Psychological Support (bipolar depression) (2 Viewers)

[kevin from buffalo]

serious question.

a person i know is bipolar (“2” and manic depression), sees a therapist and psychiatrist to treat bipolar/ manic depression. that person is not close to their family and has alienated most of their friends. when having a “manic” moment, doesn’t really know who to turn to for advice and to just talk, which usually happens outside a reasonable window of time, scheduled, to see professional help.

advice? keep in mind, these manic episodes can be happy or negative, but can just as quickly turn into the other. very solidarity inclined person to begin with.

also, a few friends this person has confided in, they have driven away by, well, being bipolar. the few other friends, this person isn’t comfortable talking about issues with. it is kind of a rock and a hard-place situation.

recently, not having researched prior, they made the mistake of reading about such diagnoses. they can’t argue with the symptoms and understand the diagnosis. they also made the mistake of reading into whether or not it can be cured, which, as of today, is no. that hasn’t been a positive trying to process.

i am trying very hard to help, but am running out of options (ways to try and help). i don’t think they are suicidal, but i am also trying to prevent that. there is a lot of positive in their life, but that isn’t how they see or feel about it.

anything, thanks!

This is my last post on this website...two things..(a)-I love you as a person more than ever.(b)-you will call me.

 

[zeetes]

zeetes, you are brave to reveal this. I honestly thought it was about your friend not yourself.

The main thing I think to remember is that none of this is anything to be ashamed about. It's a chemical imbalance, a physical issue. That's why (again my own limited understanding) the meds are necessary. The other stuff I think, support groups, mental exercises, seeing a therapist and so on, are more like ways to cope daily when the meds aren't enough.

As I remind myself just about everyday, it's not what happens to you but how you react to it. Just being aware of that can keep you from making destructive choices that lead you into the downward spiral. For me, it was falling into an up all night/sleep all day cycle and then booze on top of that.

It may be different for you, but it's important to break whatever habits you have that contribute to you not taking care of yourself, mind, body and spirit. and often taking care of your body (again, sunlight, diet, exercise, etc) is enough to get the mind to follow.

What really sucks is there aren't easy answers. It's a lot of hard work and self examination and asking yourself the tough questions. The people that say a pill will fix everything are full of crap. The meds will help even you out but ultimately the only thing that will help you "fix" anything is your own will to do something about it.

and I know that's easy to say, not so easy to do - especially when you're in the depths of it. The trick is to get some upward momentum going so the downs aren't so down, and so you learn to recognize the things that trigger the downs so you can head them off before things get too bad.

My experiences are again pretty mild compared to your own, but dealing with my sister and talking to my mother-in-law, who has become sort of my mental health mentor at this point (probably no coincidence I married into a family of therapists, LOL) hopefully there is something worth thinking about.

thank you. changing habits has been a difficult transition. most of what i liked a few years ago, has no interest to me now. often, i just don't know what i like or want to do.

medications are love hate, that is for sure. i was on an anti-psychotic, but my current psychiatrist asked if i wanted to try a mood stabilizer instead. glad i made the switch, my normal me feels a lot better, and i hope when i get to the correct dosage, it will give me some stability in controlling my mood swings.

all love zeetes - i went through my own bout of depression in the Fall and that **** was no fun (and to Ward's point my GP proscribed me some medication that made things MUCH worse)

i'm glad you're seeing a doc who you like

be kind to yourself

thanks guido. i can't wish anyone to go through it. it literally can be life depleting.

slightly off topic, i often consider my current job lucky (jokingly because normally it really isn't funny to me) if i stay in the office past lunch. i'm also in a bad situation where i am micro-managed (time entry for every second of my day, i'm salaried, get that **** outta here), but my boss is miles away and never checks in. sadly, it makes it too easy at times to just say screw it and go home. i went from a 60-80 hour a week worker, because i enjoy what i do, to maybe 25? the combination of not respecting my management and my irrational judgement, shouldn't mix.

thankfully i start a new career in a few weeks. one of the "big 4" accounting firms, as an IT consultant. i'll be travelling every other week and i am really looking forward to getting out, walking around new cities.

This is my last post on this website...two things..(a)-I love you as a person more than ever.(b)-you will call me.

last post?! this thread is about depression and you throw that at me?

thank you kevin. i really enjoy our talks. i'll definitely keep in touch and i hope you stay well.

