Bipolar

[LadyDeliah]

Yes, diet, exercise and regular sleep at night can't be overstated in helping to control the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

It can be hard to manage though, as preparing healthy food when you are feeling low is difficult and when you are up, it's easy to get used to grabbing sugary snacks, but there are lots of ways to eat healthily that don't require preparation and lots of healthy stuff to snack on too.

We are bags of chemicals and I've always thought that some people are just more sensitive to changes in their body chemistry than others, so things that affect your internal chemicals, such as all of the above, affect those people more markedly. As do alcohol, drugs etc.

It's a matter of getting to understand what effect each thing has on you, but without a 'clean' baseline to start from, it can be difficult to work out which external stimuli is doing what.

[Alex K]

Lady D, I learnt from your post. Thank you.

[LadyDeliah]

I think there is a lot of good stuff on here from all the posters (minus PaulK!) so I hope your niece gets something useful from it :-)

[holloway]

Thanks for your post LadyDelilah. It was probably one of the most interesting and useful this forum has seen in a while. It made me think about how I've been living for quite a while now. I drink a lot and comfort eat and generally let myself go. This goes on for very long periods of time. Every now and again I turn things around and stop drinking but it never lasts. I am certainly not one for talking about 'feelings' and wholeheartedly understand you when mentioned fearing to appear weak at the prospect of having to medicate, but I know this can't go on. Maybe in the new year I should talk to a GP, does anyone know of one who's good with these kind of issues?? Thanks again LadyDelilah and all the best to you AlanMedic, maybe I can help one day.

[LadyDeliah]

I'm with DMC on Crystal Palace Road and they are ok, but it's the psychiatric unit on Lordship Lane you need to talk to. Your GP will refer you if you ask them to. It's a good idea to resarch your symptoms as much as you can in advance, if you feel up to it, as it helps to make sense of what you are going through.

The main things though are a bit of regular exercise, regular food and regular sleep. These all help to keep you relatively stable, but alcohol and other mood altering substances can upset your balance.

It's hard, but there is a way out, you just need to make little changes every day. Baby steps forward, rest when you need to but try not to go backwards and you'll get there eventually :-)

[brain_opera]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

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> I've suffered from bipolar disorder since my early

> teens and it is a massive disability. I learned

> ways to normalise my moods using things like

> exercise, but it was always a struggle and I have

> had a number of spectacular crashes.

>

> I also found being on the contraceptive implant

> and injection helped the massive monthly swings

> that added to the general ups and downs. I've had

> some behavioural help which gave me further coping

> techniques and with grim determination I was able

> to acheive quite a lot in the past 10 years,

> without any major meltdowns.

>

> I had a huge breakthrough, though last year, when

> I thought I was about to lose the plot and felt

> like I'd just had enough of the constant stuggle

> with this debilitating illness. I'd previously

> been prescribed an anti-epileptic, Lamotrogine,

> but didn't want to feel weak by having to take

> medication to cope. I felt so bad though that it

> seemed the lesser of two evils and I decided to

> try the Lamotrogone.

>

> Within two days of starting the medication, the

> constant noise of chaotic thoughts in my head just

> switched off. It was incredible and I have stuck

> with the programme, progressing from 50mg to the

> optimum dosage of 200mg. For the first time in my

> adult life I feel stable. I have discovered what

> it feels like to be a normal person and realise

> just how much of a disability bipolar disorder is.

>

>

> After struggling for so long and pushing myself so

> hard for so long, to get where other people get to

> easily, I feel like I could achieve anything now

> that I no longer have to struggle contantly to

> keep control of myself.

>

> I did some research and asked a lot of questions

> about why Lamotrogine, an anti-epileptic, works

> for bipolar disorder and it appears that bipolar

> disorder is linked to epilepsy, in that it seems

> to be caused by misfiring electrical pathways in

> the brain.

>

> There seem to be no side effects so far, other

> than getting leggless way too quickly on very

> little alcohol, so I tend not to drink very much

> nowadays. That is a small price to pay for the

> kind of stability I never dreamed I'd have.

