i am just wondering how everybody else out there who has been branded with the title of "bi-polar" manage to cope? I am a 24 year old girl and have been told for many many years by many people that i suffer from bi-polar. many people have wanted to put me on medication, however, i am firmly against this idea. However, the highs are starting to get too high, where i cant calm down and will undertake stupid things because i believe i am invincable, and then the flip side is when i get sad, the lows are getting worse and worse. I dont know how long this is going to be able to be kept up, because all in my life are starting to get too sick of never knowing how to act around me, and when i can change moods from such extreams in very small amounts of time. sorry about the rambal of my writing, i do have a point and a question. I am just wondering if there is anyone out there who understands this and is not on any medication and if they could just share some of the ways they cope with it. thanks.

Welcome Kitty, I was treated for BiPolar a year after my last child was born. True it seems like my moods changed very rapidly and the older I got the more intense. I have tried alot of different meds some made me stay manic and others put me out of it. The doctors have changed my diagnosis several times and some people think I'm a hypochondriac because I'm always trying to find out whats wrong with me and fix it. I have started having blurred vision with floaters in front of my eyes. The eye doctor could not find any reason for this so ordered me glasses, only for distance. Since then I have read about aspartane the artifical sweetner in diet coke causing a list of my symptoms. {Mood Swings is one of them.} I went with a diet coke in my hands all day. After 3 days my vision is a little better. Do you use artifical sweetners? Aspartane is in some vitamins and meds. Sorry if I'm off track with you but if this artifical sweetner didn't make me bipolar it sure made me rapid cycle. Mamacatt

thanks for the reply. sadly i already pretty much avoid artifical sweetner along with highly processed foods, so i dont think that could be contributing to the problem. as i am lactose intolerant and a vegetarian i really have to watch what i eat. but thank you for the suggestion, hope everything goes well for you in your day today and tomorrow.

When bipolar disorder goes untreated or undertreated or poorly treated, the cycles tend to get worse. That said, perimenopause or menopause can also be a time during which mood cycles can worsen.

I use music therapy often to calm or rev up my mood. I tend to react emotionally and very strongly to music, so I have to watch for this sometimes too. If Ive tried everything, and nothing seems to help my mood, then I just stop fighting it and go with the mood Im in, I try to find something funny or ironic about the situation, or celebrate my mood. This sounds simplistic, but you will be surprised how much accepting a mood helps you cope with it better. I go on "shopping sprees", in which I put everything in my cart that I want and go all over town to all the stores, but I LEAVE MY MONEY AND CREDIT CARDS AT HOME. I get all the benefits and none of the troubles. Exercise or house cleaning, a project that just seemed overwhelming before, these are good for burning up all the manic energy, especially when mixed moods rear their ugly heads. I do something to make myself angry at me when I cant feel, because once I feel angry then I can feel other stuff, more pleasant emotions. It is surprising how much easier it is to get angry instead of trying to feel happy or better, or more stable. I get outside every day, even during cold or hot weather, it helps. I get a number of benefits: sunshine, usually the company of someone else, or at least less focus on my own problems, marvel at nature, maybe take a walk. It does not have to be for long, but even a few minutes a day helps. I even do this when I have trouble getting up, combing my hair, or putting my clothes on-- I just go outside with the attitude that Im all up anyway so why care what some not understanding person will think. I need to feel better, so I take care of myself and get out. Everybodys different, make it your mission to discover what sorts of things help you to feel better, get well, or have a stabilizing influence on you, then do them more often. And things that produce harmful emotions, try to do them less, or make a plan for dealing with the unavoidable.

zionsP

[This message has been edited by minerva (edited 12-06-2002).]

hi kitty, if you don't want to take prescription medication at this time can you try a holistic approach and see if that helps at all? omega fatty acids found in fish oil capsules and eating salmon or tuna fish 3x a week help with the depression. the B vitamins also help. if you don't feel better you should get to a psychiatrist. i was 'labeled' with this years ago and saw 3 different shrinks all with different 'labels' and tons of pills. today i am not on any medication and living a normal life. i am sure you will find what works for you. it took me a long time to feel better. best wishes.

