2008 September « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder and a Low Carb Diet

I’ve struggled with my weight since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995. I certainly had weight issues before that, but there were small time compared to what I’ve been through in the past 10 years.

Statistics show that those of us with severe mental illnesses die a LOT earlier than those without an illness. When I heard this, I said, ok. That’s not going to be me! I’ve written about this on the blog before. I have found that a low carb diet is working well for me in terms of my sugar cravings and my up and down weight. I’ve lost a lot of the weight I gained last year after taking Serequel.

Here is a book that can give you more information on this way of eating. It’s not really a diet as it’s life long. The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet: The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting

Definitely leave your comments on what [ Read More ]

Work and the Bipolar Wall

I spoke at the NAMI Oregon Conference yesterday. The day went really well and I met some wonderful people. I even managed to get to sleep normally last night.

Then I woke up with a lot of worries. I know what this means. I have too much to do. It’s not that I don’t have the time to do it. It’s never a time issue with me. My problem is that I have a bipolar wall that I smack up against if I don’t take care of myself. This means that I have to take care of things today so that I can function next week.

Many people feel stress about having a lot to do. This is different. I can’t even call it worry. It’s the feeling so many of us get that prevents us from working at regular jobs- ie. 9-5 jobs. It’s like a wave of … I’m honestly not even sure [ Read More ]

Solutions to Work Worries

This is an addition to the above post. So, I know that I have hit the overwhelmed work feeling. Here is what I’m going to do:

#1 I have a business partner who can help with my speaking gigs. The speaking part is what I love- the negotiations, set up, book sales and follow up are truly too much for me. I get overwhelmed by something as simple as sending my speaking info to my web master for the web page! And yet this is so needed for my career.

#2 I can put everything on hold that doesn’t have to be done. I tend to work on five things at once and worry that I will miss something if I don’t get it ALL done. Yes, I do miss a lot financially because of this work stress, but I have to stay healthy. This means that all of my work next week will be [ Read More ]

Julie Fast on Britney Spears: video

Hello! Here is a copy of a television interview I did about Britney Spears when she was having such a hard time.

I love being on television, but watching it later is hard! I have to remain positive. It’s easy to be hard on how you look. I know, the message is what’s important!

Julie

What is the real me?

I know WHO the real me is…. my question is WHAT is the real me in terms of energy, happiness, work ability etc. I often mistake hypomania for the ‘real me.’ I’ve written down all of my average behavior so that I can use it as a comparison when I think I’m in a mood swing. But the hypomania takes me by surprise a lot.

I can be hypomanic for only a few hours a day and not know it. When you rapid cycle a lot, you can miss the mania and then get broadsided by the depression.

I think the real me is gregarious, happy, focused, calm and industrious. I’m not over talkative- over sexual- over alcohol crazed and over the top! What about you?

Julie

If you click on the mania subject button to your right, you can read about the difference between hypomania and mania.

Unfocused: NAMI Oregon Conference

I’m speaking at the NAMI Oregon yearly conference tomorrow. I have a class in the morning and then will speak at the luncheon. The most difficult part of all of this is getting my books, post cards order sheets and travel stuff. I worry that I won’t be able to sleep and that I will get overstimulated. Yada, yada, yada. If I let my mind go no this way, I will go bonkers.

It makes a lot more sense to actually load my car ahead of time and print out what I need. That way I can get to bed early and be ready for the drive. This is not a bipolar thing- it’s a normal speaking thing. It becomes a bipolar thing if I don’t take care of myself now. So I’m going to! It’s human nature that we often worry more than we actually do things. It will only take me a few [ Read More ]