Lost - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

lmm1971 · 02-05-2007, 09:00 PM

I was just diagnosed with bipolar last week. I am even more confused now than ever. I thought I was just dealing with situational depression but the more I read and look back over the years the more some of this makes sense. The past 6-8 months have been horrible, major ups and downs. I had job issues and that got corrected because now I have a wonderful new job. But I had to move out of state. I have lost my kids because they want to live with their dad. Theres more to the story. My ex and his wife are taking advantage of the situation by alienating my children from me and even have gone as far as telling them I don't love them and I abandoned them. Then last monday I lost the love of my life after almost two years. He decided he needed space. I am a basket case. I was put on lamectil and seraquel but that takes time. My mind is racing around and around, I go from crying to anger and revenge, then I go to thoughts of just not being here anymore. I am spinning and spinning and I don't know how to stop or anything else. That is why my psych gave me the meds but what do you do with everything in the mean time.

4support · 02-05-2007, 09:38 PM

Hi Imm1971,

Welcome to the board!

I am sorry you are feeling lost right now. You were just recently dx, which will take time to absorb and maybe a few more appts with your pdoc to ensure that you have the right med combination for you to feel better! I cannot imagine how it must feel to be without your children, I am sorry.

You will find lots of insight and support on this board - wonderful people!!

Hang in there & God Bless!
4support

tsohl · 02-05-2007, 10:43 PM

Hello and welcome,

I am sorry for the reason you found your way to this board. Hopefully now that you have been diagnosed, you will find that you are on your way to finding stability and better health. The two meds you have been prescribed are two very good ones that many people do very well on. It does take awhile to reach a therapeutic dose of lamicatal...so try to be patient and don't decide it's not working before you get to that level. While you're getting to that level, try to be good to yourself. Try to eat healthy, drink lots of water, avoid alcohol and try to take walks or do gentle exercises, hopefully something you enjoy. Avoid caffeine and sugar. Also try to avoid the things in your life that you know cause stress.

You might want to start keeping a mood chart. Pick a time of day that is convenient to you and every day jot down how you are feeling at that same time of day, every day. You can do depression on a scale of 1-10, mania on a scale of 1-10, agitation, stress....This will really help your pdoc to be able to identify how your meds are working, what might need tweaking, etc. Also you will eventually be able to track what are stressors for you, if something is related to food or weather, or the seasons...things like that.

Since this is all new for you, I would suggest educating yourself about mood disorders. There are some very helpful books on the market now that will make you better able to talk with your pdoc, understand what s/he's saying to you, help you learn about all the medications that are now available, etc.

Finally I would suggest that you search for ****. This is a national group that advocates for the mentally ill. They have chapters all over the country that are a wonderful source of support and a resource for various educational programs and a referral service as well. They run support groups for a variety of ages, family units, various topics, etc. On the website you can find what chapters are available in the state where you live.

I know things look bleak at the moment, but have faith that things will get better. When you are stable and healthy again you will have a chance to repair your relationship with your children. I commend you for having the courage to seek help and hope that you will be feeling much more in control very soon. Please keep posting with your comments and questions...feel free to vent. That's what the board is here for!

Be kind to yourself!

Tsohl

windward402 · 07-02-2007, 10:17 AM

Hi,

I have been on many ad medications (prozac, zoloft, wellbutrin, etc) because I thought I had situational depression then I found a doctor who says I have bp. I got off all of the ad medication and I have been on lamictal 325mg along with 100mg provigil and 15mg of restoril at night. I am not convinced that lamictal is right or will work for everyone. It seems to be quite common now for a lot of docs to give lamictal.

I feel very depressed still and feel like I am going downhill. The pdoc also said that I should not be gaining weight with lamictal because it is weight neutral. I am gaining weight rapidly because as it happens to a lot of us "we eat when we are depressed" I thought I was gaining to much weight with the ad's and the sexual side affects were bad with ad's but I feel I have put on more weight with lamictal. Right now feeling the way I do I would rather be happy with some sexual side affects than totally depressed. It's been 3 months from going to 100 to 325mg. The pdoc increased it from 300 to 325 when I called in 2 weeks ago just crying and depressed. My doctor tells me to hang in there but there comes a point in time when lamictal isn't the cure all drug for everyone. I have asked to add another medication into the mix?? And of course with the 4th coming up the doctor is out!! Does anyone else have the same problem or take combo that works with the rest of medication I am taking?? Sorry to rant but I read your lost and can relate to your situation. I do hope it works for you.