Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

I’m going through a tough time right now over a relationship issue. Relationship problems whether with family,friends,partners or coworkers can be a real nightmare for people with bipolar disorder. We get hit much harder than people with more regulated brains.

I know that things get totally out of proportion in my brain when something happens that I can’t control. I feel like I will go crazy and that I need a solution right at that minute! I can’t wait for anything and I need answers,answers,answers. I will call my friends and talk for hours about what is happening and what I’m doing wrong and what the other person is thinking and what I should do and……… it never ends! It’s embarrassing and very tiring.

I’ve found that it’s often up to the well me to just say:

Buck up Julie! Get up and get going! Do your work!

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Up to 40% of people with bipolar disorder have a dual diagnosis. This means a drug or alcohol problem along with bipolar disorder. This is not pretty.

I was a very heavy drinker before I was diagnosed. I drank to feel better. I had absolutely no idea it was a serious depressant. I also didn’t know that it affects sleep to the point that it can cause even more mood swings.

I stopped drinking completely for a few years after my diagnosis. Once I realized why I was drinking,it was easy for me to quit. I have found that this is true for many people with bipolar disorder. When you’re diagnosed,the need for self medicating can often go away. I’ve found that I can drink without a problem now. I rarely have more than one drink and the only time I have to be careful is when I start to get hypomanic.

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