Yes,our economy stinks. It has affected my business greatly- and not in a good way- and it has possibly affected you similarly.
I was very freaked out at first. A friend of mine lost her job and many friends lost a lot of their retirement. Eventually I realized that worrying was not helping me. I now choose to see this situation as a challenge to myself intellectually and emotionally instead of something awful. This is when I can get very creative and focused on my goals. What can I do to turn this around in my life? What can I do to create business elsewhere? What do I need to change?
People are spending less- that is actually a good thing for this country in the long term. It has made me look at my spending. What can I do now to protect myself from this when [ Read More ]
Right before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder I went to China during a hypomanic episode. I left everything in Seattle inluding my parter Ivan who had been through a terrible year with his bipolar disorder- I left my family and the few friends I had not alientated with my behavior- and just got on a plane!
I studied Mandarin in the five weeks I was in China- and because I was slightly manic,I learned it quickly.
My mom followed me to China because she was worried about me and when we finally reached Hong Kong I knew I was very sick. To make a long and very interesting story short,I was diagnosed and started meds the week I got back to the states.
That was in 1995. Since then,I have talked about studying Mandarin again. In fact,I have started classes and never finished them. After my trip [ Read More ]
I was taking generic Lamictal for 4 weeks during December,but around Christmas the side effects-headache,anxiety-became too much on 50mg. I know you’re not a doctor,but in your experience do these subside over time. I’m a street musician in Portland and just getting turned on to your bi-polar crusade. Your work looks pretty amazing.
Regards,
Ted
Hi Ted,
Well,side effects are so tricky as they depend on the person. For example,I take 500mg of generic Lamictal (also called generic Lamotrigine) and have more side effects when my dose gets too low!
The normal Lamictal dose is 250mg- but that is just an average. What matters is that it works- the dose depends on the person taking the meds.
My first question would be just that- did it work? If it did,you may want to wait out the side effects if you can- if they are even moderately tolerable. [ Read More ]
I woke up depressed- nothing new unfortunately. I knew it was going to be a tough morning- but it doesn’t have to be a tough day!
Then I turned on the TV and saw Barak Obama being sworn in as President. I felt such happiness. No matter what a person feels politically,I think that seeing a million people in an orderly gathering in Washington is a powerful thing- and it helps depression because it makes you see that people can get out and do things – even when it’s cold!
I now have to get on with my day. It’s hard to get going when your first thought in the morning is that there is no purpose to your life. I have to remind myself that I didn’t feel this at all yesterday and that this is depression talking. Now I have to get out and work on my book proposal- see friends and [ Read More ]
Three treatment tips you may not have thought of….
1. The people in your life often cause more bipolar disorder symptoms than you do yourself. Make a list of the people in your life and rank them in terms of which ones make your symptoms better and which ones who make them worse. Then you have some decisions to make!
2. Caffeine is a drug just like pot and alcohol. It’s addictive and it causes sleep problems just like pot and alcohol. Though it feels like it helps depression,in reality it makes it a ton worse because it affects sleep. I LOVE coffee and I have taught myself to drink decaf. If you have sleep problems or trouble with anxiety- coffee,energy drinks,super dark chocolate and lots of black tea may be the culprit!
3. Making successful bipolar disorder management a goal exponentially increases your chances of a happy,stable and healthy life. [ Read More ]
I’ve written a lot about Lamictal and Generic Lamictal (Lamotrigine) the past few months. This is the drug I take as do many other people with bipolar disorder. One reader commented that she couldn’t sleep when she was on Lamictal. That was a side effect I had not heard. Other people have had the same problem- here is a comment from a reader:
Hi Julie,
It took nine months before I could sleep without some sleep aid. Low doses of Zyprexa or levomepromazin helped.
Lena
Hi Lena,
A friend of mine has had trouble sleeping and her doctor suggested that she use a small dose of Zyprexa. She knows it will work,but she’s scared to feel like a zombie again. She just started a new job. It’s frustrating for her. Others use the Zyprexa with great success. She has to find something that will work for her.
I wasn’t familiar with the other drug you mentioned,so [ Read More ]
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