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!

I think it's definitely sleep and not getting enough time to myself. If I'm really tired I do tend to get a bit down on myself.

I feel like I've gone the other way now. Urgh what's wrong with me?! Well I know what's wrong, but why does this happen?! Constant butterflies in my stomach again and I'm feeling very excitable. I shouldn't feel like this after being up since 5am!

Plus completely unrelated, but has anyone's bust size increased since being on medication? I used to be a 34F 2 years ago and I've just had to buy a couple of new bras as I've gone up to a 34H. Has this happened to anyone else?

It sounds like you're still cycling. You might need a mood stabiliser, that's probably why you need to fill in the mood diary.

Hope you feel a bit better now. The meds do help but sometimes they don't fix everything right away.

Now you come to mention it my bust size did go up but I had gained weight so expected it.

Ah ok. Yeah it does feel that way. It's not so much really depressed, but I do swing from really irritable/angry to hyper and butterflies in my stomach. I have to fill out a mood diary thing everyday. Well it's more of a list of things and I just cross off what I have been feeling that day.

Aaaand I've just had major deja-vu. I hate that.

What type of mood stabilisers are there? Will I have that on top of the anti psychotic? I was offered other meds like quetiapine and I can't remember the others but I didn't like the weight gain as a side effect.

Quetiapine is another antipsychotic. Mood stabilisers are usually given alongside antipsychotics. A few I've been on are lithium, carbamazepine another is sodium valproate but they all have their side effects.

My old psychiatrist waited until my mood had swung 4 times or more in a year then he put me on the lithium which worked fine for around 2 years. I stopped them in the end because I couldn't deal with the shakes. There are other mood stabilisers out there too.

If you're on Facebook there's a good bipolar support group on there where you can access lots of help from others.

Ah ok. Yes I'm on Facebook. What's it called?

Also can I set it so other people don't know? I don't really want some people on my Facebook knowing what groups I'm in.

It's a private group no one else knows you've joined it. It's called the bipolar support group and you answer 3 questions to get in the answer to the last question is read the rules.

Ah yes, I assumed that's what group it was. I've just done it. Fingers crossed 🤞

They have lots of rules but they are there to Jeep the group running smoothly but some of them are OTT.

There's a UK one too. Bipolar support group uk I think it's called. I find them helpful and never feel like I'm the only one with bipolar.

Okie dokie. I've asked to join that one too. It does feel that way sometimes. Even when I try and tell my friends about it, even though they are supportive, they don't understand. Or the worst one, but you seem fine, or but you seem 'normal' to be me. Thanks so all people who have a mental illness must be a nut job.

That's a really good support group the UK one, glad I joined it.

Yes I've only recently joined that one, it seems quite good. On the other one when you see them talking about Abilify that's the same Ned your on just their name for it.

Ah yes, I've seen that when I googled it. I have everything written down ready for my next therapy session and I think I'll take it when I see my psychiatrist. When I get focused on something (I know everyone is different depending on your interests) but mine is usually;
Make up
Hair dye
Painting my nails
Colourful clothing
Tidying the house like a mad woman wanting to chuck everything out along with getting very irritable and angry when my DP won't let me. He thinks the house is fine. I don't! Well maybe it is, but when I get it in my head that I want the house looking like a show home, that's it. Nothing else is good enough. Not realistic when you have an almost 3 year old!

It's like that video I posted about that guy cleaning the house = me in a nutshell when I get going 😅

Med not Ned

My 14 year old is the messiest child I know. He also squirms around a lot when he sleeps and his duvet gets caught up in the cover so he takes it off. I'll be glad when he's back at school tomorrow so I can go in and deep clean his room. Again

Gosh you should see my ds's room it's like a confetti of toys has just exploded everywhere and because of my dodgy knee I ca t bloody tidy it up waste of time anyway. I have a kallax with the boxes so I just shove everything in there, but he goes in and tips it all out again. 4 box worth 😩 I can't see the floor anymore.

can't*

How is everyone this evening? I'm feeling a bit lonely and needing a chit chat.

I’m so-so, it’s been a strange week feeling wise.

I’ll chat with you a while, if you want. I’m not the best at it though... .

I've had an odd week too, mood wise. It's been very up and down, which I don't like.

Question. Does anyone carry a meds card or wear a bracelet? I'd never thought about that before. I wouldn't assume it was needed, but I always think of the worst case scenario, lying in a ditch somewhere and for whatever reason, needing additional meds. No idea if it would interfer with them or not.

I don’t carry one, probably a good idea to do so though. Handy in case you get picked up by the police too

That's what I was thinking!

Had the police at my door a couple of years ago, so embarrasing. Knocking loudly POLICE!! Living in a flat so had to answer it.

Long story short, it was a welfare check, and I was absolutely terrified to say anything. They thought my DP was beating me up (he wasnt) standing there like a twat whilst they checked all the rooms. Would have run much more smoothly if I just had a bracelet and showed them without having to open my mouth!