I want to say thank y0u to all of the readers who leave comments on this blog. I know that we all can learn so much from each others. I get a lot of questions from readers- I want to let everyone know that I read all of them- I try to answer in the blog posts themselves. I still have not found a way to get to the questions as mush as I would like to. My books answer the questions about bipolar disorder treatment and management- so that is where I lead people first- but I know there are many personal questions I would like to answer. I do encourage readers to leave their opinions and advice on the comments.
If you had asked me this last year, I would have skirted the question. I had been so depressed for so long I no longer told people the truth. I focused on what I could do despite the depression. I could work part time- do a great job as a coach, have fun with friends, love my family, walk, eat, sometimes sleep and do all that I could to keep myself alive while helping others do the same.
My life has changed 100%.
The truth is that I was only half alive- because half was managing this illness. No matter how succcessful I was- how many books I wrote or how many friends I had- it took so much effort to stay alive.
The bipolarhappens.com blog receives an average of 10,000 visitors per month. Wow, that is a lot of people. I want to let everyone know that I read all comments and think about all readers daily. I want to answer comments- now that I am doing better (I promise to write all about this soon!), I am more able to work. That has been my goal for ten years- I just want to work more than 20 hours a week and I want it to be easier that it has been for those ten years.
Here is my idea- my fabulous manager Sheri and I are starting a weekly podcast. I will use this podcast to answer the questions on this site. They are such good [ Read More ]
I’ve written a lot about Lamictal and Generic Lamictal (Lamotrigine) the past few months. This is the drug I take as do many other people with bipolar disorder. One reader commented that she couldn’t sleep when she was on Lamictal. That was a side effect I had not heard. Other people have had the same problem- here is a comment from a reader:
Hi Julie,
It took nine months before I could sleep without some sleep aid. Low doses of Zyprexa or levomepromazin helped.
Lena
Hi Lena,
A friend of mine has had trouble sleeping and her doctor suggested that she use a small dose of Zyprexa. She knows it will work, but she’s scared to feel like a zombie again. She just started a new job. It’s frustrating for her. Others use the Zyprexa with great success. She has [ Read More ]
When things are tough, almost everything you have to do can seem impossible- especially the daily stuff like cleaning your house, making dinner, mowing the lawn, making work calls, etc, etc.
I have learned something- I don’t have to do all of something- I can vacuum half of the house, unload half of the dishwasher, cut half of the roses in my yard, make one call instead of all the calls… (You can then go back and do the rest later.)
The problem with bipolar is that it makes us think in all or nothing terms – I must clean the whole house and if I don’t I’m a failure. Hmm, actually, there is nothing that says you can’t do half.
Suicidal thoughts are normal when you have bipolar disorder.
I remember driving one day when I was very stressed and unhappy. I was on a busy road and saw a red light up ahead. My mind said, “Julie, you can just run that red light and a car will hit you and all will be taken care of!” These thoughts used to scare me a lot. I now know they’re a response to stress. When I told my friend Lani this story she said, “Well, your brain thought is was helping!”
So true. These thoughts are not real. They are manufactured by a bipolar brain. Don’t believe them.
If you are suicidal right now, you have options other than killing yourself.
#1 Say to yourself: I have bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts are normal. Say it over and over again until you get help.
#2 Call anyone and do anything to get help and 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.
Hello to everyone,
