harmony06
02-06-2007, 06:40 PM
:confused: hi, i'm totaly new at this so please bare with me. i was diagnosed with bp about a year. im taking 150 mg lamaictal and 500 mg of depakote. the depakote is making me lose my hair, making me very tired, and unbelievably hungry. ive tried geodon but that just made me even more irritable if that is possible. most of the time i feel totaly alone and it doesnt seem like anyone cares. my family seems to be tip toeing around me. i have three grown children who are busy with their own lives and really dont have much time for me. when i think back to the way that i used to be when they were growing up, i cant say that i blame them. what do i do now. im trying to get my life togehter but i think the damage has already been done.
my sister that was also my best friend is to busy to bother with me since she found out about my bp. so what am i supposed to do if no one wants to even support me? help i dont know where to turn
my sister that was also my best friend is to busy to bother with me since she found out about my bp. so what am i supposed to do if no one wants to even support me? help i dont know where to turn
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mudhound
02-06-2007, 07:25 PM
Welcome to the board! You have came to correct spot.
Stay around and see the response you get here. It is alsome!
Stay around and see the response you get here. It is alsome!
Live_for_music
02-07-2007, 03:36 AM
Hmm - my other response got deleted somehow so I am writing this again:
Perhaps you should try to find some bipolar support groups in your area - this would give you the opportunity to find local people that can relate and/or understand you. Also, are you seeing a therapist (not your psychiatrist regularly). One of the hardest things for anyone with a mental disorder is developing healthy coping skills.
As for you family and friends - sometimes people become fearful of things they don't understand or know very little about. It might be a good idea to explain some of the thoughts and behaviors that go along with being bipolar. They may be more apt to support you when they know what is going on
-L
Perhaps you should try to find some bipolar support groups in your area - this would give you the opportunity to find local people that can relate and/or understand you. Also, are you seeing a therapist (not your psychiatrist regularly). One of the hardest things for anyone with a mental disorder is developing healthy coping skills.
As for you family and friends - sometimes people become fearful of things they don't understand or know very little about. It might be a good idea to explain some of the thoughts and behaviors that go along with being bipolar. They may be more apt to support you when they know what is going on
-L
teresa2007
02-07-2007, 11:10 PM
Hey bipolar girl,
You are certainly not alone we allhave been there and doing that. You have come to the right place. We all have stories to tell. You hang in there
and what(LIVE FOR MUSIC) SAID SOME PEOPLE JUST DONT UNDERSTAND IT SO THEY SHY AWAY. MAYBE YOU COULD EDUCATE THEM A LITTLE. BUT IF YOUR FEELING LONELY OR NEED A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT. SIGN ON
BECAUSE WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! TAKE CARE! HUGS! TEE TEE
You are certainly not alone we allhave been there and doing that. You have come to the right place. We all have stories to tell. You hang in there
and what(LIVE FOR MUSIC) SAID SOME PEOPLE JUST DONT UNDERSTAND IT SO THEY SHY AWAY. MAYBE YOU COULD EDUCATE THEM A LITTLE. BUT IF YOUR FEELING LONELY OR NEED A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT. SIGN ON
BECAUSE WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! TAKE CARE! HUGS! TEE TEE
harmony06
02-10-2007, 01:28 PM
thanks, ill deffinitly give this a try. i already feel better knowing that im where others understand more of what im going through. its different when you speak to someone whose already been there and who can honestly give you some idea of what its been like for them. really makes you feel connected.
tsohl
02-10-2007, 03:40 PM
My son couldn't take depakote. He gained 35 pounds in a month and was so tired he could barely move. Why don't you ask your pdoc to try another mood stabilizer?
Have you tried talking to your sister to let her know how you feel? Perhaps you are misunderstanding her reaction....
If you don't mind me asking, do you think you were bipolar while raising your children, but just didn't realize it?
You will always find someone to talk to on this board...not quite the same as face-to-face, but helpful none the less.
