I recently opened a magazine and saw an antidepressant (Pristiq) I had never heard of- so I asked my coauthor Dr. John Preston to explain the mistique of Pristiq!
PS: If you view this blog from amazon.com, you can see the whole blog at www.bipolarhappens.com/bhblog
hi! I just received this great comment from Debbie regarding my post about Thanksgiving.
Amen! This year my husband and I decided to do just that…..say no and do our OWN Thanksgiving. I was always going to other’s homes for Thanksgiving but hauling half my kitchen over there. We decided we would have a small dinner at our house. If it ends up us ALONE, well what’s so bad about that! We have ruffled feathers and caused a massive fruit basket turnover but we have never been happier and we are looking forward to Thanksgiving for the first time in our 33 year marriage! We call it ‘house rules’ now. You are welcome to our home, but you will follow our ‘house rules’. My husband likes to say, ‘Be nice or leave’. It has put a hault to much traffic but those that come seem to be the ones we wanted here anyway. And the meal is just part of the day. The parades, ballgames, naps, shopping and being with people you love is the other part. Enjoy!
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wow, I could not have said it better. A friend of mine is coming into town and we will do something fun with my mom and then I will go over to some friends who will be finished with their obligatory family get together that always stresses them out.
Please know that I’m not against Thanksgiving at all- in fact, I think it can be a wonderful occasion. I’m simply saying that you can do what you want on that day- even if it does ruffle turkey feathers!
You have a week to decide what works for you!
For those of you outisde the states- Thanksgiving is a huge family/friend get together where your table is literally covered in traditional Thanksgiving food- a huge turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, corn ,string beans, black eyed peas, ham, ambrosia- a southern dish of oranges and coconut, etc etc. At least that was my family in Alabama!
julie
I often get overwheled by having too much to do so I don’t do the little things that will help me feel good enough to tackle the big things! Here are some ideas!
Get a nice haircut
Take a walk near some water
Play with an animal- but not a squirrel or a possum!
Look at the people in your life and think- wow, I am lucky to have them around!
Answer a few email that you feel guilty about for not answering!
Fix the thing on your car that has been nagging at you for weeks- wow Julie- do you mean your front right headlight that has been out for months!
Get a nice shave
Hire someone to do your lawn
Read Get it Done When You’re Depressed!
Take your car through a drive through wash
It’s easy to do one little thing that makes you feel better. I don’t know about you, but I tend to jumble my to do list all together into one big blob- just picking one thing like getting my light fixed is not so hard!
Julie
I can work today!
It’s like catching lightening in a bottle- when I catch it, I’d better take advantage of it. What happens in our brains to make it so very hard for us to work when we’re in a mood swing?
I know that parts of our brains accomplish different tasks- some are verbal, spatial, emotional, etc.
For people with ADHD, sitting and working can be hard- here is a brain explanation for ADHD from myadhd.com
Current research indicates the frontal lobe, basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, as well as other areas of the brain, play a significant role in ADHD because they are involved in complex processes that regulate behavior (Teeter, 1998). These higher order processes are referred to as executive functions. Executive functions include such processes as inhibition, working memory, planning, self-monitoring, verbal regulation, motor control, maintaining and changing mental set and emotional regulation. According to a current model of ADHD developed by Dr. Russell Barkley, problems in response inhibition is the core deficit in ADHD. This has a cascading effect on the other executive functions listed above (Barkley, 1997).
Hmm. That’s one part of our problem with work. All people with bipolar disorder have ADHD symptoms. The REAL problem is that bipolar doesn’t stop there. Our neurochemicals affect so much more than our ability to sit still and concentrate. We all know that!
When someone asks you why it’s so hard for you to work- you can say:
Well, you probably know how hard it is for people with ADHD to concentrate. Now, multiply that by one million and you may have an idea of what it’s like to try and concentrate when you’re manic or suicidal!
Of course, I’m being a bit flip here, but you get the idea. 
I’m thankful I can work today. I just hope I’m not hypomanic. That is always a question I want to answer very honestly!
Julie
I just received this email regarding my admiration of athletes who can remain stable under pressure:
“Please give me a list of books of people who are athletes that have been successful because of their ability to take control over their emotions. I have a difficult time with this and especially the approval and non-approval comments and how affected I am about how my performance appears to others. It is all about the need for approval. Thanks a lot for any info in this area. A fellow peer.”
I have three books I highly recommend. They get quite technical in terms of the sports they cover, but the psychological content is always interesting!
How I Play the Game by Tiger Woods
A Champion’s Mind by Pete Sampras
Mind Gym by Gary Mac
My book Get it Done When You’re Depressed has a strategy called Think Like an Athlete. This is a great book for people who who want to move forward when bipolar only wants to pull them backwards!
Athletes are able to do their job even when their minds are in pain. They can separate themselves and perform when they have to. I want to do the same.
Thanks for writing!
Julie
Ah yes… it’s Sunday football today. I do love football. The players are such amazing athletes- and their mental stability is also very admirable. Barack Obama is the same…. No matter what you think of Obama or football, there is no question they know what to do under pressure. A reporter asked Obama how he handled the stress of the campaign. His answer actually surprised me: “I don’t let the highs get me too high or the lows get me too low.” My first thought was- wow, that is excatly what I do every day in order to stay as stable as possible. Here is an interesting fact- Obama and I went to the same high school in Hawaii. He was two years before me, but I didn’t know him!
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I just saw an interview with the Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. When asked how he handled the pressure of being a rookie in the NFL he said, “Stay level headed- exude confidence and let that travel throughout the rest of the team. ”
Another interesting fact- Joe Flacco makes a lot more money than Barack Obama!
My goal is to keep my moods stable and become the leader in all that I do- and sometimes leading is knowing when to let others lead! It took me many years to get well enough to even be well enough to work- and now that I have created a life where I can work more, I can learn how to stay calm and be a leader.
What are your views on this? I always wonder if people look to athletes as mental health role models like I always do!
Julie
