I was just diagnosed as Bipolar.
Any advise from anons who have either themselves been or family/friends who have been diagnosed?
>>17105332
My dad was bipolar, and he killed himself
Take your meds
Do NOT become an alcoholic
Depression phase is tough as fuck, but it's the manic phase that kills friendships and relationships and fucks your economy.
Take ypur meds
Take your meds
Take your meds
>>17105395
Don't take any meds OP
Read Madness and Civilization by Foucault
Then Prometheus Rising by R.A.W.
>>17105332
/adv/ confirmed for least helpful webpage known to man.
More info pls.
Bipolar 1 or 2?
You'll be fine as long as you make sure to stay in treatment, OP.
You usually need meds. They're okay, though; I mean they kind of suck but it's a lot better than having your symptoms be as bad as they would if you decided against them.
>>17105395 is right. >>17105399 clearly has no experience with any kind of mood disorder. Meds are important and you should fucking take them.
>>17105332
Bipolar anon here, diagnosed about two years ago after hospitalization. Take your meds, if they are not working talk to your Dr. Be honest with your Dr. Know that medicine is not a cure all, you also have to be committed to your well being. I have also found that meditation helps me.
>>17105485
Actually my mother is bipolar and so is my boyfriend. Both of them are a hundred times more functional off of their meds. My mother's meds ruined my childhood by making her obese and sleep all the time and try to kill herself repeatedly, and my boyfriend was put on motherfucking SEDATIVES primarily used to treat SEIZURES, gained 30 lbs in six weeks, got a full body rash, and lost the ability to form a coherent sentence. So. Fuck you. Aren't you the moron who gets ECT?
>>17105332
I recommend reading An Unquiet Bind by Kay Redfield Jamison
>>17105556
An Unquiet Mind
>>17105527
Aren't I the moron who gets an FDA approved treatment for my illness that is literally used around the world?
Yes.
>and it's worked
>>17105565
Suck dat big pharma dick if you want to, but don't recommend it to other people. You should read Madness and Civilization, too.
>>17105527
I'm the repeating takw your meds guy
My mom is also bipolar
She stopped taking her meds and went full psychotic, didn't sleep for 48 hours, I. Had to drive her to the asylum where she was forcibly admitted for three months, of which she spent three weeks chained to a bed in a room without television, no coffee, no cigarettes.
OP, take your fucking meds, some might be worse and you should definately be sceptical, but take your meds nonetheless
>>17105336
Helpful.
>>17105395
Prescribed oxcarbazepine to try. I'm not dumb. I've done research, I understand the dangers of alcohol. I'm in treatment after ending up in the hospital. I'm looking for advise related to lifestyle like diet, habits, that kind of thing. I wasn't very specific in op I'm sorry.
>>17105399
>>17105527
>>17105575
Your opinion is appreciated, though I need more than opinion. Site me information on why I shouldn't other than "because my mom got fat and my boyfriend got a rash." Or is that what those books are about? Could you give me a quick snidbit on what you liked about the recommended lit? I spoke with doctors about the side effects and I've done research. The medication I am currently on has the potential for the rash/liver issues. Which is why I'm getting labs regularly and making follow up appts with my doctor. If a prescription isn't working, then its my responsibility to bring that up with my doctor. I want to be healthy. Not bitch about my problems. I am also of the antipharma opinion. Which is why I'm asking for advise. Medication is part of the treatment but I'm looking for long term advise and motivation on how to create an environment for physical/emotional/psychological success.
>>17105471
1
>>17105485
>You usually need meds. They're okay, though; I mean they kind of suck but it's a lot better than having your symptoms be as bad as they would if you decided against them.
This is my mindset right now.
>>17105524
What else do you do in your life to manage? Other than meds?
>>17105556
Thank you kind anon
>>17105612
Thank you as well kind anon
>>17105612
Also, this happened a half year after she stopped taking her meds, where she gradully got more and more manic. It wasn't side effect from stopping her meds
>>17105617
Check out survivingantidepressants.org for more information about why meds are a terrible idea
Madness and Civilization is about how mental illness used to be considered "close to godhood" and trying to medicate it and treat it to make it going away instead of supporting people who suffer from it is a form of oppression that is holding back human advancement
Prometheus Rising is about human evolution, and will explain to you how to advance. Bipolar is a disease that indicates you are hitting the fifth circuit (creativity/rapture) and have great potential.