Take care,
Tsohl
Have you tried talking to your sister to let her know how you feel? Perhaps you are misunderstanding her reaction....
If you don't mind me asking, do you think you were bipolar while raising your children, but just didn't realize it?
You will always find someone to talk to on this board...not quite the same as face-to-face, but helpful none the less.
Take care,
Tsohl
goody2shuz
02-10-2007, 04:18 PM
Hi, welcome to a wonderful board where you are bound to find the support and understanding that you need.
I think as you already have learned, finding the right combo of meds that works for you is one of the most difficult parts of Bipolar. It's not as if what works for one works for all so hang in there realizing that eventually you will find the right combo that will have the least amount of side effects as well as help stabilize things so that your life is more in balance.
My advice would be to get as much information as possible about the meds available and used for Bipolar as well as educating yourself as much s possible about the disorder so that you can be much more proactive in working with your doctor to find the right meds and treatment for yourself. There are so many books out there written in laypersons terminology that will definitely benefit you in providing a better understanding of the disorder and treatment available.
I did this for my 15 year old daughter and almost hand picked her meds with the help of the psychiatrist knowing that she was more on the depressive side of the disorder and that the meds would need to address that side of it more than the manic side. It took alot of time and research on my part but I have to say knowing about the meds prior to meeting with the doctor allowed me more power in pushing for one over another knowing my daughter and what symptoms I was seeing her demonstrating at home. She is on Lamictal and Seroquel and that combo works out very well for her. The Lamictal acts as a mood stabilizer more geared towards the depressive side of Bipolar. The Seroquel seems to work for the impulsivity and frustration, anger, agitation that is demostrated in her manic side. So we are finding that the combo of the two drugs works out wonderfully with no real side effects. The Seroquel does make her tired but she takes 100mgs in the morning and 200mgs at bedtime which works out quite well for her.
The best way of getting the stability you need is to keep track of the meds and your moods so that you can work with your doctor in finding the right meds to help you find the balance that you need. One thing you must keep in mind is that there is only so much the meds will do, the other part of finding stability is to work with a good therapist to find the tools that you will need to work through the stress or triggers that will off balance things. Developing good coping strategies and working on improving self esteem will go a long way in maintaining stability.
You can do it...alot of it has to do with the way you look at things. Having a positive attitude will go a long way and embracing this disorder as being a part of you will allow you to rise above it and direct your life in a more positive direction.
I hope this information helps....I know when I first came here to seek out help and support for my daughter I was feeling so helpless but since coming here I feel so empowered with the knowledge and support that has been provided that it is nice to be able to use it to help others. And I know that once you are feeling better about things that you will be able to do the same.
Good luck with things and please keep us posted with how things are going for you.
(((HUGS))) ~ Goody:angel: :wave:
I think as you already have learned, finding the right combo of meds that works for you is one of the most difficult parts of Bipolar. It's not as if what works for one works for all so hang in there realizing that eventually you will find the right combo that will have the least amount of side effects as well as help stabilize things so that your life is more in balance.
My advice would be to get as much information as possible about the meds available and used for Bipolar as well as educating yourself as much s possible about the disorder so that you can be much more proactive in working with your doctor to find the right meds and treatment for yourself. There are so many books out there written in laypersons terminology that will definitely benefit you in providing a better understanding of the disorder and treatment available.
I did this for my 15 year old daughter and almost hand picked her meds with the help of the psychiatrist knowing that she was more on the depressive side of the disorder and that the meds would need to address that side of it more than the manic side. It took alot of time and research on my part but I have to say knowing about the meds prior to meeting with the doctor allowed me more power in pushing for one over another knowing my daughter and what symptoms I was seeing her demonstrating at home. She is on Lamictal and Seroquel and that combo works out very well for her. The Lamictal acts as a mood stabilizer more geared towards the depressive side of Bipolar. The Seroquel seems to work for the impulsivity and frustration, anger, agitation that is demostrated in her manic side. So we are finding that the combo of the two drugs works out wonderfully with no real side effects. The Seroquel does make her tired but she takes 100mgs in the morning and 200mgs at bedtime which works out quite well for her.
