[flv]http://www.bipolarhappens.com/bhvideos/Trigger.flv[/flv]
Archive for the ‘Triggers’ Category
Julie Fast video – about bipolar disorder triggers
Thursday, December 27th, 2007Emergency Depression Plan
Monday, October 15th, 2007I walked into a trigger this weekend. This is like walking into a brick wall you refuse to see even when it’s staring you in the face. It’s a hallmark of bipolar disorder. My real brain says, “Sure Julie! Of course you can do that! “ and then once you do it, the bipolar brain says, “Oh no Julie. Look what you’ve done! You caused the monster to come out once again!”
I know better. I write the books right? I know not to be so hard on myself. This is a tricky illness. I can get mildly manic and not realize it and then make a decision that seems just fine at the time. Then the effects of the decision hit my brain and I go down, sometimes way down. It’s completely unfair.
The good news is that I have a plan I put into place immediately. This shortens the inevitable depression and lets me get back to my life in a day or less instead of the weeks I used to experience in the past.
I try to remind myself that it’s depression when the really sad, lonely and negative thoughts start- but it can be hard to maintain perspective.
I call my depression team: my mother and friends. I may talk to three or four – one after the other. They all know what to say:
“Julie, remember the Health Cards. You’re talking like this because you’re depressed. You know what you’re saying and feeling isn’t real. Let’s work on getting you better.”
They remind me not to listen to the voices that tell me my life is worthless. Instead, they remind me to focus on stopping the depression. I have a terrible illness- but I do have a wonderful life.
It always works.
Julie
Five Things People With Bipolar Disorder Need to Avoid!
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007Our latest newsletter in case you missed it.
Tips from Julie Fast
News
Julie is also a regular advice columnist for BP Hope Magazine quarterly publication
Julie will be writing a series of articles for Latino Suave Magazine on recognizing, being open about, treating and ultimately managing mood disorders with an emphasis on the Latino community. You will see her work in Latino Suave Magazine starting December 2007.
If you are interested in Spanish bipolar disorder resources we now have the Health Cards System available in Spanish.
http://www.bipolarhappens.com/julie_fast_espanol.php
Watch for more news about the January 2008 release of her new book published by Penguin, Getting It Done When You’re Depressed.
Five Mistakes People With Bipolar Disorder Need to Avoid!
1. Too much caffeine. Ah yes, coffee, tea, Mountain Dew, energy drinks and super dark chocolate. They all sure either taste good or give you so called ‘energy.’ The facts are that they don’t give real energy- they pump you up for a while and then either lead to the shakes or a crash. They then cause sleep problems. If you have more than one regular coffee a day, simply ask yourself if it affects your sleep. If it doesn’t, then have it! If, like me, only one iced coffee literally keeps me up all night, then you have to think if it’s worth it. I write about this a lot as I love coffee. I stick to decaf now- well, as much as possible!
2. Stay in relationships that are argumentative. There is nothing worse for bipolar disorder than fighting. When I used to allow fights to happen in my family, I would have an immediate suicidal thought such as, “I just want to die.” In order to stop the thoughts and the pain that comes with them, I stopped arguing. This meant that certain people had to go. It also meant that my contact with some family members had to change. Yes, it was me or them. I chose me. I’m the one who gets sick and has to live with the psychosis and the depression. Interestingly, many people understand this and know that I have to leave contentious situations no matter what. That helps.
3. Let irritation take over. Bipolar disorder can lead to a lot of irritation and anger. This can even lead to violence. I wasn’t having a very smooth day yesterday. I could feel that I was irritated and that I needed to just calm down and make sure I didn’t take it out on anyone. Yes, I did have a coffee! That is going to stop! A man pulled out in front of me on a busy road and literally drove across two lanes to get to a side street. I honked my horn and thought- ‘my god, what a stupid driver.’ Then he flipped me off. I was already irritated enough and this sent me a bit over the edge. I actually had the thought that I needed to chase him down and show him he can’t flip me off when he is the one who is stupid! It’s hard to explain to others that this feeling is different than just normal anger. When it’s bipolar disorder related, if feels like a need. As though it would be the right thing to do. Reasoning leaves and it’s all emotion. I’ve learned to fight this and you can too. Because I was already aware that I was irritated for no reason, I kept myself from chasing down the car. I then realized that I needed to change direction in my own day and see what was really going on. I did and the irritation left by the afternoon.
