Finally words from a slack blogger!
Not only has typing been impossible but the ability to write by hand seems to have deserted me too. Usually I keep a journal, write point-form notes for discussion during therapy, write letters to penfriends and take part in a global postcard exchange via the web site Postcrossing. I have always enjoyed collecting journals and fountain pens and have taken great pleasure from the possibilities presented by each new page.
Where has this gone?
Partly it is a physical disability because my hands shake from the meds I take. I have been dropping things and stumbling too. My psych thinks Lamictal is the cause and my dosage has been decreased. However there seems to be a cognitive element too and I’m struggling with thought processes. Nevertheless I’m here and trying to throw a few words together in the hope that they make sense!
Another reason that I’ve not written over recent months is that I’ve read in other blogs/articles that people writing anecdotes about their illness are contributing to misinformation because what they say is not backed up by the presentation of available research. It’s hard to argue with that. I certainly write about my own experiences rather than presenting references to scientific studies, however I believe there is a place for both and that it can be a bit precious to claim that journal type blogs have no value whatsoever. I read personal blogs to feel connected with other people who have bipolar and how it affects their lives. If I read something about a medication with which people have had personal experience I may go looking for the scientific information afterwards. I’d like to think that visitors here do the same thing and I don’t expect anyone to just accept the experiences I’ve had and apply them to their own. I admit to being put off with the attitude I’ve come across but then I credit people who read blogs about bipolar with the intelligence to work out if the blog is worth reading or not.
I remind everyone that I’m not a scientist, psychiatrist, doctor or psychiatric nurse. I’m just an average person with bipolar.
I had been losing a steady two kilos at each weigh-in which was great after the massive weight gain on the evil (to me) Zyprexa but my psych re-prescibed Zyprexa after my manic episode and my fat cells obviously love the stuff. What a vicious circle I’m stuck in.
