Julie A. Fast's Blog, page 36

BP Magazine Blog: Letter from a Dysphoric Manic Person

What do people who are in a bipolar disorder dysphoric manic episode really think? I wrote a blog for BP Magazine on this topic based on my own dysphoric manic thoughts and the stories I’ve heard for many years about how dysphoric mania turns us into people no one can recognize.

A bit of background- there are two levels of mania- HYPOMANIA and FULL BLOWN MANIA. Bipolar one has hypomania and full blown mania. Bipolar two has hypomania. There are two sides to the mania coin: euphoric mania and dysphoric mania.

EUPHORIC MANIA- WOO HOO!

Most of us know euphoric mania- active,upbeat, positive goal oriented, inclusive, full of ourselves, but not menacing, artistic, bright and filled with energy that often fills a room. Sleep isn’t needed or wanted. Many people love euphoric mania and won’t take meds because it means losing this incredibly, albeit dangerous body and mind sensation.

DYSPHORIC MANIA- SCREW YOU!

Then there is a icky, awful, super dangerous and downright odd mania: dysphoric mania. This mania has the same energy level as euphoria, but it’s a negative depressed energy. This mania is also called mixed mania because the energy is high and the mood is low. A person is goal driven in a nasty way- “I will make you pay for what you did for me last year!” The upbeat turns into depressed negativity. It’s mean and menacing with a lot of facial changes and beady eyes filled with adrenaline and unkindness. Our bodies are PAINFUL and we want to GET OUT of where we are because we are so uncomfortable. We have no reasoning ability and eventually the behavior can become violent, especially in terms of road rage and destroying things. Sleep isn’t needed or wanted. Dysphoric mania is never fun.

My BP Magazine for Bipolar blog takes you into our minds when we are in a dysphoric manic episode. I would LOVE to hear from people who have been on the inside of this mania and those who have watched with horror as this mania takes over.

My book Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder has a plan to manage this mania. It takes work, but we can get out of this nasty stuff if we use prevention techniques.

Oh man, dysphoric mania sucks!

Click here to read my Bp Magazine blog: Letter from a Manic Person. I’d love to know what you think and if you have experienced dysphoric mania yourself or as a family member.

Julie

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Published on April 30, 2016 09:13

Bipolar Disorder Overwhelmed, but Taking Action Anyway!

I move to France on Friday. The mood swings are here as expected, but I’m plowing through them. I’m not depressed, but the overwhelm has started. Feeling overwhelmed and anxious can really put a damper on an adventure. I’m working through it – literally.

The only way I can deal with feeling overwhelmed is to ask for help and do all I can to get things done.

Here are some pics from my stay in the midlands of beautiful England. I encourage you to keep going- even a small action makes a difference in the bipolar brain.

Julie

HEHEHE. We have to laugh at life. I know it helps me! Click here to watch my Bp Magazine video on Bipolar Disorder, Travel and Sleep. I believe in you!

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Published on April 20, 2016 20:24

Bipolar Depression Arrives, but it Doesn’t Have to Stay!

Dealing with a bipolar disorder downswing? I guess we have to expect downswings if we have bipolar disorder. Life constantly surprises me. Human nature surprises me. A positive attitude about life keeps me going and it also helps me spot depression. Crying a bit too much over a TV series. Feeling free floating fear when nothing is wrong. Waking up at 2:00 AM with no ability to get back to sleep.

All of this reminds me that depression is made up of many symptoms. My goal is to go to bed feeling better than when I woke up. Join me! I’m going to use my plan today – the one in my books- to keep myself stable and happy.

Depression arrives, but it doesn’t have to stay. My first step- getting up, getting out and getting things done. I’ll keep you posted.

What about you? If you’re depressed, what can you do right now to budge your mood towards stability?

What can we all do to focus on what’s right in the world?

Julie

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Published on April 19, 2016 02:54

Growing Older with Bipolar Disorder

Growing Older with Bipolar Disorder. Hmmm.

I started writing on this topic ten years ago. I’m now 52 and believe me, learning to age gracefully as a woman who has bipolar disorder is a challenge. I will meet this challenge, but it’s taking a lot of fortitude. My pictures on my websites have to be changed. I no longer look like I did 10 years ago. That is life. I want to embrace life instead of fighting to look like I’m 30 again. Bipolar disorder has been with me since age 17. That‘s my age in the picture below. I was diagnosed at 31. No one teaches us how to age with this illness, so I take on the challenge to do it myself and help others of my age do it as well. I remember being a teen with this illness. I remember being in my 30s and 40s. It was different. Now at 52 I can still empathize with all people who have bipolar disorder, but my needs are changing and my management plan has to change with them. Welcome to reality!