The best way of getting the stability you need is to keep track of the meds and your moods so that you can work with your doctor in finding the right meds to help you find the balance that you need. One thing you must keep in mind is that there is only so much the meds will do, the other part of finding stability is to work with a good therapist to find the tools that you will need to work through the stress or triggers that will off balance things. Developing good coping strategies and working on improving self esteem will go a long way in maintaining stability.
You can do it...alot of it has to do with the way you look at things. Having a positive attitude will go a long way and embracing this disorder as being a part of you will allow you to rise above it and direct your life in a more positive direction.
I hope this information helps....I know when I first came here to seek out help and support for my daughter I was feeling so helpless but since coming here I feel so empowered with the knowledge and support that has been provided that it is nice to be able to use it to help others. And I know that once you are feeling better about things that you will be able to do the same.
Good luck with things and please keep us posted with how things are going for you.
(((HUGS))) ~ Goody:angel: :wave:
harmony06
02-11-2007, 11:32 PM
:eek: i want to thank eveyone for their replies. its really helpful knowing that there is someone out there who understand what i am going through. i have tried lithium for a mood stableizer and thats when i found out that i have a kidney problem so i can no longer take that which is why i was swithed over to depakote.
yes, i believe that i have had bp for as long as i can remember, now that i know what it is. i have always been very short tempered and look out if things didnot get done exactly the way i wanted it done. you want to talk about rage, it was awful, and afterwards i would always cry myself to sleep because i knew i shouldnt have acted that way.
as far as my sister goes, who am i to gudge. but i almost think that she also has bp, although we may never know. i dont understand how someone can be like this and take this long to find out why. anyway, she was really depressed, seemed for the longest time but now seems to be way out there somewhere. we cannot talk without yelling at each other. im not saying its just her fault but she doesnt seem to be herself. i also have a brother who was diagnosed with bp years ago. my mother never told us what is was. didnt find out until recently.
i have a very short memory and cant remember most of the information that i have gotten from my research. i do understand the illness but as for the meds , right now im just leaving it in the hands of my pdoc. i try my best to let him know how im feeling and he makes some ajustments. im wondering though, does it usually take a year or more to get the right combination of meds. it just seems to be taking an awful long time.
i havent been doing much of anything except feeling sorry for myself. i keep thinking about doing some volenteer work and possibly going to water arobics. the problem is that all i do is think about it.
well i dont want to sound so depressed so i"ll leave it here for now. just want to thank you for your input it was greatly appretiated. hope you all are doing well. sorry this was so long.
yes, i believe that i have had bp for as long as i can remember, now that i know what it is. i have always been very short tempered and look out if things didnot get done exactly the way i wanted it done. you want to talk about rage, it was awful, and afterwards i would always cry myself to sleep because i knew i shouldnt have acted that way.
as far as my sister goes, who am i to gudge. but i almost think that she also has bp, although we may never know. i dont understand how someone can be like this and take this long to find out why. anyway, she was really depressed, seemed for the longest time but now seems to be way out there somewhere. we cannot talk without yelling at each other. im not saying its just her fault but she doesnt seem to be herself. i also have a brother who was diagnosed with bp years ago. my mother never told us what is was. didnt find out until recently.
i have a very short memory and cant remember most of the information that i have gotten from my research. i do understand the illness but as for the meds , right now im just leaving it in the hands of my pdoc. i try my best to let him know how im feeling and he makes some ajustments. im wondering though, does it usually take a year or more to get the right combination of meds. it just seems to be taking an awful long time.
i havent been doing much of anything except feeling sorry for myself. i keep thinking about doing some volenteer work and possibly going to water arobics. the problem is that all i do is think about it.
well i dont want to sound so depressed so i"ll leave it here for now. just want to thank you for your input it was greatly appretiated. hope you all are doing well. sorry this was so long.