Being bipolar

YellowLioness · 12-30-2004, 11:34 AM

Yes, hello, I have a mental disease/disorder/whatever. It affects the way I handle myself in certain situations, and I am medicated.

I'm in the process of finding a better therapist, in fact.

Those of you who are bipolar, do you find that your strong emotions enhance your creativity, or do they hinder you?

I've often wondered what it was to be "normal," but the more life I live I realize that there is no normal, and that we're all suffering from something. America is quite over medicated (myself included).

Another question for you on meds-- are you planning to get off the meds, or are they going to be in your life forever? I don't want to be medicated forever. Once I learn what is "normal" behavior, maybe I can just modify the way I react to certain situations.

Any thoughts, feelings, or anything to share?

Merika · 12-30-2004, 11:37 AM

I had a friend once who had horrible bi-polar episodes....especially if she drank liquor.

I'm not sure that I understand too much about it. Isn't it a lack of a certain enzyme or something to that effect?

I knew someone on another forum who was taking meds for it....but I'm not sure about this one.

YellowLioness · 12-30-2004, 11:50 AM

from what I understand, no one is really sure what causes it. I know what brought mine on, but I don't know for others.

My aunt is severely bipolar:she takes lithium. I'm not nearly that rough, although I do have rough spots where I just hate being me, and my emotions are just all over the place.

It gets worse when I have too much sugar/not enough good food to counter it, when I drink, or when I don't take my meds, or when I'm PMSing.

My therapist explained it to me like this: everyone has a "cup" of emotions. Some people just have a fuller cup then others. This cup can be filled with emotions caused by an event (for me it was my parent's divorce), or an emotional problem (again for me my inherited bipolar disorder).

Merika · 12-30-2004, 12:09 PM

I was watching a show once where it said people used to not persue happiness.....they didn't know they were supposed to he 'happy'.....they just survived and enjoyed some days more than other. (Let's say pre-1900). I thought that was interesting. I wonder how many were completely miserable and had no medical/therapist relief? Isn't that a sad thought?

YellowLioness · 12-30-2004, 12:23 PM

Yeah, my dad/mom/grandpa think that it's "weak" to go to a therapist. I don't look at it as being strong or weak, I look at it as a way to learn how to function properly, sort of like taking a class.

Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolfe were two authors who both were misdiagnosed. Virginia Woolfe was schitzophrenic, and Sylvia Plath...maybe bipolar. I read the "Bell Jar," and I never figured her out.

Maybe with some help they would have lived longer, and not taken their own lives.

It's intersting to me that some of the most talented artists (painters/poets/sculpters) had mental diseases. Wasn't it Vincent VanGogh who cut off his ear for a woman?

Stone · 12-30-2004, 12:33 PM

My b/f Greg is Bipolor he just had a manic episode about 4 months ago and we're still not over it. I try very hard to understand him but I can't. We have been fighting alot lately, but I've noticed when he isn't drinking he seems to be fine.

He sometimes stares at the celing at night because he can't sleep, and he often is so obsorbed in his disorder that he often disregards my feelings. What meds are you on? Do you find that group therapy helps? HAve you ever had an episode... sorry for all the Q's I really need to learn more about this.

Greg blames his disorder on his childhood and I can't understand it, do you think this is possible?

Merika · 12-30-2004, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YellowLioness

It's intersting to me that some of the most talented artists (painters/poets/sculpters) had mental diseases. Wasn't it Vincent VanGogh who cut off his ear for a woman?

Maybe this is due to them feeling so deeply....they are able to characterize or portray in 2D or 3D what other people feel but don't have the words for. That's why people draw to a particular song or anything artistic...it represents what they feel.

I actually think it could be considered a great gift if harnessed and controlled without the person feeling miserable or suicidal. Some people are just born with an extra sensitivity to the world around them.....just as some are born with great sports ability or any other number of gifts.

That's what I always thought. I read the Bell Jar years ago. I thought it was excellent.

Star · 01-02-2005, 07:11 PM

when my daughter was misdiagnosed for bipolar, I immediately did the research and learned a lot about it. It's emotions out of control mostly. a lot of depression, anxiety, mood swings...

I have a friend who's grown son is diagnosed with bipolar. He's on all kinds of meds. People with bipolar should not drink or do drugs as this brings on depression and a swing of emotions. The street drugs and alcohol will counter-react with the bipolar meds which isn't a good thing for the person with bipolar.

You can find tons of information on bipolar on the internet. I did a search in google and got all kinds of links to good medical sites with good information. The secret to best dealing with any disorder or desease is to know it.

Merika · 01-02-2005, 10:05 PM

I agree with Star....nothing better than a good Google search for reading up on people who have the problem, doctors who treat it and those who live with someone who suffers with it.

As you get information, YL, make sure and share it on here so we will all learn more and be more able to help the next person who comes along with the same type of questions.

Duke · 01-02-2005, 10:41 PM

If you guys can supply me with links I can approach their webmasters about a link exchange and it'll be easier for visitors/memebers to find the info they need from here.

Merika · 01-02-2005, 10:44 PM

I even forget to check all the great Web Links you've posted. Shame on me..... :oops:

Duke · 01-02-2005, 10:47 PM

There's really not that much to check and some are no longer working. Once the Web Links Directory is full of reciprocal link partners I can see it requiring more upkeep than every other aspect of this site combined.

YellowLioness · 01-05-2005, 09:20 PM

SH,

I think that certain events in our past can be said to have made a definate impression on the way that we see the world. One of my big ones happend to be my parents divorce...which I still have emotional oddities to this day.

If a I meet a guy who reminds me at all of my dad, I won't date him, for example.

Also, my mom didn't think that I should be allowed to get angry, and that my opinions shouldn't matter as much as hers did.

That affects me to this day. I took Merika's (Amerika? jk

) box test, and that aspect of my personality shone through loud and clear.

So, to this day I believe my emotional needs to be quite minimal, but I will not back down on what I do expect and need, and am somewhat exacting in reality.

Anyway, that's just an example of childhoods affecting adulthoods.

However, bad behavior is bad behavior no matter what the reasons are. I catch myself being just awful sometimes, and rather then try to make excuses for whatever it is that I've said or done, I try to fess up to it rather then making excuses for myself.

I mean...it's one thing to understand why we act the way we do...it's another to conquer less then desirable traits, and strive to make yourself a better person.

Merika · 01-05-2005, 10:33 PM

Merika's (Amerika? jk That's exactly where the name came from. It's my political posting name on another forum .

I agree in that the reasons why we do something isn't an excuse for doing them. Sometimes I think as a society...we've picked up a terrible habit of spending more time and energy trying to figure out WHY we do things the way we do.....than just focusing on changing the bahavior.