Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Julie Fast on Britney Spears: video

Hello! Here is a copy of a television interview I did about Britney Spears when she was having such a hard time.

I love being on television, but watching it later is hard! I have to remain positive. It’s easy to be hard on how you look. I know, the message is what’s important!

Julie

What is the real me?

I know WHO the real me is…. my question is WHAT is the real me in terms of energy, happiness, work ability etc. I often mistake hypomania for the ‘real me.’ I’ve written down all of my average behavior so that I can use it as a comparison when I think I’m in a mood swing. But the hypomania takes me by surprise a lot.

I can be hypomanic for only a few hours a day and not know it. When you rapid cycle a lot, you can miss the mania and then get broadsided by the depression.

I think the real me is gregarious, happy, focused, calm and industrious. I’m not over talkative- over sexual- over alcohol crazed and over the top! What about you?

Julie

If you click on the mania subject button to your right, you can read about the difference between hypomania and mania.

Unfocused: NAMI Oregon Conference

I’m speaking at the NAMI Oregon yearly conference tomorrow. I have a class in the morning and then will speak at the luncheon. The most difficult part of all of this is getting my books, post cards order sheets and travel stuff. I worry that I won’t be able to sleep and that I will get overstimulated. Yada, yada, yada. If I let my mind go no this way, I will go bonkers.

It makes a lot more sense to actually load my car ahead of time and print out what I need. That way I can get to bed early and be ready for the drive. This is not a bipolar thing- it’s a normal speaking thing. It becomes a bipolar thing if I don’t take care of myself now. So I’m going to! It’s human nature that we often worry more than we actually do things. It will only take me a few [ Read More ]

I’d Love Your Help!

Well, as you probably know, an author lives for book reviews! If you have read my books Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You’re Depressed, I’d love it if you would post a review of the books on amazon.com.

When you are there, please feel free to check the section that says Tags Customers Associate with This Product. This helps when people go to amazon.com to search for books on mood disorders in general. It helps me a lot if everyone does this section whether they write a review or not.

Of course, be totally honest when you write. I don’t read the reviews – but they are so important for people deciding what books to buy.

Your support is so appreciated! Here are the links to each book:

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner

http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Someone-Bipolar-Disorder-Julie/dp/1572243422/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222400708&sr=8-1

wow, that is [ Read More ]

Lamictal Side Effects: Reader Question

Hi,

Here is a great question from Dana regarding medications.

Hi Julie,

I’m on the Lamictal starter pack and still taking 25 mg a day. I’ve been increasingly manic, irritable and aggressive. I have no tolerance for other people and haven’t been able to attend school. Is this normal? Will it be better at 100mg?

Dana

Hi Dana,

First of all, it’s great that you’re aware of what’s going on. Sometimes side effects happen so subtly that people stay in a state of physical and mental agitation before they realize what’s happening.

Lamictal, like all drugs works in different doses for different people. For example, my mother gets a lot of help from 75mg and I’m on 500mg. If she goes above 75mg she gets the jaw clenching that comes with the drug. If I go under 500mg I get pretty bad withdrawal symptoms including bad twitching and super bad leg pain.

Your health [ Read More ]

Bipolar Mania: subtle signs!

I’ve been up and down lately and amazingly, more up than down! I could say HALLAJUILIULA (really, where does our spelling come from!) or I could do what I’m doing. I’m getting home early and watching Dancing with the Stars. I’m avoiding stimulating situations such as karaoke or dinner parties. I’m aware that I’m on the cusp of not sleeping. I’m using my Ativan instead of trying to force myself to sleep. There is a lot I can do now before it goes so far.

Here are my subtle signs of mania: I’d be interested to know yours.

#1. Cooking. I cook a lot more when I’m manic and I often make pretty complex dishes. Today I made chicken Marsala. I then tend to cook a lot of dishes to go with it, but I stopped myself today.

#2. I chop too quickly and tend to fling knives and cutting boards around when I’m washing [ Read More ]