Today I had my first post-manic, post-scheduling session with my psychiatrist. I was very apprehensive as my behaviour last week had been so bad and I really thought he might say that it would be better if he referred me to someone else. I’m also terribly depressed after my experience at the hospital and also because I’ve “crashed” badly after being so manic. Continue reading
My crazy week got worse, much worse.
Yesterday I became severely hypomanic again just before another appointment with my psych. I could feel it coming on when I woke up and it gradually got worse. Sitting in the waiting room I was aware that the hypo was quickly becoming full-on. I was very agitated yet happy and I kept seeing spiders running under the chairs, which I found funny, as you do, but I still had a sense of being able to stay in control. Wrong! Continue reading
OMG, what a week! I went into a really bad mixed affective state! Crazy, crazy, crazy bipolar woman.
One the first day I was flying high as a kite, the bouncing off the walls experience of hypomania. I remember that everything was hilariously funny and I was laughing at things that were probably only mildly amusing, if that. I was alone too, so no one was triggering my hilarity. I laughed until I was breathless and nearly vomiting. Next I was rushing around the house doing seven things at once (achieving nothing in the chaos) and swearing my head off. I’ve got nothing against swearing but I was spewing out vile phrases I’d never normally use and loudly expressing socially unacceptable views that I don’t even hold! I know what I was saying because while in this state (like something out of “The Exorcist”) I obviously thought it was very clever to write down all my thoughts … ?? … what, for the novel lurking inside me? Yeah right, some bestseller that would be full of my incoherent, psychotic, totally out of touch with reality, evil expulsions. Continue reading
Mostly I think my psychiatrist is an ideal therapist. He is professional, has solid boundaries, has wide-ranging knowledge and can get to the core of a problem effectively. We have a good therapeutic relationship. However, there are times he really tries my patience! Continue reading
So, the Rapture is now meant to happen in October! Was May 21 the pre-Rapture then? Whatever … I think I might be going down to the other place anyway. Sometimes I think I’m already halfway there, especially when I’m stuck inside my head. The inside of my head is a dark and messy place.
I shouldn’t be verbalising (writing) my feelings at all really. I feel like I have no right to feel so depressed. We have a family member who is gravely ill and in comparison my stupid bipolar is nothing. Yet I have no control over the course this illness takes except for that offered by the medications. I’m sure other BP people will understand what I mean when I say that you can acknowledge the plight of others, have empathy for others and wish you could do something to help, but you still can’t stop the BP from being there. It infiltrates everything. Continue reading
I’m still here struggling through the miasma that is BP, taking one step at a time and trying not to get lost in the fog. At least I wasn’t left behind by the predicted Rapture! I have no illusions that, had it happened, I would not have soared heaven-ward but rather have been left to languish until October. I would have chosen to stay earth-bound with my dogs anyway.
My weekly therapy with my psychiatrist continues, sometimes useful, sometimes not. Continue reading
Prior to going to hospital recently I was started on Lithium again for the third time in my history of med taking. Previously the side-effects have been intolerable with chronic nausea, some vomiting, diarrhoea and generally feeling crap. In hospital I told my treating psychiatrist I was having these symptoms and he suggested waiting longer to see is they disappeared. They didn’t so when I got out of hospital and saw my regular Pdoc he made the decision to take me off lithium to see what happened. The symptoms went away but the depression deepened. He still wants to use lithium as it is considered by many to be the “Gold Standard” treatment for bipolar, so he has now started me again on a very low, non-therapeutic dose to see if my body can adapt.
I’m currently feeling very socially inept and had to miss a party on the weekend because there was no way I could cope with a room full of strangers and just the party atmosphere sends me into sensory overload. We are also reaping the “benefits” of my pre-Christmas hypomanic/mixed state when I spent a lot of money on Christmas presents and things for myself that I neither want nor need. One of the downsides to mania/hypomania can be increasing debt.
On top of being depressed and spending much time in bed in either exhaustion or a state of anxiety, I’m also giving up smoking and trying to lose weight. The quitting smoking is going well. I started again in the Mental Health Unit (yes, strangely enough they allow smoking) so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to stay off the cigs. Dieting is not too hard at the moment either as I’m feeling so sick and have no appetite. I’ve currently lost 9kgs in less than a month.
To all bipolar folk, hang in there as it has to get better.
