Bipolar Happens Blog – Julie Fast

A friend of mine just had to up her Zyprexa due to paranoia. She was really trying to make it on a lower dose, but had to face the reality of her psychosis. I am so proud of her for being able to take care of herself.

Another friend went off her meds and called me crying on Saturday- she said,  “I was doing so much better! I thought I didn’t need them.” The interesting thing is that she’s a doctor! No matter how educated we are or how smart we are, bipolar disorder can still trick us regarding medications. 

When the meds are working long term , it’s hard to feel them working.  My mind often says, “You’re doing well today Julie. It won’t matter if you just skip a dose. Opening all of those pill bottles is such a bother.” This is not the voice of reason! The voice of reason reminds me of what life was like before I had my Lamictal- or before my friend had her Zyprexa.  It reminds me that it’s not normal for my doctor friend to cry when she calls me.  

Meds work.  They don’t take away all of my symptoms- but they help. I managed bipolar disorder on my own for over 10 years- it’s possible to do, but extremely difficult. When I found a medication that worked, I still had to manage the illness daily – but it’s a lot easier now. If you’re struggling with your meds, don’t give up. It took me a long time to find the right one for myself, but I’m so glad I kept trying.  I now use the med as part of my overall treatment plan. I’m doing a lot better these days, that’s for sure. Julie

Related posts:

1. Bipolar Disorder Medications: What is Zyprexa? (Olanzapine)  Zyprexa, also known as Olanzapine is an anti psychotic drug...
2. Bipolar and Lamictal (generic Lamotrigine) the Thread on My meds are working…. I just did a post called My Meds are Working-...
3. Bipolar Disorder and Sleep- Reader Comment, Levomepromazine,Neurocil and Nozinan I’ve written a lot about Lamictal and Generic Lamictal (Lamotrigine)...
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Tags: Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Medication Side effects, Bipolar medication, Lamictal, paranoia, Zyprexa

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 1:49 pm and is filed under Bipolar Treatment Tips, Friends & Family, Medications, Zyprexa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.