Bipolar Disorder!

[Krisna]

I have it!  I was diagnosed in my late 20's.  It's mild and I don't take medication right now but am open to it if my psychiatrist thinks I need it.  My sister, Kari, has it but hers is a lot worse.  She has type II, rapid cycling bipolar disorder.  She takes like 3 medications, but she stopped taking them while she was pregnant with her daughter.  Our mom also has bipolar disorder but she refuses to get treatment.  I think it's because her family made her feel ashamed of it.  She was forced to hide it.  But anyway, it makes my life interesting that's for sure!  I don't know if it's a severe medical condition but it can wreak havoc in your life if you don't know you have it.  And it's hard to diagnose because most people only tell their doctor abt the depression side.  When your manic you don't think abt reporting it because you feel good!  And if you are given medication for depression when you really have bipolar disorder then the depression could get much worse.  That happened to my sister and she tried to kill herself because of it!  Luckily she didn't succeed! 

[highlite36]

It must be so difficult to be bipolar.  I have been dating a gentleman who is living with it and it's difficult.  He has his days, but some are just hard to get by with.  You know what helped a lot was DBSA.  It's a national support group for those suffering from depression and bipolar issues.  It's a great support chain.  Perhaps they might help you ease your mind a little...  :-)

[Krisna]

It must be so difficult to be bipolar.  I have been dating a gentleman who is living with it and it's difficult.  He has his days, but some are just hard to get by with.  You know what helped a lot was DBSA.  It's a national support group for those suffering from depression and bipolar issues.  It's a great support chain.  Perhaps they might help you ease your mind a little...  :-)

Thanks.  I do group therapy as well as one on one with a psychiatrist.  My sister and I go to the same group and we call each other when we're depressed!  I spend a lot of time with family, it helps.  I also have a good sense of humor and try to find the humor in everything!  That helps as well! 

[Krisna]

I had a blow up tonight!  I had a fountain drink in my hand and I got angry at hubby for not helping me carry stuff in from th car.  He had picked me up from dialysis and left left my bag in the car.  I also had my food in my other hand and he had his hands full as well. 

The problem with bipolar disorder is logic does not always seem logical at the time of the the onset of mania's.  For example, I felt he should have grabbed my bag as well even though he was bringing the groceries and other stuff in first then he would have gone back out.  But I got angry and threw (not at him but down the hall) my fountain drink, exploding it all over the carpet!   And guess who had to clean it up!      Yep, you guessed it....me!     

Like I said before, it certainly makes life interesting!  On my part anyway!  Hubby may disagree.  lol

[livecam]

Are you sure it was bipolar disorder that caused your upset or could it have been something else?  You said that you were just coming home from dialysis. Most people feel sort of awful when they leave there.  Maybe you were just cranky after having to sit there for hours, watching everything going on around you, maybe your head was hurting, and your body was drained, and maybe you were thinking about the frustration of what you were doing.  I don't agree with chucking the soda though especially over a perfectly good carpet!

I'm just saying that the whole dialysis thing tests anyone's demeanor so maybe you just needed to vent in a liquid way!  I hope you are feeling much better!

[brenda]

I have a sister who has been bi-polar all her life. It was very hard to deal with her growing up, as an adult it is still hard but I don't see her too often so it's not constantly around me anymore. She could turn the calm in our house totally upside down in a matter of minutes. It sucked. I also have an ex-bf that suffered. He wouldn't accept the fact and take his meds. Living with the extreme highs and lows can be very challenging. Even after living with my sister all my life and dealing with it I couldn't do it again with my bf. I found the highs way worse than the lows. Just caution to you Highlite.

[highlite36]

Thanks for the warning, Brenda.  Yes, I agree it must be something very hard to live with and it's been a trip so far.  However, here's what I do  have to admit.  He is bi-polar but he seems to be MUCH better medicated than most.  Or rather, he knows how to deal with the severe mood swings. He knows what works for him and what doesn't...and I think it took some great maturity for him to step forward and say that he needed to stay as stable as he can.... 

[brenda]

Attitude can be everything Highlite. Good luck.

[Krisna]

Sorry, I haven't commented on this in a while but I've been ill.  Spent some time in the hospital but now I'm doing better.

Anyway, I have three sisters; Kari, Kelli and Karla.  Our mom has bipolar disorder real bad but has always refused treatment.  Growing up I was more like the mom in our family.  Hubby took me to see the movie, "Running With Scissors" and he walked out going, "That was bizarre!"  I walked out going, "That was my mom!"  He said, "Oh, you poor thing!"  That gave him a little more insight into how bad it can get! 

I am lucky enough that have a mild form of Type I bipolar disorder that I don't require medications at this time.  But I do the whole therapy thing and I get support from my family.  Kari has Type II, Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder and she takes three different medications to keep her moods mild.  She goes to therapy twice a week, one for her psychiatrist and one for a group.  Growing up she started showing symptoms at abt 14 which is earlier than usual.  So, she was very annoying to be around and I didn't wanna spend time with her.  Then she was misdiagnosed with and treated for depression.  The medications for depression are much different than those for bipolar disorder.  Her symptoms got much worse and she tried to kill herself several times.  She finally went off those meds and got pregnant with her son while living with her husband in Kansas (he's in the Army).  After Kincaid was born she was finally correctly diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  It took a while for doctors to give her the right combo of drugs but she is much better now.  She went off her meds while she was pregnant with her daughter, during most of which her husband was deployed, but she got through it by spending time at our dads' and with me and Kelli.  She's back on them now...I think.  I know she breast fed for quite some time but the baby, Alayna, is 9 mos. old now!  Kincaid, the baby's brother is now 5. 

Kelli, doesn't have bipolar disorder according to her shrink but she does have something related to it but I can't recall what it was called.  I just call it "Anger Management Issues".  She takes medication to keep it under control.  Her old doctor didn't refill it and she wound up punching a cop!  She got off one because of the medication (that was a side effect of stopping it suddenly) and two because he was in plain clothes trying to force his way into her apt and didn't identify himself and three because he talked to her daughter who was 5 at the time without a parent, guardian or advocate present!  Kaya is now 9.

Karla, hasn't been diagnosed with anything yet but is exhibiting behavior common with bipolar disorder.  She's addicted to meth, heroine and alcohol.  (A lot of people with bipolar disorder self medicate)

[Krisna]

Are you sure it was bipolar disorder that caused your upset or could it have been something else?  You said that you were just coming home from dialysis. Most people feel sort of awful when they leave there.  Maybe you were just cranky after having to sit there for hours, watching everything going on around you, maybe your head was hurting, and your body was drained, and maybe you were thinking about the frustration of what you were doing.  I don't agree with chucking the soda though especially over a perfectly good carpet!

I'm just saying that the whole dialysis thing tests anyone's demeanor so maybe you just needed to vent in a liquid way!  I hope you are feeling much better!

I'm sure!  I'm not like that normally.  I am generally calm and laid back.  Ordinarily I would've just left his food in the car along with my bag so he'd have to go back.  I would've grabbed my food though to make a point.  That's more like me, not throwing his full jumbo diet Coke at him!  lol 

I could've also called his cell phone using mine from the car and asked, "Did you forget something?" 

And the carpet isn't perfectly good, it's stained beyond help already.  We are going to have it replaced next Spring or Summer.  It will be stain resistant!  lol  My sister have small children who come to my house often.