My family is always there for me when I get sick. It took a long time for them to understand the illness and how my Health Cards treatment works- they used to use everyday logic to try and help= Julie, you have a lot to be thankful for. Why are you so unhappy! etc.
Now they are my biggest support. When I get sick, my mom and brother get on the phone and check in with each other and then call me a lot to make sure I’m ok. I call it the bipolar hot line!
I have information for family members in all of my books. They have to know about this illness as much as we do. My wonderful nephew is six – we talk about depression when I’m having a tough day!
I just wrote a 170 page book in less than two months. It was stupid. That is the only way I can describe my decision to take on the project. Stupid! I guess I forgot what this kind of work pressure does to my moods. I sent in the final edits today. It’s a good book, but I really do have to be more careful with my choices. The book itself was extremely difficult to write. It’s on how to write and sell ebooks- and the deadline was too quick. This is a combination for disaster.
I had three hypomanic episodes, lots of depression, a terrible OCD episode that I wrote a lot about and so much anxiety I had trouble sleeping. But I kept on working. I have taught myself to keep going despite the mood swings- otherwise I would not get anything done. I try to keep away from major stress, but it’s not always possible.
I wrote Get it Done When You’re Depressed to help all of us with bipolar disorder learn to work when we are sick. If I didn’t work while depressed, I would never get anything done.
So, if you’re having a tough time, you can learn to work- whether it be housework, taking care of kids, making sales calls or writing a book, you can work.
I appreciate all of the kind comments and emails I received while I was having so much trouble! I will definitely send everyone a link once the book is available.
Here are some mental health statements. Are they true or false? The answers are below.
#1. OCD is an anxiety disorder.
#2. People with bipolar disorder have psychosis.
#3. Bipolar disorder in children is the same as bipolar disorder in adults.
#4. Lithium is the only true mood stabilizer.
Answers:
#1 True! There are seven types of anxiety disorders, general anxiety disorder, social phobias, specific phobias, agoraphobia, PTSD and OCD
#2. Absolutely true.When my partner Ivan was in the hospital for three months- he was manic and very psychotic. This is normal with a full blown bipolar I manic episode. The psychosis is treated with antipsychotics such as Abilify, Seroquel, Risperdal and Zyprexa.I write about Ivan in my book Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder.
#3. False! The childhood bipolar disorder diagnosis is very controversial. In fact, in the last ten years the childhood bipolar disorder diagnosis has increased by 40%!Adult onset bipolar tends to start in the teenage years and is a very specific diagnosis. There has not been a significant increase in adult diagnoses.
#4. True! All of the other ‘mood stabilizers’- Lamictal, Tegretol, and Depakote are actually anticonvulsants.
You are now ready to test your family and friends! Julie
wow! I took on a job that really kicked my behind. I wrote a book in less than two months. It was not a good idea and I got sick about half way through, but I always finish! Then bipolar tries to finish me! I went into a severe downswing after the book was done. I’ve often written about how I go down once I finish a project. I’m used to it- but this time I went down in the middle and at the end.
My therapist always reminds me that I have trouble with transitions. Even if the transition is a good one such as finishing a book, I still have trouble. – all of my friends with bipolar have trouble with transitions- a friend of mine went to her family for Thanksgiving. She said, ” Every time I go to Seattle to see my family- it’s too much for a transition! I just want to go home to my routine!”
I have had a tough time lately- can you identify with that! Ha. ha.
I’m an optimist when I’m depressed no matter how sick I get- because in the back of my mind I just have to know it’s an illness. It distorts things so much it’s better just to focus on getting things done. So that is what I’m doing today. I’m helping a friend write a book on public speaking. I got one of his chapters today and here is the opening quote:
“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.”
Winston Churchill
Churchill had a lot of depression, as did Lincoln- and look what they accomplished by moving forward even when the depression just wants you to move backwards and focus on that was bad in the past.
So, today I’m moving forward and using the tips in my books- Get it Done When You’re Depressed helps the most on days like these. I have to be my own drill sargeant! Feel the depression and do it anyway! And praise myself all day just to name a few.
I hope this encourages you that you can do the same.
I’m so needy today! I feel like crying and I’m lonely. These are the very typical systems of depression, but they sure are hard to fight aren’t they!
I get so tired of having bipolar disorder
Here is a long post on the difference between feeling sad and having a bipolar disorder downswing……
This can be an awful illness- I go into a downswing when something bad and stressful happens such as a work issue or a troubled relationship, but I also go down when I have a good experience such as seeing an old friend who has to leave the next day. Most people in this situation would feel sad, I get depressed. It’s odd and it’s not fair, but it’s reality. There is a big difference between a depression downswing and feeling sad.
One of my closest friends came to visit yesterday. He lives in Seattle which is about three hours from Portland. We used to date so building a friendship has taken a lot of time. But we have done it! He really makes me happy when I see him. He’s from Africa and is always smiling. When he went back home yesterday, I was in a fine mood and really thought of how lucky I am to have such a good friend. I then started to feel sad that he had to leave. I’m sure other people without bipolar disorder would feel the same- it’s normal to be melancholy that he doesn’t live close by and that things didn’t work out relationship wise.
It’s at this point that I go in a different path from people without bipolar disorder- I call the bipolar reaction. When I woke up this morning I started crying because my brain said that I never have good times and that I will always be single. Then I noticed that the weather was dark and gloomy just like my own life. I worried that my work was pointless and that I have money problems and health problems that are ruining my life. My house seems too small and I’m sure that the people around me have boyfriends and a much better lifestyle than I do. He was supposed to stay a day longer but had work commitments, so I started to get worried I didn’t have plans tonight. I felt that I have no friends and everyone is busy and doesn’t care about me. I cried some more. I wonder is my life is even worth living when I’m so unhappy.
Bla, bla, bla, bla. It’s a broken record isn’t it! I have years of entries in my journal that sounds just like this. It’s mostly rubbish and if I want to get well, I have to fight it. Depression is an insidious monster in my life. No matter how much I know about it or how many ways I have to treat it- I can still get caught in it’s unreasonable thinking.
I will write what I do to fight it in the blog below.
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Mom Brain Podcast
Listen to Julie’s latest interview on bipolar disorder and mental health in children, teens and adults on the Mom Brain Podcast with Hilaria Baldwin and Daphne Oz.
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.
