I’ve found that it helps to have things planned when you have depression problems. You may not WANT to plan things, but making the effort can make a huge difference. If you’re lonely, check out meetin.org or Craigslist groups.
I talk about these sites all of the time because I’ve met SO many friends off the internet. There is also a great group called USA Fit (usafit.com) that helps people walk or run marathons. Don’t worry! You can just do the group without doing the marathon, but I did a ten mile walk once! This is a great way to stay healthy and meet lots of new people. The registration will be in 2009, but you can get connected to your city group now.
Depression is isolating- but just doing one thing that makes you get outside the house can cut your depression symptoms in half in one day. No kidding. My motto is: I want to go to bed feeling better than when I got up.
That motto really helps on the tough days. This is why I wrote the book Get it Done When You’re Depressed. I wanted to help others get out and end that depression!
Julie
* A note for reprinting Julie's work**
You now have permission to reprint “Bipolar Happens” Newsletter articles and blogs on your web site, in your e-zine or share them with your support groups, forward to friends, or print copies for your health care providers. Publishing Requirements: Each article must be reprinted in its full form, with no changes.
Please include the following byline at the end of each article.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julie A. Fast best selling author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You're Depressed is a critically acclaimed six-time author, award winning bipolar disorder advice columnist, national speaker, and sought after expert in the fields of bipolar disorder and depression. Julie’s work specializes in helping people manage all aspects of their daily lives -despite the complications that bipolar disorder creates. To learn how to personalize a plan to help yourself or a loved one find and create stability that ensures the quality of life that we all deserve, visit: http://www.bipolarhappens.com
I received such a great email from a reader named Daphne Stevens that I’m posting parts of it on the blog. I think it helps so much for us to see that we all go through the same challenges with this illness. Daphne and I discussed Lamictal and other meds. Here are her comments:
Lamictal, by the way, is my “miracle drug,” too. After two years of trial and error (and a lot of nasty side effects) my doctor and I finally settled on a combination of Lamictal and Seroquel. which levels out both the hypomania and depression. And my depression, while less frequent than hypomania, can be deadly, as you know. Over a lifetime of struggling, I’ve finally learned not to be too afraid of it. I know it will pass, no matter how permanent it feels at the time. Riding it out, being kind to myself, doing what I can, occasionally letting myself collapse into being downright pitiful–it’s part of fighting those nasty lies Depression whispers in our ears.
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She is so right! You can visit daphnestevens.com to read more about her work!
wow! I am reading some great comments on this blog. If you look at an entry- there is a small comments button on the top. If there is a number next to it, there are comments.
I am not able to answer them as I would like. I will try to get to them though! It’s great to interact with readers.
I was in a severe depression two days ago and I am fine today. The ups and downs of bipolar are hard to take, but we can manage them. Thanks for your comments. I am not sure if it’s clear, but this blog is attached to bipolarhappens.com - Many people enter from that page.
I recommend blogs. They let you get your ideas out there and then you can see what others think. It’s easy and free to start on blog on wordpress.com.
This is my amazing nephew David. He’s six. I was pretty depressed yesterday. David came up to me and gave me a hug. I said, “Auntie Wee is sick today.” He said, “I know.”
Wow. That is pretty insightful. I said, “How did you know I was depressed?” He said, “Because you’re always depressed!” I had to laugh! I’m not depressed very often at all anymore, but when he was very young, I was depressed about 50% of the time.
I made a decision when he was born that I would be honest with him about bipolar disorder. When I had a tough day, I’d say, “Auntie Wee is crying because she has an illness called bipolar disorder. ” Then I would explain how the illness caused my depression, but that I was fine on the inside. There were days when I couldn’t play with him as I wanted to and he would say, “That’s ok. You can watch me play.”
I really believe we can be honest with kids about this illness. They understand. I never let it get in the way of how I interacted with him. He came first and he still comes first- I just know my limits. I used to get so upset with myself that I couldn’t find the energy to hang out with him on the floor or run around in the back yard- but he didn’t care! All he cared about is that I was there watching him and talking with him!
Now that my depression is so much better and he’s older, I teach him about mental illness and how it affects people- and I always do this in a practical, non scary way. By the time he’s 10 he will be an expert!
He knows about my treatment plan (the Health Cards) and he will eventually know how to use them himself.
Best Mental Health Advice Column in the United States goes to Julie A. Fast
June 2007
Mental Health America recognizes superlative media coverage of mental health issues by journalists in television, print, radio, online, wire, photography and entertainment. The MHA media awards are the only peer judged competition for mental health reporting in the United States.
Along with 12 other media professionals, Julie Fast will receive a recognition award in Washington DC on June 8, 2007.
"Mental illnesses ruins lives, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I want my readers to know that if I can have a productive life despite being mentally ill, they can do so as well. The Mental Health America award helps me see that my writing does make a difference and it certainly makes me want to continue educating the world on how to treat mental illness successfully. It is possible!” - Julie Fast
This is my amazing nephew David. He’s six. I was pretty depressed yesterday. David came up to me and gave me a hug. I said, “Auntie Wee is sick today.” He said, “I know.”
