Julie A. Fast's Blog, page 4

Ideas to Sleep Better with Bipolar

I often do question sessions on my Julie Fast Instagram. Here’s a post on how to sleep better when you have bipolar disorder:

Bipolar is basically a sleep disorder.

Managing sleep is the number one way to manage this illness. Sleep is nature’s medicine.

Managing sleep requires consistency. I know that what I’m about to say is hard to hear… but we don’t get to manage sleep on some nights, party on other nights and stay up gaming the rest and expect ourselves to manage bipolar. That’s simply not how it works.

Practice good sleep behaviors every night. You’ll see an enormous difference. Yes, it’s a trade off. No, it’s not fair. But it’s our life.

Sleep podcasts are the greatest thing ever! I use the Sleep with Me Podcast Sleep with Me Podcast every night. You can also try Moshi Sleep Moshi Sleep

If you’re having sleep problems, check your meds. Antidepressants are not indicated for bipolar and the majority of them will cause problems. ADD meds cause problems. But most importantly, we have trouble with hypnotics such as Ambien and many over-the-counter sleep products as they can make us slightly psychotic while sleeping. Once again, not fair! But our reality. And of course, NO caffeine until the sleep is figured out. Damn! I know!

Learn about the circadian rhythm. Bipolar reacts greatly to time changes. This is why travel is so hard for us. When I say go to bed on the same day you woke up, this means following the body‘s natural sleep rhythm. We simply do better staying up during daylight and going to sleep at night. It has to do with the balance of melatonin and serotonin.

I have many articles online about sleep and bipolar disorder. In order to manage the illness, I suggest starting with.Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder.

Never give up on getting better sleep. I’m still going at it 25 years in. I’ve had to give up a lot to manage my sleep. but it has created much more bipolar stability.

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Julie

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Published on August 12, 2020 20:41

Do People with Bipolar Need Meds?

I need daily meds for suicidal depression. Without them, life is very hard. I function and get on with my life, but I suffer. My suicidal depression is separate from my general bipolar depression.

I need lithium orotate for mania that I can’t control on my own.

I can’t tolerate antipsychotic medication, but would take it if I could. I manage my psychosis through the plan in my books.

Medications work. People who are anti medications usually have a personal agenda or have confused medication efficacy with side effects.

The real problem with medications is how they affect the physical body. This is where we need to focus.

My plan is as follows:

1. Reduce my symptoms using the ideas in my books through intense lifestyle changes that then become a norm in my life.

2. Use meds for symptoms I can’t manage on my own. In terms of suicidal thoughts, mine are consistently manufactured by my brain, so I need the meds. The mania is greatly affected by lifestyle. If I keep things as calm as possible, I rarely need lithium.

3. I need sleep meds every night.

Your medication regime will look different from mine. If we know that medication side effects are the biggest problem with psych meds, doesn’t it make sense to manage symptoms ourselves and then take as few meds as possible!?

We can prevent episodes and reduce side effects using this model.

At the same time, we need to encourage medication manufacturers to focus on side effects. I can tell you from experience that this is not their biggest concern.

Life with bipolar is usually too hard to live without some medical help. Medications are dynamic. What you need now may be different in the future.

Julie

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Published on August 02, 2020 13:26

Kanye and Kim: What Can a Family or Partner Do When Someone is Sick with Bipolar Disorder?

Click on the image to play the video on the AM Northwest Website.

I did an interview with AM Northwest on Kanye West, bipolar disorder and what family members and partners can do to help a loved one who has untreated mental illness. Make sure you read underneath the video as they actually put my show notes online. I am impressed!

The questions were thoughtful and I think we can all raise a cheer for the focus on family and partner rights when a loved one is ill. I don’t presume to speak for Kanye West or Kim Kardashian, but do believe their situation shows the world what all of us with a loved one who has untreated serious mental illness experience.

Julie

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Published on August 01, 2020 16:41

Please join me on Instagram @JulieFast Where I Explain Bipolar in Pictures

I am determined to explain bipolar disorder through pictures and as few words as possible. Please join me on my Julie Fast Instagram page as I take on this challenge!

Julie

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Published on August 01, 2020 16:35

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Bipolar Disorder

I was interviewed on CBS News regarding Kanye, Kim and bipolar disorder. The presenters did a great job. It’s a respectable interview. Our bipolar world is getting correct representation in the media. We have come a long way!

The interview is based off an article I did for Psychology Today called Is Kanye West Just a Grandiose, Attention-Seeking Rapper? The difference between bragging and grandiose manic/psychosis.

It helps to read the article before watching the interview.

Julie

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Published on July 23, 2020 23:14

Rapid Cycling Bipolar and Taking Meds

I’ve had more mania during this coronavirus quarantine than I’ve had in the last eight years.

Many of us are rapid cycling right now. This means that people who normally experience a lot of depression might flip into a mania they don’t know how to control. Or, a person will go in and out of mania more often than normal. This increase in mania is hard on everyone.

Mania is much harder to manage than depression as it has a short treatment window.

How are your mood swings? If you love somebody with bipolar disorder, what are you noticing about your loved one’s mood swings!

I focus on general bipolar education on my Instagram page @JulieFast. It’s my goal to teach bipolar disorder through images and fewer words.

If you want to see long form writing, please join me on my Julie A. Fast Facebook page. If you’re a partner, please join me on my private group The Stable Bed on Facebook. If you’re a family member or healthcare professional, please join me on my private group The Stable Table on Facebook.