I wish I had been diagnosed earlier. I encourage teens with a bipolar disorder diagnosis to see it as freedom. The diagnosis absolutely ensures a better future. I lived through my young life having little control over my behavior. I prefer life with the diagnosis.

Here’s to aging gracefully!

Julie

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Published on April 18, 2016 20:15

Reading the News and Looking for Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Mania

Looking for mania in the news. I’m often interviewed when people with mental health symptoms find themselves in the public eye. Reading news stories and looking for the underlying mental health possibilities of someone’s behavior also helps me hone my intuition for working with coaching clients who aren’t sure what is happening with a loved one. I will give you an example. Read the following article and let me know your thoughts on the situation. I will then tell you mine.

Click here to read the article Pictured: The California real estate ‘millionaire’ who was thrown off a flight after bragging about ‘owning six houses’ and ‘having an IQ of 176’ while he was drunk.

I mean this seriously and am not mocking this man. I feel that we often look at behavior and attribute it to drinking and ‘arrogance,’ when the behavior could very well be mania. I’m lucky there were no camera phones around before I was diagnosed. One article called him the World’s Biggest Douchebag. Hmm. Misogynistic and thoughtless. I don’t know about you, but I’m a right jackass when I’m manic.

If you’re a loved one of a person with bipolar disorder, how often have you seen this kind of behavior when someone is manic?

Julie

I also have to add a comment about travel- we often get sick when we travel. As you may know, I just moved to Europe and can tell you that the stress of airports alone can make us have mood swings!

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Published on April 13, 2016 01:35

Bipolar Disorder Medications and Weight Gain: Prader-Willi Syndrome

Weight gain from bipolar disorder medications, especially anti psychotics represents one of the most difficult challenges those of us with bipolar disorder face when we try to manage this illness. I gained 80 pounds my first three years on meds. In the past few years, I gained 35 due to troubles with lithium.

It’s an awful experience to ALWAYS be hungry and NEVER fill full. It’s frustrating and rather scary to see your stomach turn to mush and your once healthy body get bigger and bigger….but it’s also fascinating. I am always on the lookout for why the drugs are doing this to so many of us, while some people can take lithium for example with ZERO weight gain.

There are stories in the news that might give us some answers. The story linked below talks about Prader-Willi syndrome. Is it possible that the drugs that often save lives, are creating a similar problems in our bodies?

The more we can understand why something is happening, the better we can make decisions that help us stay stable and healthy.

I use lithium only in emergencies because of the weight gain for myself. I wish I could take it regularly, as it works well for me.

Some of my friends have been on lithium for over 20 years with great success and no health problems. It’s an individual issue. There is a lot of talk about metabolic syndrome and bipolar disorder medications. It’s time to do something about the weight gain from medications. So many of us need meds, but we need our physical health as well.

I have other meds I can take without weight gain. Interesting. What do you think?

Julie

Click on the picture above or click here to read the article on Prader-Willi syndrome and insatiable appetites. Could there be a link to this type of disorder that big pharma needs to address?

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Published on April 11, 2016 20:59

BP Magazine VIDEO: Bipolar Disorder & Travel—How I Use Sleep to Stay Stable

Julie A. Fast checks in from England and explains how she shifted her sleep patterns while still in the United States in order to be on an England schedule before arriving on a new continent. Whether you’re traveling close to home or around the world, regulating sleep is the number one way to keep the mood swings to a minimum in order to enjoy the most benefit from any form of travel. Julie created a plan to change her circadian rhythm slowly in order to keep her bipolar disorder under control once she was in a new country. It’s not always possible to make as big a change as Julie describes, but even a shift of one hour can make a difference. People with bipolar disorder can travel and see the world!

Click here to watch the video on Bipolar Disorder and Travel- How I Use Sleep to Stay Stable from Bp Magazine.

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Published on April 01, 2016 00:01

Lamictal (lamotrigine) for Bipolar Disorder: Reader Question

Hello Julie,

I was taking 800 mg a day of lomictal. I dropped to 600 for six. Then two weeks ago, I dropped to 400. The dose is still way above “normal”. I just don’t think I need these meds. I totally get and appreciate mental illness. I have been on meds for 28 years. I am a high functioning professional — 12 months ago my life took a huge turn — for the better. I retired and several other external circumstances changed. I want to quit all meds and try it on my own — again, I am not anti meds in any way, nor am I feeling above them. I just wonder if meds have always been the first answer for me and adjusting, increasing and changing them for 28 years has gotten me where I am.

