Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder Medication Woes

I’ve been on my medication (Lamictal– generic Lamtrigine) since 2005. Unfortunately, the Lamictal has stopped working three times in the past six years. Well, it hasn’t stopped working exactly- if it did I would be suicidal pretty quickly. I should say that it is not working as well as it usually does.

All medications have an average/recommended dose as a guideline for prescribers. But this is only a start. People have such different brain chemistry that the dosage can be all over the place.

My problem is that I’m on the highest dose as possible for the Lamictal. 700mg. When the lower dose stopped working last year, my prescriber and I upped it to get me out of a really serious rapid cycling depression. (A few mood swings a day- waking up crying in the middle of the night, etc. )

And now it’s happening again. I can’t raise the dose. I use the management plan I write about in my books- I use it 24 hours a day to keep myself going. I do well with my work, have a good time with friends, take a lot of walks with my hiking buddy Sheri and try to remind myself that IT”s AN ILLNESS and it lies to me- just like it lies to all of us. I have a good life.

I know that going through this helps me understand what this illness does to people. I always remain positive that I will keep finding new ways to stay stable.

I’ve been through this before and know I can get through it once again. Isn’t this an odd illness? I can understand cancer, broken bones, pneumonia, concussions and so many more physical injuries- but bi-polar disorder is just so weird!

Julie

Poll: Bipolar Disorder and Travel. I need your opinion!

The Free Bipolar 101 Call Recording is Now Available.

Yes! The free recording of the excellent and fun Bipolar Disorder 101 coaching call is here.

Please click ‘Free Bipolar 101 Call’ on the menu tab for more information. Make sure you listen with the phone below! 🙂

Julie

Hilarious!

What is so great about lamictal for bipolar disorder depression?

Here is the link to one of my most popular posts. You may notice that I write a lot about Lamictal on this blog. I’m not someone who believes in drugs only- but I do know that of all of the drugs on the market for bipolar disorder – this is the best depression drug used today. It’s always a risk for people with bipolar disorder to take anti depressants such as Prozac or Zoloft as they have a high risk of mania if not used with a strong dose of a mood stabilizer. I believe that my constant rapid cycling is due to the 10+ antidepressants I was put on the first three years after my diagnosis.

Lamictal is a much, much safer drug for those with bipolar disorder and has relatively few side effects- the link below explains more about the side effects that can be worrisome as well as the stories on how great the drug can be when it works.

I say that Lamictal takes away 50% of my bipolar disorder symptoms- and the rest are up to me.

Julie

Click here to read more.

7 Ways You Can Help if I’m Having a Euphoric Bipolar Mania Episode

The Health Cards Help Prevent and Manage Mania

Help Your Friends and Family Help You Manage Bipolar Mania

Here are just a few of the tips included in the Mania Section in my Health Cards Treatment System. The cards create a list of all of my mania symptoms and what the people who care about me can do when they see that I’m starting to get manic. It’s my responsibility to tell the people around me how they can help. It’s not innate for them!

1- Know the signs and symptoms of what you see when I start to get manic.

2- Remind me that I wanted you to tell me if I seem to be too excited.

3- Do not match my behavior. In other words, if I say let’s go drink some hard cider and it’s 3PM, it’s a sign! 😉

4- Be consistent with your help. Don’t let me convince you it is ok. Oh wow, this mania will lie and lie!

5- Hand me my Health Cards Treatment System and tell me I might want to read the mania pages. Even now the Health Cards work for me and I started mine 15 years ago.

6- Notice if I am spending money excessively and remind me that is a sign of mania. I will get mad at you and say I’m fine, but I will hear you and do what I need to do.

7- Call my doctor if things get out of hand. She will call me to see what is going on. I always listen to her.

Please know that these manic episodes are very embarrassing for me. I hate not seeing they are catching me once again- as I am the one who writes books! But they can happen to any of us at any time and they are so very sneaky!

I’m able to manage my bipolar mania much more sucessfully since I have educated those around me how to help me.

You can do the same. The Health Cards are a system that works. I’m proof that life can be positive.

Julie

Bipolar Depression- Hello darkness my old friend….

I was very depressed a few days ago and the only way I can decribe it is Debilitating Depression

I would certainly never call darkness a friend, but the Simon and Garfunkel song gets the mood right.

The depression was so bad I could hardly hold my head up. When I get depressed like this, I sit in a chair and put my head in my hands. A cacophony of terrible thoughts, sounds (often songs) and an unbelievable feeling of DOOM crawl in to every cell in my body.

This is the kind of depression that keeps people in bed for months.

But… I knew what it was and started to fight and fight and fight and told myself- you will get out of this Julie. You will start now.

Here is what I did:

1. Forced the real me to talk to the depressed me.

Julie. Get up. This is bipolar. Don’t forget that. Get up Julie. Use your Get it Done tips. Don’t listen Julie. Don’t listen. You will have a future- there is no what you are hearing is true. Think of what you are hearing. It’s a lie. Now get up. Get up!

2. Focused on what had to change in the next few hours so that I could at least get it to calm down. Yes, it took the rest of the day. But I know that a few years ago is was days and before that- it was months.

3. Looked at my med choices honestly. I’ve recently moved and my stuff,including my bottles of Lamictal (generic name Lamotrigine) is all over the place. I can fix that quickly. I am mad at myself for letting this happen. It’ dangerous.

And you?

If you are depressed like this- the debilitating depression- you can get through it. It lies- so don’t listen. Take action. Your body feels depressed but it can still move. One step to get you out of the bed or to turn off the TV or to walk about your door is enough.
Julie – no depression today- Fast