Reading all your posts I couldn't agree more with your solutions. Alot of them I use myself. I was diagnosed manic depresseive when I was thirteen. I am not 27. For the first four years I also was on a ton of meds. Lithium. Sound familiar to anyone. Yeah, that one almost killed me. Levels got way to high, no fault of my own. Levels weren't checked properly. Then I got to take tegretol I do believe. The same medication my grandfather who had multiple sclerosis was taking. That didn't work. I use to be crazy, mostly because I had a drinking problem. And as you all probally know, if you have a chemical imbalance drinking alcohol(large amounts) NOT a good idea. I haven't taken a phyc med for ten years now. Nor do I consume large amounts of alcohol anymore. One beer a month is usually what I drink now. And only if I am among friends. They all know they can count on me to be the DD. It took a long time to start to get MYSELF under control. But I did it. I also use music as a release. Comedies, and laughter!! When I feel the angry feeling coming on, and start getting *****y, I try to go to my room and take several deep breaths and remind myself, if I don't stay in control it will not be good for anyone, and will have effects around the people I love!! And consequences. So just reminding yourself, that you CAN keep control helps. I got really bad with my mood swings for a long time. But they are much better. I still get them, but I know when they are coming. There is a real good pattern with mine. Once every two to three months. I just try to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming ride. :-)

Some cases are worse than others, so you should really see if you can do it without the meds. If you can that is great. Just remeber they are coming, the mood swings they always do. And being women, trying not to confuse it with the menstrual cycle can be difficult. If you know when they are coming just try to prepare yourself, know it will be over in a few days to a week(however yours may work) and that everthing will be okay. Try to start detouring all the negative energy into something positive. If you don't know when it is coming, start keeping a journal, find out when your cycles are changing. Theese boards are really helpful. Where as it may be hard to talk about theese things with people surrounding you possibly making judgements that are not fair, here you are among other who suffer the same thing, and can talk. I think it is easier talking here than anywhere. We will all be okay!!! Take care all.

There is on thing that is very important to mention. You say you are very resistant to taking medication. It is a proven fact is that the earlier the BP is diagnosed and treated, the better chance you have at becoming controlled. The longer you go untreated, having your mood become higher and lower the harder it is to treat. And, once you are at a certain level, you remain at that level. In other words, you cannot go back to where your symptoms were not as bad. Then, it takes longer to get you to a decent functioning level. The longer you wait, the sicker you get, and there is no turning back. Just thought I would mention this.

If I had been diagnosed back when I started feeling bad, it would not have so hard to find a medication regime for me. It took six year! Just a comment, not a health professional. I just make sure that I am informed about my illness, and read all I can about my meds and illness.

I hope you can work things out. I have been through a lot with this illness.So far only one hospitilization, and LOTS of med changes. Now I am controlled on a minimum of medication, because I have another Doctor who said I was over medicated, and scaled down my meds. I was scared that everything would come flooding, but have leveled off, and actually have some good days. There is always hope.

[This message has been edited by bleweyz51 (edited 01-26-2003).]

I was diagnosed bi polar in 1995. But, at that time I was drinking pretty heavily, and I blamed my behavior on the alcohol. It wasnt until very recently that I stopped denying my illness and sought help.
My Phsyciatrist and family phys. are having a hard time figuring out what to put me on. I'm mostly in my manic stage right now. I stay up for days at a time, I talk so fast, that it seems like my brain is working faster then my mouth. I stutter. And, I tremble and shake.
I take Depakote, prozac, atenolol, Neurontin, and geodon...at this time. the only difference that I have noticed is that I am only getting about 6 hrs of sleep in a 48 hr period. My mind races 1000 miles an hour, and I cant block it out. I just want to rip my hair out...but I dont have too, its' falling out anyway. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
Maybe theres hope for me yet, I made a joke.
Suzanne