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!

Sorry you're having a bad time just now @BippityBoppity87 maybe try stay away from dating whilst you're so fragile. It's hard trying to be as honest as possible with people without getting hospitalised.

I know it hard but try have a shower if you've not had one yet, you'll feel all the better for going in. Be kind to yourself.

I totally get the not showering thing Bippitty as had to force myself to get in the shower yesterday after last showering on Saturday, usually I'm a very clean person, I don't understand where my motivation has gone.

Had to phone the cmht as feeling paranoid about work too. They are going to see if my meds need changing.
I seem to have low level depression all the time but I take 300mg Venlafaxine already.
I can't be bothered with a lot of things like getting ready or watching tv.

I’m on a massive downer, been feeling like this for almost two weeks now. And I don’t know why I do this, but when I’m down I’m reluctant to take my meds and I start questioning my diagnoses.

I’ve actually been convinced that I have bpd, but my psychiatrist and therapist said that I didn’t meet the criteria apparently. I find it hard to tell the difference.

I know the feeling @tierraJ I always seem to stay at about a 5 mood wise, but it’s plummeted to about a 2/3.

I know @DiaryofWimpyMumm I know it’s a really bad idea, and has just made me feel even worse about myself. I think if I told them honestly how I was feeling and what I’ve bern up to, I probably would be hospitalised, but I don’t want that.

I’ve left that group and blocked them, they called me a bad mum. That was the last straw.

What group is that? You're not a bad mum you're just unwell just now.

Just a fb group I joined. They weren’t very supportive

No they don't sound it at all. Is this the same group that diagnosed you with BPD? I think your psychiatrist and the people who deal with you personally will know what your diagnosis is. Don't listen to arm chair doctors. except me of course

Haha yeah it was them. I know. But I’ve left the group, so it’s behind me how.

Really struggled this week...took overdose I'm ok only in hospital for a day, I just feel so low :(

Oh gosh are you ok?! @littlenit

@littlenit I'm sorry you are feeling so low have you been in touch with your doctor?

You'll have to start a new thread soon @BippityBoppity87 this ones filling up and I think it's helpful

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to get re referred to the psch team again I'm going to see my gp next week. I have had a number of stressful situations over 2019 and I get I dealt with them well but clearly they have caught up with me :( how's everyone else x

I hope you feel better soon @littlenit I hAve what I call low level depression. I'm not suicidal just generally low. I can't take most antidepressants as they send me into hypomania. I've tried mitrazepine, Prozac and sertraline they all make me too alert during the night. It's a pain in the arse. I used to be able to take them no problem

Hi everyone; I'm still struggling with low level depression too, back at work tomorrow after a period of annual leave so hopefully will be ok. I find my Venlafaxine is good in that it doesn't let me get too depressed for too long though & I don't get hyper on it either.

I don't have trouble sleeping at all in fact I'm the opposite, because of my Epilepsy meds.

I have felt a bit paranoid lately & had sone unsettling intrusive thoughts so got to watch that.
Sorry to hear about everyone else's problems, hope they all get sorted out.

Bippitty I'm avoiding men at present as the last man I dated got obsessed after just 3 dates. I had to dump him which was upsetting but necessary unfortunately! It's scared me off men for a bit!

I'm so glad I've found this thread, I posted the following on Aibu but this is definitely somewhere more suitable....

I have recently been assessed by community mental health, who think I may have bipolar disorder, this was all following a manic and depressive cycle.. I have now been referred to a psychiatrist for diagnosis/treatment and have been sent a mood diary to complete.
I am pleased that after many years, I'm finally going to be getting the right help, but I am worried I won't get across the true extent of my moods as I'm currently pretty stable, so not much to put in the mood diary, we'll nothing like the cycles I have been through.
Is there anyone who has been through a recent diagnosis? I know every single case is so different.

At my appointment I was asked about current/past moods and experiences-the severity of them, how long they lasted, did something trigger them etc.
I was diagnosed in one appointment but for others it takes many appointments and people don’t get a specific diagnosis. Medications and therapies were discussed.

Don’t worry.

^basically I’m trying to say that psychiatrists know what questions to ask to get a good picture of you.

I don't think I get the manic eoisodes as bad as some, I tend to be at a low ish level of down/anxious, then normal(?) then high for maybe a week then really down for a couple of months. At the moment, I've just recently Come out of a low period and I'm feeling fairly in control but a little low/anxious. This seems to be the case most of the time then once or twice a year it repeats.
I'll fill in the diary as I am now but make notes on the times when it's been worse.
Has anyone else been recently diagnosed? I'm really concerned about the medication and how it would affect my home / work life whilst I'm getting used to it

Bipolar is a spectrum, we don’t all experience it the same. Some people experience full blown manic ‘I’m god and can fly’ type episodes, other not and a lot experience a mixture. Same with the lows.

My medication really affected my short term memory and made my mind quite fuzzy for the couple of months it took to get it to the right dose but it’s mostly ok now.

It can take a while for people to reply on this thread btw, don’t feel people are ignoring you.

Thank you for your reply fission, I do appreciate it. I feel a bit alone and scared at the minute.. It helps to talk to people who have experience

I found it helpful to write down what I was experiencing such as high mood, paranoia, low mood, he asked about family history etc then said he thought I had bipolar. He then asked what I would like help with and I said something to stop my mind racing. Good luck

I just felt so paranoid today at work it was horrible, I should have phoned the crisis team but I got through it. Just got tomorrow now.

Hi everyone, been reading the thread, hope it’s ok to join. I have bipolar, diagnosed about ten years ago. Was sectioned due to mania last Feb, since then have been in a horrible depression. Can’t be arsed to do anything. My house and garden is a horrible mess, I used to keep everything really nice. I have never had many friends and lost my only ones last year when I was manic. My two grown up sons have been very distant with me since i was sectioned. I have 11 yr old dd, a dp and 4 dogs (two of which I got when manic). All I can think about all the time is all the times i have been horrid, bad decisions I have made and what a disaster my life is. I have am 51, don’t work, have no money, don’t own a home, have no pension or savings. I’m supposed to take olanzapine and epilim but have stopped cos of side effects, my psychiatrist doesn’t really pay attention when I tell her i can’t put up with weight gain or itchy skin. I’m just fed up with it all and can’t envisage a future where it’s not all craptastic. I was on lithium last year and felt ok on it but it gave me really bad psoriasis all over my face so bad even shrink agreed to change meds. I wish so much I didn’t have this illness.