The Bipolar Support Thread

[BippityBoppity87]

Hi everyone Just thought I'd start a shiny new thread for anyone who is suffering from bipolar disorder.

Hope everyone is ok!

And to you too 🥂 ✨ I’ll be partying, probably a little too hard but we can only try our best ! 😈

You too bippity I'm hoping to be asleep earlyish. I hope you are all well.

I'm having a quiet one too. Not going out or anything. Can't afford to!

Happy new year everyone!

I went back to work yesterday & felt much less anxious thankfully.

I did binge on chocolate though.. so I'm giving up chocolate for January otherwise I won't fit into my uniform!!

I am quite stunned by this thread. I read it because I have been depressed for years. I’m fine when I’m on medication. As soon as I go off medication I spiral down until I get so depressed I need to go back on meds. I had no idea bipolar was so erratic like that. I thought that if you kept taking medication everything was fine. It all sounds so hard. I’m in awe that people manage to survive with so much continual turmoil.

Hiya @Claudia1980

Yeah, I can't speak for everyone as it affects people in different ways, but it is hard. I thought my depression was bad, but hypomania/mania can be just as bad. I'm skint, I drink too much (hung over today) embarrass myself, give away too much about myself and then I spiral back into depression thinking about how much of a tit I am.

Medication helps a little, but it's not a definite fix. I still get my highs and lows even while taking it, albeit not as bad. I can't drink too much caffiene as that sends me hyper, not supposed to drink as that can make my moods worse. Have to inform my work, possibly dvla, my life insurance will probably be through the roof too. I don't think I'm even going to try and attempt to get one.

I'm actually feeling a bit hyper today.

Just made a fool of myself commenting on a style & beauty thread about how to look upper middle class.
I'm working class so my ideas on style seem to be quite different to those others commenting.
But sometimes I can't stop myself from commenting anyway, argh!!

Got work later today, don't feel panicky anymore at least.

I'm exactly the same @tierraJ I love those threads! I find them hilarious. You can't buy class, you are who you are. I don't think there's a specific style either. I've known smart people who look like they've just rolled out of bed, and others who are very well presented. It depends on your own individual style.

Mine changes all the time, depending on what mood I'm in.

Im a mixture of working class and middle class, middle class up bringing, working class family. So lower middle? No idea. It's all bollocks.

It's all bollocks

Untill a working class kid tries to become a judge.

I regularly make a fool of myself on MN, I just push through and carry on my merry way.

I’ve felt quite stable over this festive period, normally I’m in a festering depression/ extremely manic around this time of year.

Any plans for this year?

Haha that's my favourite. What if they want to be a judge?!

I'm feeling quite hyper today too. I don't know if I'm just in a really good mood or if I'm tipping into hypomania.

I'm aiming for self care. Going to dye my hair in about a month's time. Blonde balayage or whatever it's called. Will cost about £125 but I'm going to save up for it and treat myself. Haven't been to a hair dressers in years! Going to feel totally pampered!

What's everyone else up to this year?

I've never heard anyone say that in RL, only on mumsnet. So if I ever here that I'm going to think 'uh huh..mumsnet '

I'm at work now suddenly feel very shaky sat down in staff room

Oh no, that doesn't sound good @tierraJ how are you feeling now?

Hope you're okay tierraj nothing worse than feeling ropey at work.

I was woken up last night by fireworks, serves me right for going to bed so early! My eldest DS was also in and out and he SLAMs the door shut every time he goes out!

I feel like hoovering outside his room at 9am.

I'm still waiting on an appointment from cmht to start cutting down on my olanzapine, I'm on 20mg so will be coming down to 17.5mg to begin with.

I just worry about becoming depressed because I can't take antidepressants, they all send me hypomanic. I will ask my psychiatrist when I see him. I don't really like him. I miss my old psychiatrist but he retired.

Felt crap & panicky until nearly 5pm now feel better & have stayed at work.
Was so tempted to go home but glad I didn't.

That sounds like a lot @DiaryofWimpyMum but then again I'm on aripiprazole and only take 5mg as I've only just started taking it. Going to assume I'll be on 10mg when I see my psych in a couple of weeks.

That's good @tierraJ. I'm the same. Whenever I have a wee wobble at work, I want to go home straight away (my impulsiveness) then I stick it out and I'm fine after a few hours.

Yes it is quite high. I started off at 5mg but was still hypomanic so they kept upping the olanzapine I was on 25mg at one point. I came off to try the same one you're on (sorry can't spell it) but I couldn't sleep so went right back into olanzapine

It's made me the opposite. It makes me quite sleepy when I take it, so I usually take it about an hour before I go to bed. I don't know if they'll increase the dose or not as I still get a bit hyper sometime as, or just keep it at the same dose.

How long are you usually on it for?

I think it all depends on how you feel. Some people are on it for life, I was told by my previous psychiatrist I would be on my meds for life but my new psychiatrist thinks that because my hypomania was induced by antidepressants, if I stay away from then I'll be fine.

I'm not convinced but will find out when I stop my meds I guess.

Them not then

Mine was anti depressant induced, but I'm still on them. I'm assuming because they don't want me to dip again, but have just intorused the anti psychotic as a mood stabiliser.

I'm on the Aripiprazole to stop my Psychosis so I'm on a higher dose 25mg.
Despite the side effects & the odd symptom breakthrough it has really worked.
But then I have schizo affective disorder so Bipolar is only part of that.
I'm more inclined to be depressive so I'm on anti depressants.

My psychiatrist has only thought recently that I have the bipolar type of schizo affective disorder as I'm quite impulsive with spending etc.

The anxiety is a new thing unfortunately.

I have no idea what I am. Just the bipolar spectrum I've been told. My therapist thinks either type 1 or 2. I don't think type 1 as I haven't been really manic. But the more I talked to the psychiatrist as he had a few options for mood stabilisers, the more he wanted me to be on aripiprazole, so I don't know if he thought I was slightly psychotic, he never said. I really should ask more questions! I was hyper though, but even I knew that.

I'm very impulsive with spending too. I never have any money.