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 ]
I think you will really like my new website- especially if you have visited the old one for the past few years! This one lets people know more about my work in general. It also explains my family and partner coaching work as well as information on all of my books.
My webmaster Emanuel is so supportive of my work- he understands bipolar disorder and understands how I operate. That is all you can ask for in a webmaster!
I hope you enjoy the podcasts, videos and my radio show interviews on the site as well.
Writing through anxietyAnxiety comes in many forms- but there is one thing they all have in common. Physical symptoms. These symptoms include breathing problems, uncomfortable waves of fear, restlessness and in some, paralysis! Anxiety is complicated because it can be seen as a person’s inability to deal with life- when in reality it’s a well documented and treatable illness. I’ve often sat down to write a book and felt such waves of anxiety I felt there was no way I could go on. I can usually write through them- on really tough days I walk around. Then there really are some days where I just give up and write more later. When I had my own radio show- I loved being live, but the anxiety was so bad a few days before the show I felt like I was going crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like it. When you listen to the shows, I bet [ Read More ]
Bipolar is so very weird. When I’m depressed I can look at this rose and see nothing of beauty. I’ve also had experiences where the beauty of something is painful because I feel so left out.
With mania, the rose is too beautiful. I could look into it forever – which is not exactly true as when I’m manic I don’t do anything for very long. My attention would be grabbed by something even more beautiful.
When my ex partner Ivan was really psychotic and in the hospital- I took him a rose- it had a lot of symbolic meaning to him- it was blood red- it caused pain- etc.
Well, it’s pretty obvious that a rose isn’t just a rose is a rose….
Today I want to just look at the rose for what it is. A beautiful flower. I live in Portland, Oregon- also known as the [ Read More ]
Hi, I just received a question from Sandra asking if it’s normal that her depression seems to show up every two months- oh, yes it is normal! Here is my answer:
hi Julie,
I have a question. Looking back at about eight months of journaling, I noticed that every two months or so, my entries suggest that I was depressed. It would appear that this is cycling every two months. Could this be accurate? Anything I can do to correct it? Yes, I will bring it up with my psychiatrist at the next appointment.
Thanks!
Hi Sandra,
Bipolar disorder is an episode illness- as compared to psychotic or personality disorders which are more stable over time. This means a person can have a few severe episodes and then none for a few years- or someone, like myself can have mood swings [ Read More ]
Here is a comment from J. on my blog about the economic climate in this country- it’s a good one!
thank u for this. I needed some cheering up. financially we are at out wits’ end. I function only due to my meds. without them i’d be dead now. bipolar is no joke, and having financial problems on top of it…well, it’s hard to stay sane. I CAN choose to enjoy as much of my life THIS MOMENT as I can, no matter what is going on around me. so I try. I fight depression. my meds keep me from mania which is good or we’d be in worse trouble. I thank god I still have left things to be thankful for RIGHT NOW. tomorrow will be dealt with tomorrow. that’s how I cope with money problems I can’t fix. one day at a time. if I live in the present I can cope [ Read More ]
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A Reader Question for Julie Fast