My boyfriend has started with eating cleaner, sleeping regular hours instead of reversed day/night, and spending 1-3 hours a day sitting perfectly still (mastering the first circuit). He's doing so much better.
>>17105624
Did she stop her meds cold-turkey, or did she wean off?
>>17105734
Thank you for your opinion and the added information. I'm not sure that I'm quite that, I don't know, "liberal" about my opinions on mental health causes, but I will certainly give these books a read at the very least so again thank you.
>>17105332
Lithium and Depakote made my hair fall out
>>17105737
Cold turkey
>>17105821
That's always a disaster
>>17105799
You are welcome. Check out the site I linked ASAP. The books are a big time investment but just twenty minutes perusing the site should give you a sense of what a disaster you're heading into.
I have experience with taking SSRIs, NSAID, stimulants and benzos myself. Was diagnosed with PTSD, GAD, OCD/ADD, and dysthymia as a teenager.
>>17105527
A women telling that being fat is worse than having bipolar disorder. Why I'm not surprised?
TAKE YOUR FUCKING MEDS FAGGOT
>>17105898
Ummmm actually I recommended two extremely good books and linked to a website describing NUMEROUS and widely varied horrible side effects of psych drugs.
My bf literally lost the ability to form a sentence while he was on the drugs his doctor prescribed, and the doctor said that was "normal". How is taking someone who goes through manic/depressive spells in which they produce beautiful art and turning them into a drooling fatness who can't even communicate an improvement?
>>17105399
Read Madness and Civilization, sure, but take your fucking meds, OP. I've got a patient who decides they're cured every two years. Like clockwork he comes into my office, says he's titrating off his meds. I tell him its his call but its a bad idea. Six weeks later he's in the hospital. Round and fucking round we go.
>>17105734
>close to godhood
Thats a pretty significant misreading of Foucault tracing the line between madness being seen as immorality to madness being seen as unreason and how that shift allowed for the mad to occupy the position of the margins left vacant when the lepers disappeared.
Dear OP,
I would start off by following your treatment plan to a T, record how you feel every day in a journal, then use that info to communicate how your treatment plan is working to your doc. Mental health treatment is a shit-in/shit-out process. If you lie to your doc (and yourself) you will sabotage your own care.
I would also read some of the books posted in this thread, and explore self discovery through reading in general. There may be a point in the future when can ween yourself off meds and take full control of your life.
>>17105332
cant say that i have a serious form of it but when i get too happy and talkative and tense i calm down by listening to sad music. as for when ur sad u just gotta work on ur problems man
>>17105527
if he has nerve damage from the medicine he can sue and you should
>>17106147
Are you dumb? Google "bipolar disorder" and read the first paragraph of anything that comes up.
Research the Bjork Stalker. Ricardo Lopez was obsessed with a singer named Bjork. He recorded himself over the next year or so, and had 20 hours of footage. You'll notice that somewhere near the middle, he started taking meds for his mental illness. That's when he really started spiraling mentally. He tried to kill Bjork, then committed suicide on camera.
I'm bipolar. I was diagnosed at 15. They put me on meds, and I, too, began to spiral. I tried to kill myself when I was 21 by overdosing. I quit taking the meds after that, and started looking into natural remedies. I started taking vitamin D and it cured me. I no longer take vitamin D in supplement form. I get more naturally, but my problems were caused by a lack of that one little thing. It wasn't caused by a lack of pills.
The point is: look into natural remedies first.
>>17107762
I have and I do. I already take vitamin D. I take a few other vitamins and supplements for things related to mood and depression and etc. I've been eating very smart and right based off of lots of nutritional research and also exercising. I've been adhering to a sleep schedule and staying motivated. Yet I still ended up in the hospital/quitting my job during an episode. I just need advise. Help from people who understand. Real solutions. Not standpoints and sides on pharma vs. Anti-pharma. Somethings work for some and some things work for others. So what is working for you guys. To again clarify, I don't care about what ISN'T working. I care about what IS, and then would like more information on THAT
