Monitor Your Bipolar Disorder Mood Swings

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 ]

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Ask Julie: Bipolar Anger and Irritation

Hi Julie,

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 ]





Funny Bipolar Disorder Mania Stories

When I get together with my friends who have bipolar disorder, we naturally talk about how rotten this illness is and how meds work but have side effects and the sleep issues are horrible, etc. But we ALWAYS tell our mania stories. Here are a few great ones: (These are often the behaivors that lead to a bipolar disorder diagnosis.) [ Read More ]





Posted on June 19th, 2011 | Tags: , , | Category: Mania

Odd depression and mania symptoms of bipolar disorder

I work with a lot of clients in my coaching business who find it hard to understand some of the odd behaviors of their loved ones. Here are the symptoms:

1. Want to work- have time to work- have ideas for work- but can’t work.

2. Can’t see the signs of mania even though others can see them 100%.

3. Make choices that make the depression or mania worse even when they know they are making a big mistake.

4. Stop taking meds even when it’s obvious the meds are working really well.

5. Get angry and then expect the family/work/friends etc. to just bounce back when their mood changes.

6.  Refuse help- even if it means they lose a relationship/job/friend/home, etc.

It may seem odd to call the above list ‘symptoms’- but they are.  All people with bipolar have the above behaviors- so that means they are symptoms of the illness. A plan in [ Read More ]





Bipolarity – a new word to describe bipolar disorder

My friend Karen just read a memoir of a woman with bipolar disorder- and the author used the term ‘bipolarity’ throughout the book! Has anyone heard of this term? I have been writing bipolar management books for over ten years and bipolarity is new to me! I know that there are different names used for the illness: [ Read More ]





Do Half

When things are tough, almost everything you have to do can seem impossible- especially the daily stuff like cleaning your house, making dinner, mowing the lawn, making work calls, etc, etc.

I have learned something-  I don’t have to do all of something-  I can vacuum half of the house, unload half of the dishwasher, cut half of the roses in my yard, make one call instead of all calls…  (You can then go back and do the rest later.)

The problem with bipolar is that it makes us think in all or nothing- I must clean the whole house and if I don’t I’m a failure. Hmm, actually, there is nothing that says you can’t do half.

It’s better than doing nothing at all.

Julie

You can do it all! Actually, no you can't. Sometimes the bipolar just makes [ Read More ]





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