Am I way off for feeling this way? Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated.

The side effects of tapering down have not been pleasant, but have not been unbearable. I would like to just take the leap and cold turkey the last 400 mg — again input appreciated.

Tammy
**********
Hello Tammy,

I was on 700 mg of Lamictal for years. It really helped. Then I didn’t need it any more. Bipolar disorder changes. If you are able to manage this illness through lifestyle changes, this means you can change the way you use medications as well. The biggest issue for all of us is preventing mania. Depression has a big treatment window, mania can catch us in hours. I suggest the Health Cards if you want to manage this illness on your own- with meds ready for triggered mood swings. I don’t say this to everyone, but if you have a plan in place for the mania, you can try a different way to stay stable. This means a lot of people around you looking for symptoms. You can ready about the Health Cards on my books page- these are what I use every single day- especially since my recent move to Europe. Wow, talk about triggers! The Health Cards keep me safe and stable.

I suggest talking with your health care professional when going off Lamictal- there can be huge side effects from going down on the drug including twitching, teeth grinding, breathing problems and other brain/body related side effects. I’m glad you’re getting through this ok. Think of how long it took to build up in your body- it can take this long to get off it. Also, there is no specific dose for Lamictal for bipolar disorder- 200mg is considered therapeutic and works for many people. I needed the much higher dose and then my depression was under control and I no longer use Lamictal. I would go back on it if needed. I call it the wonder drug. It’s especially effective for angry depression. It’s NOT a mania drug. There are way too many health care professionals who don’t understand this concept.

When you use a treatment plan to manage all of your symptoms and prevent triggers, you can take much less medication. I’m excited for you, but truly suggest you have your symptoms lists ready to see if any show up as you go down. You might find you need a lower dose of the medications. Lamictal is an epilepsy drug and is used in higher doses quite regularly, but it can also help greatly at very low doses.

I don’t like medications, but I’ve needed them to stay alive. My goal is a strong plan with limited medications. We can all do this. Even people with bipolar disorder one can lower medications with a good plan. Some of us need meds for life, but why not take them in the smallest dose possible. Good luck!

Julie

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Published on March 29, 2016 20:25

How I Manage Bipolar Disorder Triggers… and how you can manage them too!

Bp Magazine just shared my trigger article on Facebook. (You can find me on Facebook at Julie A. Fast and Julie A. Fast Books.) I need to read my own articles as it helps me assess where I am a the moment. Bipolar disorder can distort my thoughts and a check in is essential for me to make sure I’m not acting out of the illness and not my true self.

Bipolar disorder and triggers! Oh wow. I needed to read this today! My move to Europe has been a challenge. Of course it has. I had two big bipolar triggers when I got here. I made it through both of them by using the strategies I talk about in the article below. Bipolar clouds my thinking so much that it’s important I have people around me who can help me see reason. I now see how triggers affected my travel in the past. I used to just roam the world without having a plan. Now I have a plan and trigger management is top of the list.

How do you manage your triggers?

I’m interested. I can say that being in England for a few weeks reminded me that environment is everything. I am staying with a friend who seems to understand me. That has made the move possible. People with bipolar get triggered by life events- whether they be positive or negative. I got sick this week, but I used my plan and with the help of my friend, I got through the awful depression episode. We CAN manage this illness. We CAN reach our dreams.

Julie

Click here to read the Bp Magazine article Manage Your Bipolar Disorder Triggers and Cut Your Symptoms in Half!

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Published on March 19, 2016 03:14

You Can….Get it Done When You’re Depressed

We can get things done when we are depressed. We can get things done when we are anxious. We can! Here’s my book on the topic. So far today, I’ve used Put Yourself in a Place You Can Work and Be Your Own Drill Sergeant. My biggest issue is focus. Nothing new. The day I crack this problem will be a happy day!

This is the UK version of my book. It’s available all over the world through amazon, but it helps to order it from your specific country. Part of my travels will involve talking with European publishers about translation. It was in Polish at first. Now it’s time for French and Spanish. If you have any publisher ideas, feel free to send them along and my agent will make the call!

Julie

Click here to read more about Get it Done When You’re Depressed on the UK Amazon website.

Click here to read more and order Get it Done When You’re Depressed from the US Amazon website!

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Published on March 17, 2016 02:48