Anyone else bipolar? Kinda lonely

Good for you Andrea! Don’t be ashamed….there is not one person that doesn’t have some mental issues! Some people just have a little more in their bag then others.
Keep going on your journey :tulip:

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Hi there. My whole life, since I was 15, I was misdiagnosed as having Major Depressive Disorder. I was in and out of depressive episodes constantly. They just got shorter as as I got older. I’m 46 now. I also have PTSD, anxiety and OCD. To top it off I was the hero child as the youngest and learned very young I must make up for my siblings’ shortcomings, which involved drug and alcohol addition and violence. I spend my childhood hiding in closets traumatized as holes in walks and blood was flying as my brothers fought till bloodshed. I became a perfectionist and at 10, I made up my mind that it was only acceptable to get straight A’s and go to an Ivy League school. I succeeded in that and have been at my job for 20 years as a leader. It’s the mental health field of course lol. Everyday was a fight and I remember hiding in bathroom stalls at University because I just couldn’t stop crying and I had to hide as I was so ashamed. 35 days ago, my Dr. and I figured out after many more trials of meds, that antidepressant didn’t work for me, made my depression worse and my anxiety never ceased. We determined that’s because I have Bipolar II Disorder. When I came out of my depressive episodes, I thought I was just normal Lisa again, assertive, quick thinker, multitasker and filled with assertion. We’ll, I was actually Hypomanic. A low grade mania which is often undetectable to the person experiencing it as well as to those around them. I detoxed from my antidepressant starting 35 days ago over 4 weeks. Terrible withdrawal and was placed on a my mood stabilizer at very low dosage and all of a sudden, on top of having 32 days sober, I’m no longer depressed, anxious or crying daily. I’m no longer fearful of the day and frozen. I work from home since COVID and get up in AM’s looking to day. It was rough to accept a new diagnosis after having no choice to accept all these years I had Major Depressive Disorder us adjusting to a whole new me with no putting myself down and feeling abnormal and having to be an actress all day at work so I could be in darkness each night and all weekends. Although I was happy with change, I disconnected. Disconnected from what time are you asked question all of my days off yesterday? I didn’t recognize myself. Some of the most successful people I know are bipolar. My Chief Medical Officer of Psychiatry has Bipolar II. There’s a I and II. Mine is mostly depression with bouts of lower grade mania. This is all to say I understand. Best advice, drugs and alcohol do not allow your mood to stabilize, ensure you’re with a good psychiatrist and on the right meds. Don’t let this diagnosis define you as you’re way more than that. If you want to email me, feel free. In love and support :purple_heart:

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Thanks for sharing Hun I was dinosed bypolor 1 anxiety disorder anti social major depreson ect but I got clean n sobor n it seems to of calmed way down so far it comes up sometimes but nutyin like it was

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Aw, feel for you. My issues got better with age and with constantly trying, never perfecting but trying to be healthy. Eating, sleeping, work, support groups. Things that have been healthy peppered in with the failures have kept me alive and moving forward. The painful days have lightened up with medication appropriately prescribed instead of a cocktail of pills. Keep communicating, you sound like you are on the right track anyway.

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Lamictal is a great drug for bipolar. No blood tests to test for toxic levels like when taking lithium. Bottom line is, they’re all medical conditions, whether physical or mental. If we had diabetes, we’d take meds with no stigma for example. It’s a tough road. I too get the hypomania with full agitation. No euphoria for me lol. Feeling joy for first time in my life after 42 of my 46 years of life. Unheard of for me. Don’t even recognize myself. With no drugs or alcohol, we have a chance. Love you guys! Look at all of us with similar issues. This community is great. No one feels abnormal anymore and no more hiding ourselves or feeling abnormal. I’m grateful for this community.

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So happy for you! Praying it maintains for you as it is.

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Thank you so much as I’ll also pray for u aswell Hun god is good all the time good morning hope your day filled with joy peace n love

Not sure if this helps but I take sertraline 50mg daily and it turns my anxiety/rumination/inpulsivity down by about 30-40% i’d say.

Life changing for me as it works just enough to make dealing with my issues far easier, but not so much that i walk around like a zombie :joy: Certainly worth a try if you aren’t taking SSRI’s already.

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