday for a couple of forums and haven't had too much luck so far. I have BP II, ill for many years, too many hospitals, too many ECT's, too many meds and too many bozo pdocs. I finally found a pdoc who knew what the hell he was talking about and I'm on the right meds, and back to work.

Got my own blog, not sure if I can advertise here, but it's directed towards mental illness (closest to my heart), (not for profit), but for me and to stamp out stigma.

Deb

cherished!


you will find a lot of members here can relate to you! have a look around our bipolar forum and medication forums

as far as the question to your blog, if you click on the my blog link on top, the first two fields are for the name and description and the third has a drop down list and you can choose to enter your external blog link, once you click on that the form will change a bit automatically... enabling you to enter a link to your blog

Hi. I'm Barbie. As I read the different postings on the forum I realized that even as I look for support I actually a LOT of experience with the process of therapy and medication. I've had a wonderful psychiatrist, we've been together for all 5 years now and I cannot stress enough the importance of a GOOD therapist. Don't settle. Keep looking till you find someone you can trust. Sadly, there are a lot of mediocre to BAD "therapists" practicing in the world.

I'm in my 5th year since being diagnosed bipolar. It seems that in those years the number of medications I've been under have almost matched the instances of doubt about my diagnosis itself: "yeah, right. Everyone's bipolar. What a crock. I'm an actor, the field is filled with fops who fancy themselves bipolar". Part of my issues is feeling self-indulgent. Like it's some cultural, generational thing. All evidence says the contrary: my brother, another actor, was diagnosed and fell through the cracks of a poor health system and ended up taking his own life.

I now can say without uncertainty that I am bipolar and must take my meds. My illness affects me and my family and it requires treatment. It still doesn't remove the feeling that I'm indulging in something. Any thoughts?
[code][/code]

Hey everyone. I'm Angela, I'm 24, and I have Bipolar I aka Living Nightmare Syndrome. I'm on mood stabilizers and I have an awesome therapist.
I hope I'm not the only one on here w/ Bipolar Disorder.

I usually write to myself about what's going on in my head and the idea of going to support groups is kind of intimidating. So I hope this helps. I'm looking forward to hearing from real people with similar issues. Most of the people I've talked to w/ bipolar get upset when I talk about it because I'm honest and I don't sugar things up.

Thanks~

A

Welcome to DF, Barbie,
You will receive a lot of support from us. Being BP myself and having it most of my life, I recognize that without the proper treatment life is miserable. Coming to terms with this condition is another thing we have to accept. Your insight about p and t docs is quite true. There good ones, mediocre and bad ones. We all have to search for one that will meet our needs in a professional and caring manner.

My condolences for the loss of your brother.
Sheepwoman

Hi Angela,
You are not the only one here with Bipolar. The members in this forum all have it. I'm also BP I and it is a nightmare with the mood swings. Medications and therapy have been a tremendous help and I see that it is beneficial for you.
Sheepwoman