Psychological Support (bipolar depression) (3 Viewers)

[zeetes]

tried searching the thread first, but no luck.

anyone with experience going through a “iop” intensive outpatient program (i think that is the ‘p’)?

i am starting a 3-4 week program this upcoming week, or the following. kinda wondering what to expect. the info i have found online is mostly for rehab iop, but this is specifically a bipolar program.

my next option is try “latuda” to replace one of my meds i guess.

if no significant improvement from either, electronic shock therapy is after. yes, i was like “they still do shock treatment?!” apparently it is slightly different today, but supposedly highly affective.

i don’t know what to think of any of these. if the “est” works, i am all for it. i know that i will never be able to fully defeat bipolar 2, but i am willing to try anything. i just want to feel like myself at least, 6-8 years ago self.

to add to it, i have had tremors for years, but over the last few, they have increased significantly. there are times when my hands are doing repetitive actions, i.e. typing, my hands feel as if i have been cutting the grass for hours and the vibration from it causes them to keep going.

it has not bothered me much over the years, but i (yay getting old) am developing arthritis in my knuckles. this is rather common, but with my tremors, diagnosed as essential tremors, isn’t helping at all. creates a throbbing like feeling. this only adds to depression when i think about it. there is only a few directions this will continue to go and hopefully it is only essential progressing.

lately, i think too much about it, my feelings of my dogs being a large part of why i have never considered worse things, i trust no one to care for them, and i don’t really have much else to occupy my mind. reading gets old, walking gets old, origami gets old and my hands make it really annoying after awhile, and just not having any ambition to do much.

the lamictal has been great, i have been on 200mg a while now, but there is a point where my thoughts and actions aren’t restricted by it at all. like all of my meds, i don’t think they help, but as an example, 80mg prozac doesn’t seem to help, but reducing it is a noticeable difference in how i feel, so i am currently stuck on it. same with my billion other medications.

i have already forgot why i started this, but i am willing to try anything to make it go backwards and not just controlled. i also wish bipolar was the only singular problem.

i think i wrote most of this just to get it off my chest. thanks for reading.

 

[saintmdterps]

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.

Of course big pharma has made billions off the chemical imbalance foolishness. That scenario is nothing more than putting the cart before the horse. I have always felt (and have had my own bouts of depression) that depression is a learned thought process which will manifest itself in the brain as a chemical imbalance. Currently I use 5-HTP (available OTC and via Amazon) which is a serotonin precursor. It does indeed create a feeling of well-being without any side effects.

Big pharma has as its goal the creation of addicts to all its products. Otherwise why is it you cannot simply stop blood pressure meds, statins, and SSRI's just to name a few, without devastating side effects up to and including suicidal ideation?

Zeetes, I wish you well in your battle. I can recommend exercise and a good diet as start to your well-being. If possible, take up meditation and yoga. The free app Insight Timer has some very good guided meditations and courses for mindfulness and calming. Peace to you, my friend

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

Always wishing you the best Zeetes.
Always.

 

[mt15]

Me too, zeetes. I have read that EST has been doing wonderful things. I remember because it surprised me to read about it.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

here for you Zeetes
want you to get a puppy

 

[mt15]

Or two, or three puppies, and then let them have more puppies. A never ending supply of them....

 

[mjcouvi]

What's your diet and lifestyle like? What and how much do you usually eat? How much exercise do you get?

Again and again it's shown that the largest contributors to your mental health are healthy diet and exercise.

If you're looking for a new interest, there's nothing more rewarding than learning about how food and lifestyle choices impact your mind.

Mental illness is very real. Unfortunately those who suffer aren't often given much professional direction that doesn't involve a mind altering pill.

 

[zeetes]

What's your diet and lifestyle like? What and how much do you usually eat? How much exercise do you get?

Again and again it's shown that the largest contributors to your mental health are healthy diet and exercise.

If you're looking for a new interest, there's nothing more rewarding than learning about how food and lifestyle choices impact your mind.

Mental illness is very real. Unfortunately those who suffer aren't often given much professional direction that doesn't involve a mind altering pill.

i completely agree. i am trying my best to get off some meds i am already on. but, i can easily write essays, so i will leave it at that

 

[zeetes]

oh, given the choice, i would rather be a mindless cog, just going through life, compared to how often i feel. i would volunteer for that experiment without hesitation.

unfortunately, i often just don’t give a fork. if it weren’t for my dogs, i can’t honestly say, i would not be here typing this. i trust so few people to watch them as is.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

oh, given the choice, i would rather be a mindless cog, just going through life, compared to how often i feel. i would volunteer for that experiment without hesitation.

Like the Red pill and Blue pill choice from the Matrix, Zeetes.

 

[WhoDatPhan78]

It’s tempting to let them keep going when they seem happily manic, but in my experience it’s easiest to keep balance by managing the highs. Keep them grounded during happy mania and the depression isn’t as bad.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

During this surgery and recovery phase they have me on something. I’m not against it for anyone who believes in meds, I just don’t. So I’m not happy about it. I acquiesced tho as being down physically has definitely had a psychological effect on me as well. Will be off of this once I’m able to get back to work. ??

 

[zeetes]

It’s tempting to let them keep going when they seem happily manic, but in my experience it’s easiest to keep balance by managing the highs. Keep them grounded during happy mania and the depression isn’t as bad.

i would absolutely love this personally, and totally understand the reason, but in reality, it can be a terrible behavior to absorb, depending on the circumstances.

probably, next time the same, or similar, event or action happens, that made us happy, if it doesn’t give the same feeling, it usually causes a mania on the other end of the spectrum. meaning, depression kicks in, not understanding why it went differently, or worse, you do understand and feel helpless to change it.

this can be difficult for the mentally unstable, where we end up retaliating saying and doing things that should not have. though in your mind, you justify it. there is also the possibility of driving the person further into a deeper dark hole.

for us, it can be very hard to understand the repercussions and why whatever happened did not go the way you anticipated. you then make those around you, or affected by, a little more hesitant to involving you in future events.

we need honesty, let us know if we are not our “usual” moods. have us more aware of what you expect. it can seriously be dangerous in the end.

 

[zeetes]

what i described above, is probably 1/3 - 1/2 of what bipolar 2 means to me (though closer to possibly 2/3 - 3/4).

i have experienced this all the time with my local friends. in fact, #1 out of 3 strictly stopped talking to me without notice, #2 out of 3 still contacts me when it makes sense to her, and #3 out of 3 is a friend i have given hell to. #3, she literally has had to deal with all of my worst days. there isn’t a lot of contact with her this year, and i totally understand every reason why. last year, she made me as happy as i could be, this year is very conservative. i honestly don’t know how she lasted this long as a great friend with my bs. she will never read this, but i owe her my life for some bad times. i will never disregard her, as she is one of my lifelong best friends.

there are also several posters on sr, i love hate. they would do anything for me as they would each other. most importantly, as we don’t always get along, i would do the same for all of them. best crowd of rejects (jk). i would ever want to be a part of.

hardest thing about an illness is keeping friendships. i understand 100% why these are broken, but makes it no less tough to deal with. does a friendship break affect normal people night, day, every thought between? i can’t imagine so, at least for every one. these are the feelings we have all the time.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

oh, given the choice, i would rather be a mindless cog, just going through life, compared to how often i feel. i would volunteer for that experiment without hesitation.

unfortunately, i often just don’t give a fork. if it weren’t for my dogs, i can’t honestly say, i would not be here typing this. i trust so few people to watch them as is.

Dogs are the bomb zeetes. Truly our best friends imo. I love my dog very much. Just as I have every pup I’ve grown up with thru my life.