>

> Everyone who knows me, knows that I talk openly

> about my struggles because I think it is important

> for people to be educated about these issues. I

> hope when people get to the point where illnesses

> such as bipolar can be openly discussed without

> stigma, people like PaulK will be too ashamed of

> themselves to come out with the kind of comment he

> posted above.

>

> I hope this has been helpful and she gets the help

> she needs. I have a daughter who is also bipolar

> and it is difficult watching her go through it.

>

> Well done for airing it on here xx

Lamictal is frigging awesome. I also have bipolar disorder and that, along with Quetiapine, has helped me a lot. But I am leaving my nursing degree because of it. I thought I could handle it but crashed severely and had to be signed off sick and it's largely due to shift work. I need to accept that I simply cannot cope with the disruption it brings to my sleep and my life. So, not sure what to do now!

[LadyDeliah]

I'm sorry to hear that you had to stop your degree. Maybe you can defer it until next year and in the meantime work on building a stable base to start again next year. Not sure I could cope with shift work myself though, because regular sleeping patterns is part of staying stable.

It sounds like you need time to take stock and reflect on what exactly destabilised you. Then maybe you can find something that will suit your particular disability better.

I found that taking things really slowly but still moving forward and being as well prepared as possible has helped in my own development. For instance, when I decided to study law after not studying for 20 years, I took A level law, on it's own, over 2 years and got work as a part time ad hoc outdoor clerk with a number of solicitors to consolidate what I was learning. I was terrified of crashing again, so took things slowly enough to make sure I didn't overload myself.

I also made sure I included regular healthy food, exercise and sleep into my life, as much as I was able and tried my best not to consume too much alcohol to help me stay on track.

It takes time to learn to read the signs before things get out of control and equally long to recognise the triggers, but doing that helped me massively even before I started taking the Lamotrogine.

Another important thing though, is not to beat yourself up if you fall off your chosen path. You need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and after having contemplated why it happened, start slowly back on your way. We are all sprinters, who are used to sprinting off in different directions all the time. Taking things slowly, giving ourselves time to think and assess our progress is something we have to learn to do if we want to actually move in one direction!

Good luck. I hope this is useful.

[curlylocks]

Alan-if your neice is suicidal she could do a lot worse than the maytree. www.maytree.org.uk They offer a short 5 day stay but incredibly it is possible to turn around in that time. Lots of talking so works best when life events have brought the person to crisis. No catchment area so your neice could potentially come from Ireland although appreciate this may not be easy or possible. Do hope she gets the help she needs.

[Alan Medic]

I want to thank everyone for their input so far, especially LadyD. I've been cutting and pasting lots of extracts from the thread and sending them to my brother.He is very appreciative of it (thanks to you guys and the PM's).

[first mate]

I wish there was a section for truly valuable threads. I too salute those who have come on here with their personal stories. Enormous respect for you all.

I imagine that PaulK is wishing the ground would open up and swallow him- a classic case of forum mouth before brainitis.

[the-e-dealer]

Paul who?

[PaulK]

What?

[LadyDeliah]

I hope you feel able to give us an update at some stage in the future AM. I'm sure Wed all be pleased to hear of any progress.

[Alan Medic]

From what I can gather communication between affected daughter with parents and her older sister is difficult. It seems she will only communicate with her twin sister. She is writing weird stuff on FB and referred to her parents as 'interfering'. I know they want her to do a CBT course but just how she can be persuaded is hard to know.

That must leave them feeling helpless.

What can you do if someone suffering from this illness dosn't want your help or maybe any help? Has anyone experienced bipolar from this perspective?

[astrid83]

It's very difficult. I don't want to sound negative but my mother in law has suffered from bipolar depression since my husband was a little boy, and he is 40 now. She has unfortunately never been able to accept her illness and will probably never stop having episodes, as she doesn't take any medication. Unfortunately the mental health care in the UK was a lot worse when she started getting treatments in the 70's, so I believe that her experience put her off ever having anything to do with mental health professionals ever again.