 

[TriPolarTroy]

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[zeetes]

i have been, blah-eh-meh for a few weeks. mostly work related because it is boring and i want something challenging, not creating another forking powerpoint slide or deck. i seriously don’t give a sheet about the it issues your multi-billion dollar company has neglected since the early 00s. jesus forking christ. how you haven’t been hacked is more of interest than upgrading your 32 bit domain. yeah, kind of a rant.

i am currently on 450 wellbutrin, 80 prozac, and 200 lamictal. for the most part, since going back to 80 prozac and bumped up on the lamictal, I have felt almost human.

every few weeks, i just get a few days - to a week or so, of serious manic depression. i haven’t been at the suicide (so?) for quite a while, but the all-of-a-sudden depression, extremely tired, and just want to hide until ready, creeps up a lot. i don’t have any idea on how to “control” it, more like curb it, and it can affect my work as evenings, i generally have to go to restaurants to entertain clients. it has started to be a hindrance to my work obligations.

more of a rant than anything, but i still wish i could “flip a switch.”

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

i have been, blah-eh-meh for a few weeks. mostly work related because it is boring and i want something challenging, not creating another frocking powerpoint slide or deck. i seriously don’t give a shirt about the it issues your multi-billion dollar company has neglected since the early 00s. jesus frocking christ. how you haven’t been hacked is more of interest than upgrading your 32 bit domain. yeah, kind of a rant.

i am currently on 450 wellbutrin, 80 prozac, and 200 lamictal. for the most part, since going back to 80 prozac and bumped up on the lamictal, I have felt almost human.

every few weeks, i just get a few days - to a week or so, of serious manic depression. i haven’t been at the suicide (so?) for quite a while, but the all-of-a-sudden depression, extremely tired, and just want to hide until ready, creeps up a lot. i don’t have any idea on how to “control” it, more like curb it, and it can affect my work as evenings, i generally have to go to restaurants to entertain clients. it has started to be a hindrance to my work obligations.

more of a rant than anything, but i still wish i could “flip a switch.”

i have no idea if i've ever seen "Almost Human" even though it seems like something i def would have checked out

glad you've found a bit more management with you chemistry - sorry to hear about the swings. that's tough work

wishing you peace

 

[RetroMcBananaFace]

Can you find yourself a project around your house to do?

Sometimes I'll call off the kid that mows my grass and do it myself, just to get some sunlight and get the blood pumping. Or clean out the garage. Something that you can do and see immediate results. It's a big contributor to mental energy. At least that's what I've found for myself. I can't speak for you obviously.

 

[zeetes]

i have no idea if i've ever seen "Almost Human" even though it seems like something i def would have checked out

glad you've found a bit more management with you chemistry - sorry to hear about the swings. that's tough work

wishing you peace

thank you gmr. outside of a few friends, who also happen to be members of sr, i don’t necessarily feel better when i read posts on sr, but i am distracted from me.

i am just not a happy person, but i can’t explain the relief i feel reading even the weirdest of threads, it allows me to escape. in a way, i value most of you more than my family (please don’t ask).

there isn’t really anything that excites me anymore, yet i check sr more than i return stupid work emails. so, i hope people don’t take offense when i post stupid sheet, except for a few people that are just plain ol’ ignorant, because generally i mean well.

i have another rant, think i will create a new thread.

 

[zeetes]

Can you find yourself a project around your house to do?

Sometimes I'll call off the kid that mows my grass and do it myself, just to get some sunlight and get the blood pumping. Or clean out the garage. Something that you can do and see immediate results. It's a big contributor to mental energy. At least that's what I've found for myself. I can't speak for you obviously.

i play sudoku and practice origami when possible. i can't always count on those due to a different issue. i have tried other things, but so far, very few things hold my attention.

part of what makes me miserable, is that right now, i can't go for long walks (my audio book time) due to the heat, except on days when raining. i love walking in the rain.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

part of what makes me miserable, is that right now, i can't go for long walks (my audio book time) due to the heat, except on days when raining. i love walking in the rain.

i'm convinced NO has the opposite of Seasonal Affect Disorder (well i guess it doesn't have to be 'opposite' since the season doesn't have to be winter) but it feels like we become shut-ins for 2-3 months

 

[zeetes]

i'm convinced NO has the opposite of Seasonal Affect Disorder (well i guess it doesn't have to be 'opposite' since the season doesn't have to be winter) but it feels like we become shut-ins for 2-3 months

what is funny, but really not funny, i was thinking the exact same thing the other day. i will walk no matter the weather, but hot days are truly depressing. i normally don’t leave the house , well unless i need to buy booze.

