Bipolar Disorder Triggers

I just finished an article on bipolar disorder triggers for my column in BP Magazine.

I was going through some serious trigger issues when I wrote it! Do you write things down when you’re sick? I find it helps. I can often see my role in what’s going on if I write about what I’m honestly feeling.

I started seriously examining my bipolar triggers about eight years ago when I created the Health Cards (my treatment plan on bipolarhappens.com )-  wow, I was a mess. I walked into situations without thinking and I was constantly ill. I’m a lot more vigilant now. A lot more. The minute I start to get sick, I think to myself- what is going on here? And I examine my life. Often it’s a problem with a person or work. Considering that my life pretty much revolves around relationships and work, this is depressing!

A friend of mine was doing really well after spending a few months in the hospital over 10 years ago. And then he got a job promotion. He had his first manic episode in over ten years.  He went back to his regular job and got better quickly. It’s not fair is it.

Triggers aren’t always negative. There are many ‘positive’ triggers as well. It helps if family members can remember that those of us with bipolar are just ridiculously sensitive to change. We don’t like it. I hate it. But it’s our reality.

I think I use the phrase- it’s our reality- about a million times a day.
Julie

If you don’t have a subscription to BP Magazine, I highly recommend it. If you subscribe now, you can read my column on triggers in the fall issue!

www.bphope.com

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One Bipolar Drama After Another!

I used to have a lot of drama in my life. Much of it was due to my own choices, some of it was due to bipolar disorder causing me to make stupid choices, such as when I get manic.

I have changed completely in the past few years. I’m no longer willing to make decisions and then just hope they turn out ok.

I get too sick when I do this. I have goals in life that I want to reach-  speaking to large groups on mental health, reducing the suicide rate in this country, financial stability, physical health- big stuff for sure!
The only way I can accomplish my goals is to examine every potential decision for disaster (drama!) from sending an email to saying yes to a request. I’ve learned to ask myself the following questions:

Will it make me sick?

Has it made me sick in the past?

Am I manic?

Is depression clouding my judgment?

How will my decision make me feel tomorrow, next week and into the future?
I also have a lot of people in my life who will ask the questions for me and really make me mad! But I need their judgment in case I’m making a decision when I’m sick.

This is a constant exercise- I’ve learned to slow down a bit. I’m at over 50% success right now in my decision making. Considering that I used to do everything blindly, this is pretty good!

I have almost no drama in my life these days.

Julie

Here they are!

- Dating
- Unrealistic deadlines
- Troublesome people
- Moods of others
- Sleep disturbances such as a party next to my house
- Travel

I don’t date. I give myself time to get things done- this is always a challenge. I say goodbye instead of hello to people who want to make me miserable. I gauge the moods of others and don’t provoke or even comment on their moods if I don’t have to. I have a noise machine, a humidifier and meds to sleep if I need them. I plan for travel way, way in advance.

Having bipolar disorder is like having a child you have to take care of 24 hours a day.

But….. I am mentally healthy.

Julie

Hello All,
I’m doing a very special interview with my mother this week on the Julie Fast Radio Show. If you would like to ask her a question, please send me an email and I will try to answer it on the air. I can’t guarantee it will be on, but I will get to all that I can. 

I have to say that my mother is an expert on helping a child who has bipolar disorder. We have worked together to manage this illness for eight years. We have some good tips that can work for all families.

My mother and I will talk at length about the Health Cards and how they literally saved our relationship. (If you’re new to this blog, the Health Cards are the treatment system I talk about on my site bipolarhappens.com)

You can go to www.juliefast.com/radio to send an email. You can also listen to the archived shows from the past two  months. I especially recommend the show with Don Moore- a friend of mine whose daughter has schizophrenia. 

 
I never thought I would be well enough to work again- but it’s happening. I just want to remind you to never give up- just over a year ago I was too ill to work full time, but today I can. I’ve made a lot of scarifies to get here, but it’s worth it. Working is wonderful and I don’t take it for granted!

Julie

I’m a presenter at the National Alliance on Mental Illness conference this June 13th-16th in Orlando, Florida. For those of you outside the US, NAMI is a large mental health advocacy nonprofit organization.  They have a strong focus on family. I’m teaching a class called Loving Someone with a Mental Illness.  This is the first time in the past six years that I have been well enough to travel and teach!

All of this sounds great, right? Well… let me tell you… travel is very, very difficult for me. I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it. I booked my flight today- I had to get a flight that leaves at midnight in order to get to the conference on time.

That freaks me out. How am I going to get enough sleep? Will it cause mood swings? What if I don’t sleep at all? Will I have to take meds and sleep in the afternoon which means I will miss part of the conference?  How will I deal with the time change? I don’t do well with that at all. It’s also expensive- NAMI doesn’t pay my way as they are a nonprofit. Is it really worth doing all of this just to teach one session? I then have to miss one of my radio shows…… which means prerecording before I leave. bla.

I could go on like this forever. So here is what I’m going to do.

I booked the ticket so that I have plenty of time coming and going. This means less stress so that I can at least get some sleep on the plane. In the past, I would have worried more about booking the tickets than actually doing it. This is one of the strategies in Get it Done When You’re Depressed- you don’t have to be depressed to use the strategies in this book! The one I used says, “Don’t worry about something- do something.” Oh, how true.

As for the three hour time change- I will get on Florida time a week before I leave. Then the time change won’t lead to mood swings. I can change my schedule about 30 minutes a night. The bipolar brain responds to this a lot better than just doing it all in one day.

I can box and send my books to the conference ahead of time. This costs a bit more, but it much easier than bringing them in a suitcase.

Many people there have a mental illness, so there will be a lot of understanding company! They worry about the same things I do.

I can pack ahead of time for once- using a list I prepare way in advance. Wow, what a novel idea.

I also have a travel health card I can look over – it has a lot of tips that I wrote the last time I traveled- such as how to handle stressful airports.

I will be fine.

I’m much, much healthier than I used to be bipolar wise and can actually travel alone again. That is a huge improvement. I want to focus on that.

Do you have to travel anywhere in the next few months? If it has been a problem in the past, you can start preparing now!

I have two months before I leave, and much of what I have to do will be taken care of in the next few weeks. I’m learning!

Julie