I’ve kept a chart of my mood swings for the past year. It’s amazing to see what triggers most of my downswings. Without question,it’s difficult relationships. I knew that this was a problem,but seeing the reality on a piece of paper forced me to make some serious behavioral changes. I have to limit contact with certain people,no matter how much I care for them. I wish I were the type who could have exciting,but difficult people in my life,but as my chart clearly pointed out. I can’t.
There is a mood swing chart and an example of one of my charts at the back of my book Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder. The Health Cards can provide you a lot of information as well. I faithfully chart my mood every night. It’s depressing to see how this illness controls my life,but I at least know I am doing [ Read More ]
I am going to court tomorrow,and I have been a mess,shaky,anxious,and frustrated at everybody around me. I feel like everything someone says is just irritating and worthless to me. I don’t’want to around anybody,but I know that is not healthy for me. I have been getting worse all week leading up to this stressful situation. I am worried that I am going to have a full blown depression episode. I cannot concentrate and am having trouble sleeping.
Hi Colby,
Isn’t it amazing what stress can do to our bodies and minds…I would be stressed too. It hits us harder- that’s for sure. It’s amazing that you are aware of your anger and frustration- this means you can keep it from ruining relationships and getting you into trouble. I was majorly irritated yesterday and even yelled at a friend- I felt terrible and then realized that is [ Read More ]
During the time that I have been working with Julie,Ive seen the challenges faced by someone with Bipolar disorder. I’ve witnessed the day when it was difficult for her to sit still and even focus because her thoughts were bouncing everywhere. It was hard for me to know how to help her get refocused. She is teaching me what I can do to help. I’ve also been a part of a morning that was a “girl to girl” chat just to clear the thoughts so that a work focus could be resumed and maintained.
There is so much that can be learned from working with someone who has bipolar illness. The discipline of taking care of yourself and planning in detail what you intend to do have been a good addition to my daily routine. There is also a time to be flexible and work back around to the needed focus. I’ve also learned to watch my [ Read More ]
Manic depression is such an old term. I like to use it once in awhile. It’s certainly descripitve! Now,on with the blog!
I ask myself this question a lot- so I will ask it to you. What can you do if your bipolar simply won’t stop affecting your life? I know that I do every single thing I write about in my books and have changed my life 100%. And yet there is still a problem. Bipolar disorder can be managed,but it doesn’t go away.
This sucks- pardon my French.
I no longer struggle with the ‘why me’of having this illness. What I struggle with is working so hard every minute of the day and still being sick off and on. I do know that I would be in and out of the hospital without my plan. And I know I would not be able to do the work I love so [ Read More ]
I have what I call Ultradian Rapid Cycling Bipolar II with psychotic features,etc. Truthfully,my form of bipolar is pretty rare- which is probably why I can write about bipolar 24 hours a day- my moods change so constantly. I just counted that in the last ten days I’ve had 15 mood swings. I get very,very tired of it. These mood swings have been constant since 2002- I am not sure why I’ve gotten so much worse over the years- though I know my management skills have improved 1000% since I wrote the Health Cards. That is why I talk about them so much.
I am speaking to a group of psychiatric residents at Oregon Health and Sciences University hospital next week. I am very looking forward to this- and in the opening of my talk,I’m going to ask the audience to guess how many mood swings I’ve had since January 1st [ Read More ]
It is the 4th of July. I had a great time at my brother’s birthday party yesterday- and I am going to a party with my good friends Marsh and Adam in a few hours. And I just felt my mood sweep down and I had this thought:
I don’t have any friends.
In the past,these thoughts plagued me and I didn’t know what to do about them. Now I do- but they still hurt! They still try to control me! As you probably know either through personal experience or seeing it in a loved one,bipolar causes thoughts that ARE NOT REAL- but they feel real. And if we say them out loud or act on them,they become real- especially to others. So,when I had this ridiculous thought –I said to myself,“Julie,this is a bipolar thought. It’s not true. Get up and do something. It will pass. ”[ Read More ]
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