4. Travel without planning for bipolar disorder mood swings. I’m currently writing a book on bipolar disorder and travel. In fact, you may have read about my last trip in a past newsletter. Traveling is a microcosm of bipolar disorder triggers. Time changes affect sleep that can then cause mood swings. You may be stuck with people you don’t really want to be around. You may have to go places that are too over stimulating. Or maybe, if you’re a family member or friend, the person with bipolar disorder ruins your travel! No matter what, just as you have travel plans with plane tickets, hotels and all of the other things that come with travel, you have to have a bipolar plan as well. I will get the book done in time for the holidays! We all need it.
5. Get trapped in the bipolar conversation. This one is for family members. All of my books talk about what I call the bipolar conversation. This is when you think you’re talking to the person you care about, where in reality, you’re simply talking to the illness. My books Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder have chapters dedicated to preventing the bipolar conversation. If you try to talk normally to a depressed person for example, you will be frustrated. When you say, “But your life is fine! Why are you so upset?” they can’t answer that question. They will say, “You don’t understand. My life has no purpose. I can’t find a reason to keep on living like this!” If you keep trying to reason with them, the bipolar conversation starts and no one wins. There are a lot of tips in the above books to stop the conversation once and for all- on both sides!
I hope these are helpful. You probably know this information- but knowledge is one thing, practice is another. We all get caught unaware by triggers and we all think, “Oh, I can do this. It will be fine!” and we are blindsided by a mood swing once again. Managing this illness never ends. We can get a lot better at it, but we have to be vigilant all of the time! Not fair, but true. And if you care about someone with bipolar disorder, read all that you can and take care of yourself first. Then you’ll have the skill and the energy to help the other person.
Julie
www.bipolarhappens.com
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julie A. Fast best selling author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and
Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder is a critically acclaimed six-time author, award winning bipolar disorder advise columnist, national speaker, and sought after expert in the fields of bipolar disorder and depression. Julie’s work specializes in helping real people manage all aspects of their daily lives and despite the complications that bipolar disorder creates. Learn how to how to personalize a plan to help yourself or a loved one find and create stability that ensures the quality of life that we all deserve, visit: http://www.bipolarhappens.com
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Relationship Disappointment
Monday, August 20th, 2007On the list of the worst triggers for bipolar disorder mood swings- relationship troubles are right at the top for me. I know I have to be careful – really careful in my choices, but a person just sometimes has to do something that they know may feel right even though it will end badly. I always think, oh well, if I do get depressed, I can just handle it. Then when it happens I wonder how I could have been so DUMB. Nothing is worth terrible depression. Nothing. We all have to protect ourselves from bipolar disorder by watching who we let into our lives. It makes me so mad that I have to be so careful. There are a lot of fun people out there who add excitement to life, but if they add depression as well, it’s just not worth it! Oh well, I have my friends, my lamictal and other medications, my family, my Health Cards, my strength. I will get through this depression as I always do!
Julie
What is a bipolar disorder trigger?
Friday, August 17th, 2007[flv]http://www.bipolarhappens.com/bhvideos/Trigger.flv[/flv]
Going Out with Friends
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007I want to send out some encouragement today. If it’s tough for you right now, you’re not alone. It’s tough for many of us with bipolar disorder because it’s an illness. I always try to think of it as though I had serious diabetes. I would have to make a lot of changes in order to stay well. One day of cake and ice cream at a party could really make me ill if I had trouble regulating my insulin.
I then think, one night of partying or staying up too late can make me ill in the same way. It’s physical. When it’s brighter outside, I do feel an increase in energy as well as a desire to go out more and have more fun – my friends often stay out past midnight and then have no trouble sleeping. I just can’t keep up that schedule for very long.
If I stay up having fun at a karaoke bar or a dinner party, I will go home with a racing brain and will have to take some kind of sleep aid. This can then cause memory loss and tiredness the next day, so I often go home early. Another disappointment from bipolar disorder. I have made a decision that staying out really late is not worth it to me- nor is over drinking when I do go out. It’s a choice.
Are you in a similar situation?
Julie
Breakthrough Mood Swings
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007Breakthrough mood swings happen when a mood swing is too strong for your medication. I have a friend with bipolar I who has been on lithium for over 15 years. It has worked well, but about every seven years, a serious manic episode breaks through. Considering that she was mania free for so many years, she wasn’t ready for the last one. As all people with Bipolar I know, mania can be devastating. It’s so important that all of us look for bipolar disorder symptoms all of the time so that these mood swings can be caught early. I use my Health Cards (www.bipolarhappens.com) to prevent these from taking over before I realize what is happening. I know the signs that a depression episode is starting for me so that I can be really pissed off that this illness is trying to ruin my life once again and then do what I can to get better.
Julie
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