Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Sunday night- finally feeling more stable….

I went to the wedding of an old flame of mine yesterday. Believe me- seeing someone get married is a wonderful thing- but it can be a rather depressing thing when you’re already depressed- and you’re seeing an ex look so happy! (Depression makes a person very selfish! )

My downswing from last Thursday has continued off and on. The secret is to keep doing exactly what you would do if you were NOT depressed. That is what keeps me going. I drove to Seattle from Portland- met a dear friend and went with her to the wedding. My mom came with me on the trip- so that was nice. And all the time- I was sad and depressed on the inside – and trying hard to be normal on the outside. I did a really good job which means that I actually did have a lot of good times on the trip!

It [ Read More ]

Just Out of the Hospital? Bipolar disorder and tiredness

I wrote earlier that I had a horrific downswing yesterday – it was awful! I woke up fine this morning. This is just further proof that this illness can be so random and chemical. If you or someone you care about has just come home from the hosptial- it’s important to remember that the body gets very, very worn out after bad episodes. Our bodies go through extreme physical shock during serious mood swings- especially with a full blown manic episode. It’s as though we have run a marathon- our bodies give out eventually.

I remember when my former partner Ivan was in the hospital. I went to see him every day- and he was just so tired a lot of the time. He was in restraints for over two months. If the staff took off the restraints he got very agitated. His strength was unbelieveable. He’s such a mild manered guy. All of this [ Read More ]

A thank you from Julie

I got very, very sick today. I would say the depression was a 9 out of 10. Hospital style depression. It’s now 9PM and I have it down to a 4. I worked hard for that 4! I did a lot today to take care of myself and will write more about that later.

Before I go to sleep and sleep off the rest of this terrible mood swing- I want to say thank you for the amazing comments of support I get from all of you. You know how it is when you get really sick- you just get so worn out. I cried off and on all day and I’m now physically tired….. bla! My mom and friends helped a lot- I am glad I was able to get on with my day as best I could. The odd thing is that there was no obvious trigger. It was what my coauthor [ Read More ]

Bipolar depression: it IS unfair!

I struggle with the word ‘unfair.’ Some of my friends suggest that I shouldn’t use the word as it’s pointless to all this illness unfair. Other say- oh yes Julie- use the word unfair because it is unfair that people with bipolar disorder and those who love us have to struggle so much!

I am going to use the word UNFAIR today! I was fine for three days. Normal- with normal thoughts and behaviors. Then I woke up with IT. Nothing changed in the past few days- but IT is here. Ok. I can hear what my brain is saying- what is the point of work? It’s just a bunch of writing and email and getting nowhere!

What is the point of anything really- you’re not very happy and your life is pretty boring.

I could go on! I am sure you can add plenty to this list.

I can’t and won’t listen. It’s [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and Travel

Why is it so hard to just do a one hour presentation?

I am going to the Oregon coast tomorrow to talk with law enforcement agents about bipolar disorder. I have always wanted to do this- so it should be exciting right? Well, if you have bipolar disorder you know that the one hour presentation is not the problem- it’s the stress of thinking about all of the planning that has to go into it! I have to meet a friend who is driving me to the coast. This means I have to get there at a specific time. What if I can’t sleep? In fact, I know I will not be able to get to sleep on my own. When should I take my Ativan? Will I get enough sleep as I tend to wake up too early when I travel.

Where are my books? Do I have copies in my car? No. That [ Read More ]

Get it Done When You’re Depressed: Think like an athlete!

Think Like an Athlete

I like to talk with people who have achieved excellence in the sporting world. Their dedication and perseverance are similar to what it takes to manage bipolar disorder successfully.

Here is a great quote:

You can neither win or lose if you don’t get into the game.

How true. I often get scared and stressed when I approach a new book deal. There is always the chance of a no- but there is always the chance of a yes- so I stay in the game. I always get sick bipolar wise when I write books with strict deadlines- I often feel I can’t go on. But I do and I’m glad I stick it out. When I do interviews for my book Get it Done When You’re Depressed, the interviewers inevitably ask me about my Think Like an Athlete tip. Athletes keep going no matter what- and we can too. If [ Read More ]