Julie A. Fast's Blog, page 62

My latest BP Magazine Blog: Do you minimize bipolar disorder behaviors?

Interesting question- many of us would say no.  But I’ve found that people who love those with bi-polar disorder do get used to some very stressful, aggressive, scary, uncontrolled and confusing behavior. It’s often easier to let things go than face the issues and know that your life may be miserable for awile.

This is one of my main areas of focus in my family member and partner coaching. It’s so easy to get used to truly unacceptable bipolar behavior- recognizing this and making changes is a huge step towards stability for everyone in the family.

Cleck here for the blog. I’d love to read your comments.

Julie

Click here for more information on my family member and partner coaching.

Related posts:
BP Magazine Blog: Why Can’t I Take Anti Depressants or ADHD Meds if I Have Bipolar Disorder?
My Latest Bp Magazine Article
BP Magazine Blog: Are Cortisone Shots Safe for Bipolar Disorder?

Foolproof Advice for 2013

1. It’s hard to get out of bed when you don’t have anyone to see or anywhere to go.  Get out and find some fun even if it feels like you can’t.

2. A bad relationship will make you sick.  (This means relationships that make you feel bad. We have all had them!)

3. Messing around with your sleep patterns can be disastrous. Pick a schedule and stick to it. Good sleep changes everything. I know this can be really hard.

4.  If you love someone with bipolar disorder, you just might be frustrated, incredulous and worried once in awhile.

5. If you have consistent mood swings, you will not get better if you smoke a lot of pot.  A proven fact. Sorry- it’s true.

6.  Opiates only make you feel better in the moment. I know. I threw my Vicodin in the toilet because I liked it too much.

And finally…..

7. We all need a purpose.  This illness takes so much from us.  Let’s find activities and people who give our lives a sense of meaning.

Julie

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Bipolar Disorder and Sleep: I want to fall asleep on my own tonight
A holiday gift- giving advice!

A bipolar success story!

 

Julie, it took my fiancé to call the cops twice to make myself sign into the hospital for treatment. I was hurt and angry @ first as to why she did this because  I didn’t understand what was going on at that time. I yelled at her and told her I didn’t want her to visit me. That’s when the doctor told me I was full blown bipolar disorder and more.. But  since April, 2006 a lot changed: the right meds- a great pysc dr and  counselor and things have been going great..

Curt in Altoona,  PA

Related posts:
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It’s ok. It’s going to be ok. You are ok.

I have said this to myself many times in the past 15 years since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Just a few weeks ago I dealt with a lot of suicidal thoughts- even when I was crying and scared, I said, “Julie, it’s bipolar disorder. It’s going to be ok.”

When I wake up depressed and think, “Oh no, not another day of depression!” I say to myself, “Get up Julie. Make it a day that isn’t ruled by depression. Then it will be ok.”

Oh man. I get tired of this illness, but it’s treatable. I woke up slightly depressed this morning. I then made myself focus on what was going well in my life and the depression didn’t feel so overwhleming. Once I got up and got going, the day looked more positive.

 It’s getting up that makes the difference.

If you’re sick today- it’s going to be ok. If you were super sick and just got out of the hospital it’s going to be ok. And if you just went through a summer mania where you did some really stupid things- you can get through that as well. I got through a three month long hypomania on a Navy Base in Yokosuka, Japan in 1987. There was a lot of partying going on and then a lot of depression when I got back to the states. I wasn’t diganosed until 1995.

I had my first mania episode at 17 and my first suicidal depression at 19. I’m 48 now and I’m ok!

Julie

Related posts:
Bipolar Disorder and Suicidal Depression Downswings
Bipolar Disorder: Over the Top and Below the Norm
Reader Comments Thank You! Mania, no thank you!

What do you want your family to understand about bipolar disorder?

This is by far the most popular poll on the blog. What did you choose?

Take Our Poll

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Hope – If You’re in a Severe Depression

Hope

I just thought I would write and say that I know how you feel if you’re in a severe depression. I go there often. There is hope- every day when you wake up, get out of bed and say to yourself-

 I have bipolar disorder, this is why I’m depressed. It’s an illness. I can treat this illness successfully. I will not let depression ruin my life. I will keep going.

I did this last week and I got out of bed. I drove to my friends and  had some fun. I knew I had to get out and do things. The depression lasted three days. I felt like it would never get better, but it did.  

Depression is a reality of bipolar disorder.

