Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Five Bipolar Mood Swings in One Day!

I wrote this post four years ago….. It’s hard to read something from that long ago and realize it still happens today! But that is the nature of bipolar disorder. My mood swings are managed daily. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes- such as not dating or partying at night, etc that have helped. (Boring, but more stable.) But I know that though the illness may stay, I can always be a step ahead and keep myself well.

Here is the post from 2008…..

Five mood swings in one day!

I doubt that is a record, but it sure wears me out. In that past week, I’ve had at least 20 mood swings. They are mild, but certainly strong enough to chart. Yesterday I had three distinct upswings. The day before that, [ Read More ]

He blew a glass jacket….

Bipolar Manic/Psychotic Talk

“He blew a glass jacket. The walls were mayo and I was chewing all of the dirt off of the vegetables.”

The above is known as a word salad – the sayings are close enough for us to understand them – but overall, they just make no sense.

A psychotic friend of mine said the above during an episode.

Psychosis is a fascinating topic- it’s horrible to experience and horrific to see someone go through it- I have been through both. But after it is over, you can certainly be fascinated by what was said.

Julie

A Note on the Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder

Dear Julie,

Thank you for helping me to understand, as a parent, exactly what the cognitive pieces are of bipolar… and as well, the self awareness that a BP person needs in order to ultimately help themselves. When I used the Health Cards and listed out my daughter’s symptoms- I was shocked when I saw years of patterns so clearly in one place. We know where to start now. I have asked her to read certain parts of the system I thought she would understand. Her favorites by far were the pages and pages of your symptoms. She used her yellow highlighter to mark what matched hers.

AS she grows and as she is willing and able to listen and to take over her [ Read More ]

I’m Focused on Work, Not Jerk!

My friend Roberta is going through relationship trouble with her very stressful ex. When I asked her how she was, she said, “I’m focused on work. Not jerk!” That is a good one!

I’ve made that same decision in my life. I have no space for jerks. They jerk my brain around too much! If there is a jerk in your life, focus on work and let the jerk ride off into the sunset. You are worth it.

Julie

PS: Jerk refers to men and women of course!

Bipolar Disorder Euphoric Mania Quiz

The sun is coming out all over the US. Are you ready to prevent summer mania?

Here is a quick mania quiz you can use to check for euphoric mania.

Have you:

– Slept less but felt more energized? Jumped out of bed excited for the wonderful day ahead?

– Had the thought- “Thank god the depression is gone, I feel SO much better.” ?

– Felt like spending more?

– Drinking more?

– Do you feel more sexual than normal?

– Are you eating less than you normally do?

– Does your body feel light and buzzy?

– Do the problems that sometimes weight you down feel less important?

– Are you overly and oddly creative?

If you answer yes to any of these, you [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and ECT Treatment for Depression

Here is a reader question from Patricia on the topic of bipolar disorder and ECT.

Hi Julie,

This is off topic. Has anyone had any experiences , good or not so good with Electroshock therapy? One of my friends tried it and it was a ten day hospital stay and entirely covered by insurance and the best news is so far she seems so so much better than before. We’ll see how she does.

But what I read about ECT is that its very much safer because of lower currents, and the positions of electrodes on the head and because the patient is given muscle relaxers so no bones are broken anymore. (OK, I know One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, but some people need a better treatment than drugs. Drugs do not work for about 50% it seems or even [ Read More ]