You try to help! I hate that. I’ve experienced it- believe me. It’s like tip toeing around a mean animal on some days and then they are fine like a teddy bear on others. It’s part of the illness in many ways:
Denial – My friend Janea says, “There is not such thing as denial, Julie. There is ignoring, lying to yourself and stubbornness, but there is no denial.”
She means that when a person gets hopping mad when you mention their behavior and are then able to hear what you say on other days- they are either sick and are not able or won’t control their moods, or they know exactly what you’re talking about and just don’t want to deal with it.
So, DENIAL when it goes back and forth is a river in Egypt!
Unfortunately, there is a true symptom of the illness, especially in schizophrenia where people simply can’t see they [ Read More ]
Marie just left a comment on my mania post below. It was very insightful and helpful.
And… she asked this question- it REALLY made me think.
I would like to have one really good healthy day in which I did not question myself! How about you?
At first, my answer was- oh yes! Just one day this week! Then I had another thought- it’s rather esoteric. This illness stinks. It has been terrible for me this week and it may be terrible today- luckily I woke up pretty stable- but overall, I am a different person because of this illness.
I have to manage bipolar disorder 24 hours a day in order to stay stable. I watch what I say, do and really try to counteract what I think when I’m sick. This makes me a better friend, partner, daughter, student, teacher, etc. We have to be more aware when we have bipolar disorder [ Read More ]
I really do need to change my heading on the top of this blog! People ask me this question all of the time.
The Health Cards are the treatment system I created in 2000 to help myself manage the illness. I was very sick- I basically couldn’t function in the real world in terms of friends and work. I certainly had a life, but it wasn’t a quality life. So I created the Health Cards and got my life back. You can read about them on bipolarhappens.com
The Health Cards are used by the person with the illness as well as the people who care about them. They work! I have a blog on teenagers and bipolar disorder below. Teenagers especially respond to the Health Cards as they can be done in private and then discussed with parents. I wish I’d had them when I was a teenager!
They are a system to accompany medications- especially [ Read More ]
I did two newsletters on teens a few months ago. The response was amazing. There is not enough information for parents or teens with bipolar. He is a quick tip on how to distinguish ‘normal’ teenage behavior as compared to ‘bipolar’ teen behavior.
It can be difficult, but it’s not impossible.
It’s all about degrees- ‘normal’ teens and bipolar teens act in similar ways, but not at the same intensity.
For example, a teen who is angry may yell at you and run to their room and slam the door. A teenager with bipolar disorder may yell, try to hit you and then run out of the house and not come back for days. There is a big difference. Another very important distinction- typical teens tend to calm down and go back to ‘normal’ once they have let you know how they feel. Teens with bipolar disorder can stay in certain [ Read More ]
I get so pissed when my mom asks me this question! Of course, I taught her to ask it and I want her to ask it, but it always makes me mad.
I mostly have euphoric hypomania. It is wonderful at the beginning. It’s tricky as it usually comes after a depression- so I desperately want and need to feel better. But I know that what goes up must come down, so I have to be ready for the downswing.
I’ve trained myself by using the Health Cards to go into treatment mode as soon as the hypomania starts. Damn, damn, damn. That is actually mild language for what it feels like to realize that feeling good is actually being manic.
If you have a lot of mild manias, this means that you’re rapid cycling. It means your meds are not working fully or that you or something outside of you [ Read More ]
Wow, I’ve had some great blog comments lately. They are so appreciated. I read them all. There is a small icon above each post- if there is a comment, a number appears beside the icon.
Of course, I want to answer all of the comments, but this is pretty impossible. I’m finding it hard to work these days, but I will keep going! And I will respond to comments when possible.
I saw a great movie tonight called In the Shadow of the Moon. I mention it because it was hopeful and uplifting. We need that! Julie
The health information contained herein is provided for general education purposes only. This site should not be seen as a substitute for an official diagnosis or for professional health care.
