Archive for December, 2008
Friday, December 26th, 2008
I just did a teleseminar on ‘bipolar disorder and the holidays.’ It went really well. I just can’t believe how bipolar disorder symptoms are exacerbated during the holidays… but it happens for many of us.
One of the main problems we face is loneliness during specific days such as New Years Eve. I’m a big believer in planning ahead in order to prevent depression. If you don’t have plans for a day that’s important to you, there is still plenty of time! I find New Year’s Eve especially hard simply because I’m single (by choice, but it still feels lonely at this time of the year!) and we all know we have to kiss someone sexy and wonderful at midnight! Of course, I am being sarcastic here- the media creates expectations that can’t always be fulfilled! I had a bad experience last year, so I made sure this one would be great!
If you don’t have plans for December 31 and you’re worried that you’re be depressed, I highly suggest you visit www.meetin.org or www.meetup.com find some fun stuff to do! If anyone has great ideas for how to spend New Year’s Eve when you’re not sure what to do- definitely send them along!
Julie
Tags: b ipolar religion, biplar, Bipolar, bipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar spirituality, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolarhappens.com, christmas depression, depression treatment, depressoin, depressoin treatment, Get It Done When You're Depressed, holidays and bipolar disorder, julie fast bipolar treatment, julie fast writer, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, spirituality and bipolar disorder., suicide holidays, suicide statistics holidays, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, treatemnt, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
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Friday, December 26th, 2008
If you enjoy my books, I’d love it if you would review them on amazon.com! I don’t read reviews, so there is no need to worry that I won’t like the review! Honesty always comes across better than a canned review. J
I also want to say thank you to all of the people who send in comments and emails about my books. I appreciate the support!
Here are the links to the books:
Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Someone-Bipolar-Disorder-Julie/dp/1572243422/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229370574&sr=8-4
Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Charge-Bipolar-Disorder-Stability/dp/0446697613/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230305400&sr=8-1
Get it Done When You’re Depressed: http://www.amazon.com/Get-Done-When-Youre-Depressed/dp/1592577067/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229370574&sr=8-1
Julie
Tags: Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, DBSA, general bipolar disorder, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, NAMI/DBSA, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
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Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Hi to everyone,
Thank you for the kind messages! I have so many blogs to post- but I’m snowed in without my computer! I am using my mother’s today. I have been going bonkers- it’s amazing how not having a car has messed up my schedule and caused depression.
I have really focused on getting better. All of the parties I was looking forward to were cancelled, including a Christmas Eve pot luck tonight. I forgot to bring enough Lamictal to my mom’s- I don’t have my Ativan in case I have sleep problems- I had two very serious down swings yesterday. It’s all RIDICULOUS! A friend of mine, who also has bipolar disorder called and said she was having a tough time as well!
This is why I had the holiday teleseminar last week! If you’re reading this and feeling depressed, never forget that this is a day just like any other day if you think about it. Also, if you’re depressed, you are not alone- many people are depressed right now. It’s a bipolar thing!
But, this doesn’t mean things have to stay this way. I took a long walk in the snow today with my mother. I got some work done, though it was tough. I made myself focus on what is going well and I made plans to go out with a friend tonight.
And… my mom has Lamictal as she takes it as well. So I was ok meds wise. If you’re planning a trip any time soon, be really careful about meds. It’s a good idea to take more with you than needed and put them in separate places in case luggage gets lost. I only went across town and managed to forget mine!
Hang in there if today is tough. Think of what you want tomorrow to look like. It’s never too late to plan something fun.
Julie
Tags: , Bipolar Disorder, bipolarhappens.com, depression christmas, depression holidays, holidays, julie fast, juliefast.com, tough time bipiolar holidays, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
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Monday, December 22nd, 2008
Well, it’s always a challenge to know when to be honest and when to be sort of honest or when to lie!
I’m refereing to how I tell people if I’m depressed. It really depends on a lot of things. How is the person I’m talking to doing? Do they need to hear what I’m going through or do I just need to listen to them? How do I present my situation? Is it possible I’m overwhleming them?
I learned a long time ago to spread out my depression talk in order to keep my friendships balanced. If I’m always asking for help from friends without giving them anything in return, I become a problem and not a friend. I’ve wrecked quite a few friendships this way. If someone asks me, ‘How are you?’ and my answer is always, ‘I’m really depressed!’ then who in the heck wants to talk to me! People want to help, but they have to see progress in the person they are helping.
I bring this up because I’m not doing very well today. It was worse yesterday, but today is more of the same. I’m snowed in. 100% snowed in. I am looking out my window and all I can see is show and half buried cars. I live in Portland, Oregon and this is the worst storm in over ten years. I manage my bipolar disorder by getting out in society and feeding off the energy of others – yikes, that makes me sound like a vampire! So when I’m truly stuck inside, it’s hard for me. I have to decide how I want my day to go and then decide what I will say when I talk to friends. They all understand my depression, so I can defintely talk about it, but I think today is a day to listen to them and see what they are going through. That will bring me up without bringing them down.
