Waking up Irritated

Irritation is a common symptom of bipolar disorder. It’s a dangerous symptom because people do not like to be around someone who is irritated. It’s hard to notice the mood swing as irritation can be a normal part of life- unlike depression and mania. Here are some basic signs of irritation: – People are in your way and you want to push them out of the way. – Stupid things make you mad. You can’t laugh at them or brush them off- you want to DO something about them and complain to someone about them. – Road rage becomes obvious. – You have no patience for what seems like inconsequential babble from others. – You would feel better if you could kick something.

If you have any of these signs, it’s essential to recognize them and see them for what they are: symptoms of bipolar disorder. You can’t act on them. You will lose [ Read More ]





Posted on October 29th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Uncategorized

Bipolar Disorder, Exercise and Physical Injuries

I’ve had a lot of physical injuries since my bipolar disorder diagnosis in 1995. A lot of it has to do with the 23 medications I tried. The up and down weight gain and the stress the meds put on my immune system have really taken a toll!

These days I focus on my physical health all day long. I’m eating a diet I feel I can stick to for the long term and I’m working hard to heal an injured shoulder and hands.

Why am I writing this? Because our physical bodies are something we can control when we have bipolar disorder. Most of us can exercise.

I remind myself that the depression in my life is a reality- but so is my ability to take care of my body when my mind is not healthy.

What do you think?

These days I have a mantra:

My body is 100% healthy. My hands are [ Read More ]





Bipolar Disorder and Friendship

Bipolar Disorder and Friendship

I lost most of my friends when I was really ill with bipolar disorder.

That was over 10 years ago. When I started to get better through using my treatment plan 24 freaking hours a day! I thought carefully about the kind of friend I wanted to be. Here is the main thing I changed. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.   This is a great place to start when you want to make friends. No one likes negativity. No one wants to hear how rotten your life is.  I used to be super negative and I always complained about how terrible it is to have bipolar disorder.  Now I just go with the flow on the simple things- don’t like the meal you’re eating? Guage the situation before you complain. Think the movie you’re watching sucks? Well, maybe the people you’re with are actually enjoying the [ Read More ]