It’s a three day weekend here in the states. Many people are traveling out of town or have events on the weekend. On the other hand, there are those who are lonely and wish they had something planned. Holidays can be tough for both sides. If I’m manic, I’ll just go have a blast no matter where I am. I’d walk up to strangers and she what they’re doing. If I’m depressed, all I can think about is that other people have a lot more fun than I do. They go to picnics and see people and throw Frisbees and have a wonderful time. I’m sure I’m missing out.
Of course this is a great illustration that my moods are not my own- and that I need to get focused and create my own moods. I do this by planning ahead.
I recently did a series of interviews for a large mental health website called healthyplace.com. Here is one of the first videos I recorded. I’d like to set this up a bit before you watch it. I went through a terrible experience in 1994 when my partner Ivan got very sick and was in the hospital for three months in a manic/psychotic episode. I was scared, overwhelmed and very confused about what was going on. I never met his doctor when he was in the hospital! The nurses were wonderful, but no one actually explained the illness or why he was so sick. I literally had to do everything on my own. Things have changed a lot of course! I wrote books on this experience myself- so the information is more out there now. The video below is a response to the question of what we can do to work successfully without health care professionals [ Read More ]
I’ve had WAY to many mood swings in the last six weeks- i counted 23 on my daily mood swing chart. That’s too many. I’m examining what is going on in my life so that I can really stay focused on my bipolar disorder treatment plan. But it’s hard. Writing a blog seems like too much of an effort! But I know it’s not. It’s a lot more effort to not do something. I had a choice when I walked into my house- to worry about being to sick to look at my email and do a blog- or to do it and save the hours of worry I would have that I’m not working enough. Speaking of working, I haven’t been able to work very consistently for the past six weeks- but I keep going. It’s better than not working at all!
I feel better when I get things done. I’m off to [ Read More ]
All of my blogs are divided into categories- you can see the list on the right- I’ve been consolidating them for the past few weeks. Here’s an example of what’s included in the medications category:
Medications: Abilify, tegretol, depakote, lithium, lamictal, lamotrigine, zyprexa, serequel, anti depressants, medical treatment of bipolar disorder, medications used to treat bipolar disorder, side effects, anti convulsants, anti psychotics, mood stabilizers, mania medications, depression medications, anxiety medications, talking with your doctor about medications, family members on medications, family members who refuse medications, medications in the news, what medications should a person with bipolar disorder take, etc etc!
Can you believe there is so much to learn about medications and bipolar disorder! If you just take an hour to read all of the blogs in this category, you will know more than most people on the planet about the drugs used to treat the illness. It’s fascinating information. I have learned it [ Read More ]
I was really depressed the other day – and I mean really depressed. My friend Pat called and said, “How can I help you Julie? You always say that you need action when you’re depressed. So why don’t you come over and we can have dinner!”
This is what I need when I’m sick. It was hard to say yes, but I did. I felt much better when I got there – we went to a friend’s tulip farm and had a great time with some other friends. All the while- the depression was eating away at my brain- at least that is what it felt like- but I kept going.
On the way back to her house, we saw a truck parked next to a field. From the moment I saw it- I knew it was a message to me- Julie, no matter what happens with this illness, sometimes you just have to REALLY [ Read More ]
I am very upset, stressed, on the edge, worried and unhappy
How about that! At least I am aware of it. True problems arise when you feel all of the above and don’t know it. But I know it and I have known it for a few weeks. My rapid cycling has been so bad it’s hard to keep up with it. I just had a sort of argument with my mom. I bought her an Ipod for mother’s day and it didn’t go well. I was so excited- I’m cash only now, so I took a lot of thought about the price and what I wanted to do. I rarely give presents- so this was special. I set up Itunes and downloaded a live album from her favorite singer Jamie Cullum.
When I gave it to her I was so excited. She liked it and listened to it for a while. Then she said, [ Read More ]
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Mom Brain Podcast
Listen to Julie’s latest interview on bipolar disorder and mental health in children, teens and adults on the Mom Brain Podcast with Hilaria Baldwin and Daphne Oz.
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.