 

[zeetes]

i'm convinced NO has the opposite of Seasonal Affect Disorder (well i guess it doesn't have to be 'opposite' since the season doesn't have to be winter) but it feels like we become shut-ins for 2-3 months

oh, and my therapist agrees with you. we talked about it, and that is kinda like the answer she explained to me.

 

[someone]

This will of course sound cliche, but have you tried marijuana, especially in very high doses? As others have mentioned, this is due to a chemical imbalance. Marijuana can help establish homeostasis, whether it be balancing neurotransmitters, endocrine/exocrine function, etc. Everything in the human body is about homeostasis. It is 100% possible to use marijuana in high doses and still be a functioning member of society. The human mind is the most powerful thing in the world. It can be dangerous, but when balanced and controlled, anything is possible.

 

[zeetes]

dammit, I lost most of my long reply.

sativas - yes
indicas if no other option
some hybrids are perfect, but even if i dislike indicas, they are better than nothing. i just wish sativas were more accessible here.

 

[sinner mike]

I have gone back and forth on whether to respond to this, fear of revealing too much about myself. But whatever.

I've dealt with chronic anxiety/depression all my life, my sister is bipolar and manic depressive (she's in a mental hospital right now actually). Long history of depression, suicide, alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, etc. in my family, it all goes together.

With something like bipolar/manic stuff, my (imperfect) understanding is that it needs to be managed with drugs, first and foremost. The person sees it as altering their personality, it feels wrong to them. When I took meds for my anxiety, I absolutely understood that. I felt in a haze. I wasn't so sad anymore, but I also didn't get any joy from the simple things I typically enjoy - music, or a good taco, or whatever. But I had the luxury of getting off the meds once I had righted the ship a little bit and figured out alternatives - therapy, meditation, etc.

Your friend probably doesn't have the option to ditch the meds, sadly. But there are probably ways to integrate things like meditation/breathing exercises, self-talk and things like that into their life that will help. Diet, exercise and sunlight are HUGE factors in day-to-day mood management. It might all sound like a bunch of hippified crap (it did to me at first) but it works and the fact I'm still kicking around is testament to that.

If your friend is truly in a really bad spot, a stint in a mental rehabilitation center might be the best option. There is obviously a lot of stigma around that, but it's really not so different from an extended therapy session, with the added bonus of removing the person from the everyday life situations that are proving harmful to their health.

But ultimately only the person can do it for themeselves and so many people have to hit rock bottom before they reach the conclusion they have to do something about it. If your friend continues to decide that the highs are worth the lows then there's not much you or anybody else can do about it.

Bipolar is tricky, there is a large amount of bad information regarding bipolar disorder (not a disease). The function of psychotropic meds is to numb, you don't feel as bad or as good as without. Secondly, meds have significant side effects, some very serious, and meds never fix anything, just mask. As far as being curable, I watched my therapist work several clients through bipolar so, yes it is curable. The trick is to find a good therapist. Therapeutic change has 3 major factors 1) client readiness and willingness to change 2) Therapeutic relationship together account for 66% of factors involved in positive change. The other third include placebo effect, therapeutic model, meds. So the real task is to find someone you can work with, heavy emphasis on work, not talk or doing homework, or delay and distract lists.

 

[sinner mike]

This will of course sound cliche, but have you tried marijuana, especially in very high doses? As others have mentioned, this is due to a chemical imbalance. Marijuana can help establish homeostasis, whether it be balancing neurotransmitters, endocrine/exocrine function, etc. Everything in the human body is about homeostasis. It is 100% possible to use marijuana in high doses and still be a functioning member of society. The human mind is the most powerful thing in the world. It can be dangerous, but when balanced and controlled, anything is possible.

If you can find the chemical imbalance hypothesis online, you can also find the research that debunked that hypothesis in the 60's. At this point the chemical imbalance line is pure marketing. Think about it, if it is a chemical imbalance the person can do nothing to remedy the problem, therefore meds are the only solution, for life. If meds were effective wouldn't the cases of depression, suicide, anxiety etc be reduced? The rates are actually rising while the prescriptions for psychotropic drugs are skyrocketing. I actually wrote a paper in grad school looking at the efficacy of anti-depressants, what I found is that research funded by Pharma or Pharma linked researchers found that the meds were effective. Research independently funded fount that anti-depressants were no more effective than placebo, except that placebo did not cause suicide. There is a book called" the Emperor's New Drug" by Mark Kirsh is an eye opening read about med research and the significant flaws.