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 [ Read More ]
Why are romantic relationships so hard for some of us? Ever since I made the decision not to rush into a relationship when I got manic, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my past.
I’ve had some wonderful relationships in my life. Almost all of them started when I was manic. I always got depressed eventually, so reality hit my relationships pretty hard. Luckily, I’m a great partner for the most part, so we survived.
The problems start when I try to look for a relationship normally- through meeting someone in public, at a business or friend event or internet dating. It’s too stressful for me. So that is where I am today- single. When I’m well, I am fine with the decision. When I get depressed… well, it’s hard! I want to be stable in work and finances for the rest of my life. To do that, [ Read More ]
It can be really overwhelming to pay bills when you’re not doing well. I swear, so many of my ideas in Get it Done When You’re Depressed have to do with the little things- cleaning a house, making lunches for kids, finishing a project, paying bills, exercising, getting out of bed when you’re in a bipolar down swing! It’s easy for these things to get lost in a depression fog!
One of the most popular tips in the book is to work with a friend. I regularly go to a coffee shop with friends and we simply work together. We talk when we first sit down and then we work. I can do email, write my books, or do my paperwork. I often bring a big pile of letters, bills etc in a bag and just go through them one by one. I bring large clips so that I [ Read More ]
There is a lot of great information on bipolar disorder basics on this blog. If you go to the menu on the right, you will see the categories you may want to read first- I suggest you start with mania as that is often the most confusing part of the illness. It can be treated- but you have to know what you’re up against!
I was diagnosed in 1995 and now have a full and rewarding life. You can do the same! Julie
Thanks for the great comments on the Lamictal posting below. Here is some information on Glaxo’s program. They make Lamictal- it’s now available in generic, but if you qualify, this may be cheaper. For those of you new to Lamictal- it’s an anti convulsant used to treat bipolar depression. It has helped so many people, but it’s expensive. Thank heavens for generic!
**
Most major drug companies have programs to help low income people with bipolar disorder get prescription help. Here is a link for GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Lamictal.
Here is a comment from Gina about running out of (Lamotrigine):
Hi Julie,
I’m gonna run out of Lamictal before the year ends and insurance won’t cover any till after 1/1. I take 400mg per day, what can I do to stretch this out? I can’t afford to buy them! The doctor didn’t have any samples. Any ideas?
I called GSK and because I can’t scrape up $600 worth of receipts for this year they won’t help me. Other drs office has no samples. It was like $18 per day to get just enough to get me into next year. It’s nerve wracking coming off 400 mg per day down to so little though. I definitely had some bad timing this year. I’m on medicare part D and am in the gap [ Read More ]
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.
Any ideas?