 

Keep going and do all that you have to do to get better- if this means going into the hospital then do it- if it means changing medications, then do it. Just do something no matter how depressed you feel.

I am thinking about you.

Julie

Related posts:
Bad Bipolar Depression Down Swing
Work Your Way Out of Bipolar Depression
Bipolar disorder and severe depression…

Emergency Bipolar Depression Plan

I walked into a trigger this weekend. This is like walking into a brick wall you refuse to see even when it’s staring you in the face. It’s a hallmark of bipolar disorder. My real brain says, “Sure Julie! Of course you can do that! “ and then once you do it, the bipolar brain says, “Oh no Julie. Look what you’ve done! You caused the monster to come out once again!”

I know better. I write the books right? I know not to be so hard on myself. This is a tricky illness. I can get mildly manic and not realize it and then make a decision that seems just fine at the time.  Then the effects of the decision hit my brain and I go down, sometimes way down.  It’s completely unfair.

The good news is that I have a plan I put into place immediately. This shortens the inevitable depression and lets me get back to my life often in a day or weeks  instead of the months I used to experience.

I try to remind myself that it’s depression when the really sad, lonely and negative thoughts start- but it can be hard to maintain perspective.

I call my depression team: my mother and friends-my coauthor John and my therapist Robin.  I may talk to three or four – one after the other. They all know what to say:

“Julie, remember the Health Cards. You’re talking like this because you’re depressed. You know what you’re saying and feeling isn’t real. Let’s work on getting you better.”

They remind me not to listen to the voices that tell me my life is worthless. Instead, they remind me to focus on stopping the depression.  I have a terrible illness- but I do have a wonderful life.

It always works.

Julie

Related posts:
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Work Your Way Out of Bipolar Depression
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Breakthrough Bipolar Mood Swings

Breakthrough mood swings happen when a mood swing is too strong for your medication. I have a friend with bipolar I (one) who has been on lithium for over 15 years. It has worked well, but about every seven years, a serious manic episode breaks through. Considering that she was mania free for so many years, she wasn’t ready for the last one.

As all people with Bipolar I (one) know, mania can be devastating. It’s so important that all of us look for bipolar disorder symptoms all of the time so that these mood swings can be caught early. If you’ve been on meds a long time, you still have to look for possible changes.

 

Julie

Click here to read more about the Health Cards. These are what I use to keep my mania from taking over my life.

 

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NAMI Speech tomorrow- Fun! Getting Ready… not so fun…

NAMI SPEECH TOMORROW in Eugene, Oregon!

I’m exciting to be back on the speaking circuit. I love to be in front of crowds making as many people laugh as a I can.  Bipolar can create some pretty funny stories! I don’t get nervous about the speaking- but getting ready is really hard. All the packing- clothes- hair stuff – shoes- books- makeup- etc etc.  Where to stay- …. all stuff that is probably fine for others.  It’s funny- talking in front of 100+ people is so exciting- getting my toothbrush in a bag is so stressful. Oh no! I just realized I forgot my toothbrush! I will have to buy one at the same time I buy a big cabbage.  The cabbage is a prop.

Julie

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Work and Bipolar Disorder

Here is a story from a blog reader about work and bipolar disorder.

Janis:  I have a process I use for all of my work projects. I work in television marketing so I often have a lot of different articles, press releases, pictures, DVD’s etc that go with one project. First of all, doing marketing when you’re depressed is more of a challenge than most people ever experience at work. I’ve thought of quitting many times, but the good days make up for the bad days. This is why I have to be organized before I start calling people to book my clients. I know that a lot of agents do all of their stuff straight from the computer. Some days I can do this- but on depressed days, I can’t remember where I put my files and I often feel overwhelmed simply by the logistics of my work instead of the work itself. So, I got large, single accordion files and use one for each client. It’s old school- I remember doing it before there was so much on the computer. I use a label maker and put the name of the client, their phone number, email and address on the outside of the file. I then put everything associated with the client in the file. I keep these files in a box by my desk where I can see them. It’s a lot different than keeping the information in a closed file cabinet. I feel comforted knowing everything I need is there in a nice, clean file. It’ more work to print out stuff and put it in the file, but it’s easier than searching my email folders all day. **

I have to do the same thing. I need to see something before I can figure it out- then I move to the computer.

Julie

 

Related posts:
Work Your Way Out of Bipolar Depression
Bipolar Disorder and Work Problems
DBSA.. Julie Fast Podcast interview: Families and Bipolar Disorder