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!

Hey everyone. God knows. They’ve upped my sertraline to 150mg and my lamotrigine is 150mg, but they need to keep an eye that I don’t go high, as lamotrigine only drops the lows but not the highs. So that makes a lot of sense

Hoping welfare will come round to see me tomorrow to fill out my pip form too.

How is everyone this evening?

Yep still in hospital

Hi shesgrownhorns nice to have you here.

tierra wouldn't be in a rush to tell him, just enjoy getting to know each other. You'll find the right time with the right man

bippity glad they are reviewing your meds. Good idea to get them to fill in your form with you. I'm always asked if I've been in hospital for bipolar but I haven't as yet.

Of course! @shesgrownhorns

I am so happy happy happy happyyyyyyy!

The birds are swaying the trees are singing, I’m getting two over night passes! So I’m very excited right now.

I don’t think I’m running high maybe, who knows hahaha! I’m just happy I’m getting out of this place

Change in routine won’t make me switch moods will they? Nah shouldn’t do. Would did?!!!

Anyway I’m rambling, thinking about gambling today at the local bingo see if I can win anything exciting and I’ve started stenciling which I’m really enjoying

I just got a f@&king form from ESA. So I have to go through it all over again. I'm beyond pissed off. I just wrote to my local MP with a large complaint email.

Bippity you sound happy just be careful you don't get too happy 😃

That's great you're getting 2 over night passes. Your stencilling looks cool. I've been thinking of getting an adult colouring in book.

This dropped off my ‘threads I’m on’, hello everyone especially new people.

Extra love to bippity, hope home leave goes okay this weekend 💐 have been an inpatient many many times with bipolar, shortest admission was two weeks and longest a little over four months.

Grrrrr at ESA form Diary, can it be a coincidence?

I don't know whydid I've not heard from them in 3/4 years. I'm very suspicious. I called CAB and have a home visit on the 12th to fill the form in.

The non sleeping has started again and I've only got 1 Valium left to do me till 4th April. I can't get my mind to switch off at night, I'm overthinking everything atm

It’s really suspicious, did they change your PIP award in any way - like give you a lower amount or for a shorter time period?

Can you get something better than diazepam, or any scope for increasing olanzapine or similar?

They changed my PIP from enhanced to standard. They seem to be making a big deal of the fact I go to the chemist once a week on my own. I don't always go, sometimes my mum goes for me.

I'm on the highest amount of olanzapine so no scope to get it raised unfortunately. I just need to calm down a bit. My forms not to be back until the 17th April and I'm the assessment is held at a different place in Edinburgh. I have no clue how to get to it. Last time I was lucky my Dad was off work so he took us. I'm rambling

Ramble away 💐 it sounds a lot less rushed than the PIP process, we really had to scramble it together in a hurry. Sorry you have this to deal with straight after that. Can you submit the same evidence again?

That’s absurd, the chemist thing. I don’t even know where to start with that! Hope we get a change of government soon and some more humane approaches to all this, I think future generations will look back in horror and disbelief.

I've no more evidence to submit, I sent all psychiatrist letters in with my PIP award so that's why I wrote an email to my local MP saying that surely they have enough information, they know I'm not well, their report states that.

I was looking at paperwork from 2014 today when they stopped my money altogether and found me fit for work thankfully I reapplied and was awarded the points but I had to go to a tribunal. I was hypomanic and giggled my way through the meeting.

I hope CAB can help me answer their questions on mobility because I don't know how to answer because at the moment I have no mobility at all.

Is mobility part of ESA too? You’ll just have to explain about the fracture, did anyone give you any idea about how long it will take to heal, will you be having physio etc?

My psych letters were horrifically unhelpful, just said I’d been in remission for two years which makes it sound like I’m completely fine when I’m really not. But at least it confirmed my diagnoses. I could help myself a lot more if I showed up to psych appointments but I just don’t 😳

I have a hospital appointment next week so will find out more about my fracture then.
I have the psychiatrist on the 4th so could ask him to rattle up a letter stating I see him.

You need 15 points to be in the support group. The questions and statements are so stupid though. They are worded to confuse me.

I was speaking to a friend who has bipolar and she's just had her form out and sent it back and didn't need a face to face at all.

My dad said "you should know how these things go you've been enough times"

Will keep my fingers crossed that it gets renewed without another face to face assessment 🤞

I've just phoned the chemist and they have a delivery service, so after this week they will deliver my prescription weekly. Better late than never.

Hi guys sorry I’ve been a bit quiet. That’s me out of hospital thank god. My psychiatrist wants to see me on Monday and my gp wants to see me on Tuesday.

I managed to go to citizens advice yesterday and get them to help fill out my pip form. I’m not hoping for much but I did explain my anxiety is really bad. How I’ve broken 3 kettles in a month, my partner looks after my meds or I won’t take them. He has to prepare food for me or I won’t eat. Or I’ll buy a ready meal. Can go days without leaving the house unless I’m with my DP and had to encourage me to leave the house. Mentioned how my dp deals with all the household bills as I just find it all too overwhelming and that I’m terrible with money. Briefly mentioned my knee. I also requested someone to come round to see me instead of going there for a face to face interview but I don’t know. I’m so anxious about it.

On the plus side I’m getting my hair done on Tuesday to try and cheer myself up as I feel like absolute garbage.

Hope everyone is ok.

Just seeing my last post, Jesus I was running a bit high now I’ve plummeted.

@BippityBoppity87 glad you're home from hospital and have got your form filled in. I know when I first applied I didn't need a face to face at all so hopefully you will be the same. Are you signed off work just now?

@DiaryofWimpyMumm Yeah currently off work. I have one shift next week, which is Saturday. But I’m going to the dr’s on Tuesday as I haven’t been getting sick pay. How come you didn’t need a face to face interview?

How long did it take them to get back to you?

@BippityBoppity87 (just learnt how to tag)

Quite a lot of people get it without a face to face, if they feel they have enough information and evidence you won't need a f2face.

That's good you've got a big of time off work too.

It took about 4/5 weeks for them to get back to me but I got money back dated to when I applied

@DiaryofWimpyMumm Ah ok. Do you think I stand a chance of getting anything from what I said? I’ve got it in my head that I won’t.

What you've said is almost identical to what mine said. The help with mealtime, meds, budgeting, take prompting with meds, showering, dressing etc all sounds fine. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

That’s good then. Makes me feel a little bit more hopeful.