Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

GEt it Done When You Have to Find a New Roommate!

Ok, I have to concentration… I have a task to do

My wonderful roommates moved out at the same time. I am sad to see them go, though the moves were good ideas on their part- one moved in with his girlfriend and the other went to New Orleans to build low income houses. But at the same time? In this economy! I have had some worried thoughts about that. Not because I can’t rent the room- I can. It’s the steps of getting the new roommate. There is a lot to do that has to be done on time. Thank heavens I am doing better today- but I find myself sitting because I’m not sure where to start. I am such an ADD baby!

I just have to get up and get started. Nothing gets done from a chair. Nothing gets done when I don’t have a plan. I called my mom. She is going to help straighten the back yard. I am now going to go through each room at a time so that I don’t go back and forth on projects.

I write about this rather boring topic because it’s a situation everyone gets in when they have a lot to do in life. I need to be writing, but I also want a companionable roommate. So I do this work first and then the work I have to do later. This is a tough enough situation that I wrote a whole book about it! Get it Done When You’re Depressed. I’m thinking of the tips in the book and I’m choosing which ones to use right now.

Julie

PS: We don’t have to want to do something to get things done. We don’t even have to feel good about getting things done. We just have to do things.

Teenage Bipolar Disorder Reader Comment

I just received the following email from Jan regarding her 15 year old daughter. I have included my reply in this blog:

Julie,
I don’t know how to reach you other than through this blog, but I have a 15 year old daughter, diagnosed with bipolar disorder 1 year ago, who also has sleep problems, not the least of which is affecting her ability to function in life, period. She is in a therapeutic school but we have been told as of yesterday that they can no longer manage her and we must make other arrangements. We are desperate for info about programs for adolescents with bipolar disorder and are wondering if you can give us any suggestions or direct us toward people who can help??? Thank you.

Hi Jan,

I suggest you visit the following website- it has information on the Parry Center inpatient psych treatment program here in Portland, Oregon. They may have a hot line or other information available for similar facilities in your state.

http://www.trilliumfamily.org/about_trillium.php

I have friends who have great things to say about the Parry Center.

Good luck. It’s a tough to go through this- but your daughter is young. I am so glad she was diagnosed early and that you have the resources to help her. Teens definitely get better once they learn to manage this illness. Please let her know that she can have a happy and healthy life- it will take time and she will have to work hard, but she can go to school, make friends and look forward to her future once the illness is managed successfully. I really mean this- it’s an illness like any other illness. It can be managed.

Julie

Bipolar Disorder and Sleep: I want to fall asleep on my own tonight

It’s a great night when I can get to sleep without sleep meds. I go through long periods when I’m fine and then I have nights where I simply won’t sleep unless I take my Ativan. It’s not that I don’t want to sleep- and it’s not that I’m manic. I just won’t sleep. I just lie there. Then I start the brain tug of war:

Brain #1 Julie, you really should be able to just go to sleep on your own. Other people don’t need meds to sleep. You will be too tired in the morning if you take the Ativan. Just keep trying to get to sleep on your own! Just put on some calm music. Smell some lavender!

Brain #2 Julie, this is not a joke. You have bipolar disorder and that means you have sleep problems. TAKE YOUR MEDS! It’s not like you’re drinking wine or smoking pot to sleep. These are MEDICATIONS! You have never taken more medications than needed in your life. Why do you always have to make this so difficult? It’s 2AM. Stop trying to talk yourself out of it and take your meds!

I can tell tonight is one of these nights. I will probably get in bed and listen to something calming and then still be wide awake. But I know myself. I have to at least give myself a chance to fall asleep on my own. I did all I am supposed to do for a good night’s sleep. I got home early from karaoke. I didn’t overeat. I wasn’t in cigarette smoke- no smoking in Oregon finally! and I am not watching TV or a DVD right before bed. But it doesn’t look good.. oh well! I have the Ativan ready!

Julie

A funny typo

I recently wrote a book called The Geezer’s Guide to Creating and Selling Ebooks. It was a tough book to write, but I’m proud of it!

A friend of mine read the book and said she loved it- and that she found a typo in the section called Research Your Idea for Competition. Here is the typo she found:

“Hopefully you will be surprised at your lack of completion…”

I think you mean “lack of competition” here (though I can totally relate to the way it’s currently written:)

That is pretty funny! I am much more worried about completion than competition. We can all deal with competition- what we can’t deal with is a lack of COMPLETION. My goal is to finish what I start- even when it takes me twenty years and there is a lot of competition!

Julie

PS: I always knew I wanted to write books- I finished my first one at age 38 once I learned to use the system in the Health Cards . So it’s never too late to complete something.

The Super Bowl- my learning lesson in bipolar disorder treatment!

The super bowl is today and I am excited! For those of you outside of the states- it’s our World Cup! I have watched the entire season and learned so much from the coaches and players- the words they use are so important: discipline, practice, confidence, durability, friendship… I could go on forever here. I see this as the same qualities we need to manage this illness.

Julie

Bipolar Disorder and Decisions

Please make a decision for me!

When I have trouble focusing, I’ve learned to ask others to make decisions for me. I’ve trained the people in my life to just go ahead with what they want to do and I will follow along. What do you want for dinner? I don’t care- you choose. What movie do you want to see? Let me know some choices and I’ll give you my choices. I let others drive, plan parties and do what they want- on the days that I’m having trouble making decisions.

On the days that I’m fine, I make my own decisions- but when the depression and ADHD are here, I say- I don’t care what I do- just help me do something!

It works. I’m also a much more relaxed person around my friends and they appreciate that.

Julie