I woke up depressed. It’s a bummer as I was on a pretty good streak. Eight days without depression. Well, that’s a pretty good length of stability.I’m so used to mood swings, that I actually do get excited and thankful for the stable days I can string together. It’s a bummer though.
I was talking with my dear radio co-host Avi yesterday. He was depressed for many, many years and then after a lot of work, meds and therapy he got a lot better. He was depressed a few days ago and said, “It’s always so shocking when it comes back.”
It’s true. When I woke up this morning and it was here, I just thought.. oh crap.. here is is again. Time to use the program. So, I’m at my computer and I’m going to work on my new book- because if I don’t, it will only exacerbate the depressed.
Did you know that there is Serotonin in our stomachs? It has the second highest concentration of the neurotransmitter after our brains.
This is why SSRI drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft and many others can cause stomach problems. As my coauthor Dr. John Preston says, “There’s no way to harpoon a drug straight to the neurotransmitters in your brain. They have to go through the whole body which is why they cause so many side effects.”
I remember being so sick I couldn’t work. I was always in the bathroom. That may be more than you want to know about me! but it’s important to know that you’re not alone if drugs are making your stomach rumble.
Side effects can include nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloated stomach, acid reflux, etc. etc.
Lovely!
Here are some tips on keeping your stomach happy:
1. First of all, talk with your doctor if things are really bad. [ Read More ]
I often get sent books for review. I don’t read the treatment books as I want to keep my ideas fresh, but I do enjoy reading success stories! I recently received a short and sweet book called You, Me and Apollo by J.D. Stottlemire. It’s a really hopeful and informative book. Here’s my review:
“People with bipolar disorder and their family members are often in a crisis when they read a book on bipolar disorder. It’s hard for authors to find the right balance between the truth of the illness and the reality of how hard it is to treat. You, Me and Apollo finds this balance. I, as a person with chronic bipolar disorder felt better after reading this book. It’s fun to read, concise and very hopeful. I especially like how the author tied in the space program to his story.
The book is a great accompaniment to the more treatment oriented [ Read More ]
I’ve struggled with my weight since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995. I certainly had weight issues before that, but there were small time compared to what I’ve been through in the past 10 years.
Statistics show that those of us with severe mental illnesses die a LOT earlier than those without an illness. When I heard this, I said, ok. That’s not going to be me! I’ve written about this on the blog before. I have found that a low carb diet is working well for me in terms of my sugar cravings and my up and down weight. I’ve lost a lot of the weight I gained last year after taking Serequel.
Here is a book that can give you more information on this way of eating. It’s not really a diet as it’s life long. The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet: The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting
Definitely leave your comments on what [ Read More ]
I spoke at the NAMI Oregon Conference yesterday. The day went really well and I met some wonderful people. I even managed to get to sleep normally last night.
Then I woke up with a lot of worries. I know what this means. I have too much to do. It’s not that I don’t have the time to do it. It’s never a time issue with me. My problem is that I have a bipolar wall that I smack up against if I don’t take care of myself. This means that I have to take care of things today so that I can function next week.
Many people feel stress about having a lot to do. This is different. I can’t even call it worry. It’s the feeling so many of us get that prevents us from working at regular jobs- ie. 9-5 jobs. It’s like a wave of … I’m honestly not even sure [ Read More ]
This is an addition to the above post. So, I know that I have hit the overwhelmed work feeling. Here is what I’m going to do:
#1 I have a business partner who can help with my speaking gigs. The speaking part is what I love- the negotiations, set up, book sales and follow up are truly too much for me. I get overwhelmed by something as simple as sending my speaking info to my web master for the web page! And yet this is so needed for my career.
#2 I can put everything on hold that doesn’t have to be done. I tend to work on five things at once and worry that I will miss something if I don’t get it ALL done. Yes, I do miss a lot financially because of this work stress, but I have to stay healthy. This means that all of my work next week will be [ Read More ]
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The health information contained herein is provided for general education purposes only. This site should not be seen as a substitute for an official diagnosis or for professional health care.