It's very hard to help someone who does not want to be helped, but I do hope your niece finds someone to talk to, it might be easier if it is someone who is not a family member? Do you know if she accepts her diagnosis?

[Pugwash]

My husband has bi polar and was diagnosed 40 plus years ago. Fortunately has never been sectioned and rarely goes off his medication. However, he did lose his job after having several periods of depression over the past 5 years and was medically retired at age 58. Applied for ESA but got turned down as his occupational pension was ?2 higher than the amount allowed to earn.Also he was assessed as being fit to work full time!

he is very involved in the BiPolar Support Groups - the nearest to ED meets in Beckenham. According to the 'Pendulum'

the journal of Bipolar UK - there is a Northern Ireland support group - more details from www.bipolaruk.org.uk or ring 01270 230260. If your brother is in Eire - I am sure the BiPolar UK folk can give you and alternative organisation in that region.

When I was working at the Maudsley - we frequently had medics from Ireland who trained at the Institute of Psychiatry and went home to head up CMHT. Dr. Nick Stafford is one of the leading lights in the Bi Polar movement, if you want more reading material

It may ne necessary for your brother to seriously consider whether his daughter presents a risk to herself or others i.e. risk of suicide, putting herself into dangerous situations. She may need a

Mental capacity assessment to determine whether she has the capacity to understand her medical condition and to refuse treatment. The last resort is being sectioned - not something that can be done lightly but in some cases the only means of making someone safe. SANE is another organisation that can offer advice and support as well as MIND. My husband over the past 10 years has had several sessions of CBT and although they helped initially for a short time, he was not able to sustain his motivation and quickly went back into deep depressions.

What is interesting from this thread, is the number of ED residents who have Bi polar. My in laws both had mental health problems - Mother in law was bi polar and so was her uncle, father in law was a depressive. My husband's daughter by his first marriage is bi polar but refuses to seek medical help.

[Pugwash]

Just to add to previous post, I was a part of a research programme run by the Institute of Psychaitry some years ago, and our cohort group were carers/parents/siblings of people with severe mental health problems. We met weekly for so many weeks and had discussions with medical personnel, pharmacists, social workers and Community Psychiatric Nurses.

The parents in the group found it very hard to discuss their 'child's illness' and saw it as a stain on their child rearing practices. At the end of the 12 weeks, we all had to feed back what we had gained from the group, I said that I felt a fraud in many ways as my husband had always been open about his illness and I had a choice whether to accept him and the black dog or reject them both. I had made the decision to accept him, but they (the parents) had no choice when their child was involved. Both my husband and I have always been open about his illness, my employer knows my situation and I work flexi hours. It helps that I am in a health and social care job, and deal with many people with complex health/mental health needs. Sometimes as a carer, I cannot stand my husband, and think how much easier life would be without the worry and stress, but I have to remember that it is the illness that I cannot stand, not the man.

[PaulK]

To the posters still sending me abusive PMs , get a life.

[the-e-dealer]

Yeah say it out loud on this thread ya cowards!

[Huguenot]

How many did you get PaulK?

[Isla]

my guess is zero and this is just boring ATTENTION-seeking, petty shit-stirring.

received abusive PMs? legitimately report them then. no need to pathetically bleat about them in public unless you're a twat.

[nimby]

Time for a new Moniker?

[PaulK]

Why so angry Isla, could you be Bipolar?

[northlondoner]

Really brave ( in the true meaning of the word ) tough minded and inspiring stuff Lady D.

[Sue]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> How many did you get PaulK?

xxxxx

I hope a lot telling him to f*** o** (and no, I didn't send one).

northlondoner, I agree.

I've had several friends over the years with bipolar disorder, but I didn't feel there was anything I could add to the discussion here. But Lady D (and other people who've constructively contributed to the thread), thanks. Maybe you've opened a few people's minds.