I don’t like meds, but I am taking my meds for this mania. Bipolar is serious. I respect the bipolar!

Julie

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Published on July 23, 2020 23:10

Is Kanye West Just a Grandiose, Attention-Seeking Rapper? Psychology Today Article

Is Kanye West Just a Grandiose, Attention-Seeking Rapper?
The difference between bragging and grandiose manic/psychosis.

I write about the different between the grandiose rap persona and the grandiose manic and psychosis symptoms of bipolar disorder in my latest Psychology Today article.

Here’s an excerpt:

“For those who don’t understand bipolar disorder, his behavior appears similar to the bragging grandiosity cultivated in the rapping world. For those of us in the bipolar world, we can easily see the signs of mania and psychosis. How can the general public tell that this is bipolar disorder and not just his rap artist persona looking for publicity and attention?

By understanding the typical patterns of bipolar disorder and how profoundly different manic/psychosis is from the much loved and cultivated bragging of the creative rapper.”

Let’s work together and educate the world about bipolar disorder symptoms.

Julie

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Published on July 10, 2020 12:18

Kanye West and Grandiose Manic Psychosis in Bipolar Disorder

It’s public knowledge that Kanye West has bipolar disorder. He talks openly about the diagnosis. Bipolar disorder is an ancient, genetic illness that affects a person’s ability to regulate the mood. It is physiological and not psychological and all people with bipolar disorder have the same, episodic mood swings. There are three main mood swings in bipolar disorder: depression, mania and a mixed episode called dysphoric mania where a person is depressed and manic at the same time. The majority of people with bipolar disorder also experience anxiety and many become psychotic during strong episodes. When someone with Kanye’s talent and flair has a bipolar episode, it’s easy for the general public to confuse his behavior with the typical grandiose rap persona, cultivated since the beginning of the industry. In this essay, I show the difference between grandiose rap lyrics and the bipolar disorder thinking and speaking shown by Kanye when he is in an episode.

Kanye is like anyone with bipolar disorder who is not getting effective treatment. It’s a relentless illness that doesn’t ease as one gets older, especially if a person doesn’t have a daily management plan to deal with mood swings. Kanye follows the typical bipolar disorder pattern. He gets sick, gets some help, doesn’t keep going with the plan and then get sicks again. He is normal within the bipolar world.

Over the past years, he does well for a while and can be a family man and artist/creator. As a new manic episode begins, he interacts with the press more and more. As the mania increases and he becomes more psychotic, he starts to make manic/ psychotic statements. It’s the same every time for him and has been the same for people with bipolar over thousands of years. It’s the patter of a full blown manic/psychotic episode.

Bipolar disorder is not a personal problem. All of the symptoms are the same in all of us. Anyone who is manic and psychotic acts like Kanye is acting.

But how can we tell that this is bipolar disorder and not just his rap artist persona looking for publicity and attention? We can come to a conclusion by understanding the typical patterns of bipolar disorder and how profoundly different manic psychosis is from the much loved and cultivated bragging of the creative rapper.

What is the Difference between Grandiose Rap and Grandiose Mania and Psychosis?

I love and have followed rap since the 80s. Being grandiose in the rap world is absolutely normal, but it always makes sense in the context of the person’s life or in the nature of the rap. Here are a few examples from some of the best braggers in the rap world:

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Published on July 09, 2020 14:32

Mania is not a Positive….. Sorry! Arg! Not fair!

So many of us with bipolar want to lose the depression and keep the euphoric mania.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Mania is a sign of illness just like depression is a sign of illness.

Maturity around bipolar management means that we accept we have to let go of Mania if we want to be stable.

Aargh! It’s no fun! It’s not fair! But it saves our lives and our relationships.

Mania is one side of the bipolar coin. Depression is the other side. Same coin. Same illness. I wish our mania paid us in Bitcoin!

Julie

PS: I am posting more in Instagram. Please join me @JulieFast

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Published on June 23, 2020 16:09

Three Tips to Ease Money Mistakes with Bipolar

Oh my! I have lost SO much money due to this illness. Whether it’s manic spending or losing money because I can’t work, my finances are deeply impacted by bipolar. I think about this topic often and wanted to share what I do today to help myself maintain as much financial stability as possible…. This article from the wonderful Bp Magazine explains my system.

Three Tips to Ease Money Mistakes with Bipolar
In the moment, manic spending feels good and depression spending feels uplifting. It’s no wonder that we get caught out even after 20 years of managing bipolar successfully!
Bipolar Disorder and Financial Fallout

Is there any illness in the world that picks up and throws a person around like bipolar? I don’t think so! I’ve spent all of my adult life in either the plus or negative column financially due to bipolar disorder, and I would like to share the plan I use to prevent the biggest bipolar financial disasters. This is not a new topic, but I hope that my 20-plus years of experience managing money while alternately manic and depressed can help those new to the illness find balance a lot sooner than I did!

#1 I Face the Reality That I Don’t Think Clearly When in a Mood Swing.

If this is reality, doesn’t it make sense that there is simply NO way to make smart financial decisions when in a mood swing? Even after all of this time, I’m shocked that mania creeps up on me and I buy five stuffed animals because they would look really great in my next video. I have people in my life who know what I spend, and I give them permission to ask me questions and help me if they see my spending patterns change. I am always upset and embarrassed that mania grabbed me once again, but I do listen eventually!

Click here to read the rest of the article on the Bp Magazine website.

Julie

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Published on June 22, 2020 11:44