I’m adding a new chapter to my book Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder. The chapter is on medications and the draft needs to be to my coauthor Dr. John Preston on Monday. I have a DRAFT….. and here I am at a coffee shop working with my friend Avi and guess what I just did for 30 minutes?
Messed around with some Internet blogs (American Idol!)
Opened the files I need to work on and wrote a few sentences.
And then I caught myself- this is no way to work and this is not how I can work if I want to be successful. I know better. So, the internet goes off. I simply turn off the wireless. All extraneous material I have around me goes in my bag. My files are open, my pens are ready and I am going to keep saying my favorite work mantra from Get it Done When You’re Depressed – until I get into the groove and write a great chapter.
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!
It seems that I am having a very rough time managing my bipolar type 2 when my life is turned upside down and had to take a temporary leave of absence from work to take care of my Mom and spend time with her in her final stages of terminal cancer.
I am not functioning well at all.
Suggestions ? I am going to re read some of your books that I have but am not going to do everything at once. Fortunately my Mom has 24 hour paid caregivers around the clock and is receiving Hospice care.. Yet, my emotions are all over the wall and I am on a low dose of Lamotrigine at 25 mg and wondered if I should up the dose .
Thanks
Hi Eileen,
First off, 25 mg. of Lamictal is a very, very low dose. That is basically what people start at in order to slowly go up and avoid side effects. I am not a doctor- but I talk to my co author a lot. My mother, brother, friend and myself are on Lamictal. Our doses are 125mg, 400 mg, 500 mg, and I take 700 mg.
200 mg is the basic therapeutic dose. If you go to the category list on the right, I have many posts on Lamictal and other medications.
I doubt very much that 25mg is having much effect.
You have to keep going until the Lamictal works. That is well known in the health care profession.
I think that this is the best place to start.
I am very sorry to hear about your mother. It would affect anyone’s bipolar.
Start with meds and go from there. My book that would help the most is the Health Cards- but more importantly, I think a grief counselor is the best next step.
Julie