Julie
Tags: , Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, bipolar depression medications, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, DBSA, Depression Help, friend trouble bipolar, friends and depressoin, general bipolar disorder, Get It Done When You're Depressed, help me bipolar, help me find friends bipolar, I need friends bipolar, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, meds for depression, NAMI/DBSA, no friends bipolar disorer, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, terrible bipolar symptoms, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Depression, Relationships | 4 Comments »
Sunday, December 21st, 2008
We are so American here in the states! Everything has to be FAST, PERFECT and ALL AT ONCE! In reality, it’s fine to do half of something now and then the rest later. I would rather get at least one room vacuumed than get frustrated that I didn’t do the whole house like I should have! I would rather decorate one room with holiday lights than get mad at myself that I didn’t do the whole house like others wanted me to do!
I always remind myself that doing half is a good thing- half a project gets finished eventually. Doing nothing…. well, it never gets done.
It’s all about a sense of accomplishment. When we get something done, even if it’s small, we feel better and want to feel that good again, so we many even just keep working, even if we are still depressed.
Julie
Posted in Get It Done When You're Depressed | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
Meetin.org is a social group where people get together and do a variety of events from wine tasting, playing poker, learning to line dance, going to karaoke, having big parties, traveling to Vegas and watching football! People plan their own events and then others can sign up. It’s not a singles club- at all, and people of all ages participate. I met one of my closest friends at a meetin.org karaoke party. And, most importantly- the people in the group tend to be really fun. There are groups all over the world. If you join, let me know your first event! Here is the address: www.meetin.org Julie
Tags: b ipolar religion, biplar, Bipolar, bipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar spirituality, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolarhappens.com, christmas depression, depression treatment, depressoin, depressoin treatment, Get It Done When You're Depressed, holidays and bipolar disorder, julie fast bipolar treatment, julie fast writer, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, spirituality and bipolar disorder., suicide holidays, suicide statistics holidays, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, treatemnt, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
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Friday, December 19th, 2008
This is such a great post to my post on romantic relationships that I had to put it here. My post is under this one. Julie
Hi Julie,
I met my current love – and this, I hope, will be everlasting – through our mutual hairdresser! She was telling him about me (without my knowing about it) and he asked for my phone number. My hairdresser had to wait for me to come in so she could ask permission to give it to him. I was rather taken aback that she’d been so forward with my life! But I gave her permission, and then she had to wait for him to return for a haircut! Our first date was the best ever – out to dinner, then to a coffee bar, back to my backyard to admire the stars. The next morning, he called me up to invite me to breakfast, and it’s been pretty wonderful ever since.
Yes, we’ve had ups and downs, but we both cherish each other and our relationship enough to gently work with each other through issues that may be uncomfortable at first. We’re both older, had our former spouses cheat on us, and we know how lovely a truly special relationship is. We nurture each other and gently hold each other’s tender heart with loving hands.
The one thing I’d love for Christmas is what I already have – him! He also has a grown daughter and four lovely grandsons who have embraced me as I’ve embraced them. It’s terrific!
Sandra
** what a great letter! I think often of what makes a good relationship- this is an example of how stress free it can be!**
Tags: Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar disorder dating, bipolar disorder relationship problems, bipolar disorder sex, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, dating help bipolar, DBSA, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, NAMI/DBSA, relationship help bipolar, Relationships, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Relationships, reader comments | No Comments »
A wonderful story about romance!
Friday, December 19th, 2008This is such a great post to my post on romantic relationships that I had to put it here. My post is under this one. Julie
Hi Julie,
I met my current love – and this, I hope, will be everlasting – through our mutual hairdresser! She was telling him about me (without my knowing about it) and he asked for my phone number. My hairdresser had to wait for me to come in so she could ask permission to give it to him. I was rather taken aback that she’d been so forward with my life! But I gave her permission, and then she had to wait for him to return for a haircut! Our first date was the best ever – out to dinner, then to a coffee bar, back to my backyard to admire the stars. The next morning, he called me up to invite me to breakfast, and it’s been pretty wonderful ever since.
Yes, we’ve had ups and downs, but we both cherish each other and our relationship enough to gently work with each other through issues that may be uncomfortable at first. We’re both older, had our former spouses cheat on us, and we know how lovely a truly special relationship is. We nurture each other and gently hold each other’s tender heart with loving hands.
The one thing I’d love for Christmas is what I already have – him! He also has a grown daughter and four lovely grandsons who have embraced me as I’ve embraced them. It’s terrific!
Sandra
** what a great letter! I think often of what makes a good relationship- this is an example of how stress free it can be!**
Tags: Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar disorder dating, bipolar disorder relationship problems, bipolar disorder sex, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, dating help bipolar, DBSA, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, NAMI/DBSA, relationship help bipolar, Relationships, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Relationships, reader comments | No Comments »