Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder meds: Yikes! I almost made a pretty bad mistake…..

I had a pretty scary experience today.

I am good about taking my medications. I basically have no life if I don’t use my Lamictal along with my management plan. They can’t work alone- so meds are my lifeline.

I have small amounts of my meds in many locations as I move around town a lot and may forget to put my daily meds container in my purse.

Here’s where I put them:

1. My glove compartment

2. My mom’s house

3. My house

4. My daily dose in my purse- I fill this bottle every night.

Today, I was putting a bottle of meds at my mom’s house and had my daily bottle in my backpack.

I took out both bottles at once.

My daily meds are 700mg Lamictal (my Lamictal is much higher than most doses), Ativan for sleeping if it’s a rough night, a pain pill for a hip injury that I use if the hip is driving me crazy and I can’t sit and work- and an iron pill.

The other bottle had the extras for my mom’s cupboard – so a lot more pills.

I first emptied my correct dose in my right hand.

Then I opened the extra supply bottle and poured out the contents into my left hand to check how much I had in there. And then, believe it or not… as crazy and awful as this is- instead of taking the small daily dose- I cupped the hand with all kind of pills in it and put it in my mouth!

I immediately realized what I had done and only a few went into my mouth- they were all pretty wet when I spit them out. None were swallowed.

Lamictals….Iron pills… Ativans… and two pain pills all at once! Yikes!

That was some fast spitting!

My point: It’s hard for people with bipolar disorder to gets their meds straight every day. Can you imagine having to take so many pills throughout the day- every day of your life! It sometimes gets really confusing.

The meds from my mouth dried and all is fine. I’m lucky they didn’t disintegrate!

I’m sure you have stories too.

Whew, disaster averted!

Julie

Anxiously Waiting for an Email Reply: Let People Move on Their Own Schedule

Emotions caused or exacerbated by bipolar disorder are often so uncomfortable we want others to help us feel better. For example, if you’re waiting for an important email from someone- your intense obsession with the email will probably make you feel the other person has to answer in a certain amount of time and if they don’t……

….this means they don’t care about you.

A solution is to make rules for yourself such as- I will never go after people before I know their intentions. Or, say to yourself over and over again: “This is about bipolar disorder. Feeling extreme anxiety over the desire to get an emotional fix as soon as possible is my problem and not the problem of the other person. I have to learn to control this or I will ruin relationships.”

No one will ever understand why on earth we would get ill while waiting for a simple email, but we do. And we have to deal with it.

Julie

Why Do People with Bipolar Disorder Go Off Their Meds?

I recently wrote a blog for BP Magazine on this topic- and there were 107 comments. That is pretty amazing. Reading the comments reminds me why I have to stay on my meds. If you’re thinking of going off or have done so in the past, these comments really help! If you care about someone with bipolar, maybe they will read the blog and the comments to get more support in staying on meds. And if you care about someone who refuses meds, this will at least give you insight into why people go on and off.

I even have trouble- Lamictal saves my life. I know what it’s like when I don’t have enough in my system and yet I still make mistakes!

Here is the link to the blog- there is a comment tab at the bottom. 107 comments!

Julie

Why do people with bipolar disorder go off their meds?

mmm. I don't think this is Lamictal!

Guest Post: Craig Hamilton part 3 of 3

Craig Hamilton – My Story part 3 (Click here for part 1) (Click here for part 2)

Today I know so much more about this thing called depression, this thing called mania , chemical imbalance in the brain etc.

Knowledge really is power.

Today , I manage Bipolar Disorder with self-awareness, medication, yoga ,regular exercise and a holistic approach to staying fit and healthy.

I have also reduced my alcohol content which has helped with my overall health.

My self-awareness is simply more fined tuned today to my stress levels and when I need to pull back, slow down and rest , I do it – that simple.

Bipolar still provides me with many challenges.

I have been hospitalized twice in the past 4 years with manic and psychotic episodes.

Both episodes the resulted in serious depressions.

Vigilance and awareness are so important with this illness.

In the area of mental health and public awareness, I simply want to make a difference. When “Broken Open” was written I hoped the book would not only help to further de-stigmatise mental illness but provide some guidelines for those people and their families who were going to walk the same path that I have.

Today I look back on the book with a great deal of satisfaction. It is helping others but there is still much more to do.

Craig Hamilton

Craig Hamilton is an ABC Broadcaster and sought after motivational

speaker. His book ‘Broken Open’ is a story of remarkable triumph that

will inspire all who read it. You can read more about Craig at his

website www.craig-hamilton.com

Megan Fox of Transformers Fame Wants to Remove Her Marilyn Monroe Tattoo Because…..

: I’m pretty, but I’m pretty dumb!

What do Megan Fox, Marilyn Monroe and Bipolar Disorder Have in Common?

The Megan Fox story is so ridiculous it’s funny! Unfortunately, it’s true. I just wrote a blog for BP Magazine about Megan’s comments about bipolar, tattoos and negative energy! I’d love to hear your comments on the whole thing. You can leave them here or on my BP Mag blog.

Click here to visit the BP Magazine blog.

Sometimes we just have to laugh at the stupidity of others!