Bi Polar Madness

hi phillydreamer. my mother is bi-polar as well, and i suffer from depression...i have not had any bi-polar, there have been times i have wished i could be manic, but mostly i am just way down low, or steady! we both have to take medication to function, and it has been hard to realize that it is a condition we will never get over, we just have to carry it for the rest of our lives and carry on! it helps if you compare it to another illness, such as diabetes, where the sufferers have to take medicine and manage their condition in order to survive...it is a shame that there is still such stigma around mental/emotional illnesses because i think it makes people who have the illnesses embarrassed and want to hide, but what i have learned in my studies is that there is such a mind-body connection that mental illness can contribute to physical illness and vice-versa...such as you mentioned that you have to get enough sleep..and even proper nutrition helps...if you decide to go back on the medication you may not regret that decision...with working, and a young family, you need all the energy and clarity you can get, if you can find a medication that works for you it will be beneficial...peace and blessings to you and your family phillydreamer...and take care of yourself, you are worth it.

I know how you must feel. I have no experience with bipolars, but depression I have been through that a lot. But life is supposed to be all about moving forward and not backwards. You've been there you've done that. It's horrible, and we all know what a little guy's chances are against the world. You're not alone. But we've got to move forward and don't make the same mistakes we all made. If working for a boss isn't your thing, you have to find a way without it. Been there done that too, it took me a whole decade to get it right, and I'm still not out of the woods, but I don't stop. I just can't. Try moving forward and going out more. Perhaps you will find what you're looking for. I did too. I broke from my own hard headed shell, but I never went back to working for a boss again. At least I'm free to do what I love most. I'm still not out of debt yet, but with persistence, guts, humor yourself, do something crazy for the heck of it. The whole world is out there to explore. This may not work for everyone but you have to find your own bliss along the way, philly.

That's a difficult decision to make and I can understand you not wanting to be on medication all the time. I'm not an expert by any means, but it seems that stressing over things undone or that seem hard to do makes this kind of disorder harder to deal with. Do you have days when you feel more able to tackle bills and things? If so, maybe you could watch carefully and take advantage of those days or hours to do as much constructively as possible. Having something under control should give you more peace.

i am bi polar as well, and i could not function with out the medication, i see a dr once a month and she give me meds to do me until then, i in the past tryed to go woth out the medication and it never was good for me i always ended up in a manic state and in the hospital, and back on the meds,, i would not stop taking my meds now for anything.. i have a part time job, and its works best for me, i could not handle a full time job.. do you have family that can watch the kids ? maybe you could do a part time job as well... ??? it would get you out of the house and give you some money as well.. i feel so much better getting out and going to work even part time.. and my hubby is happy as well.. im helping with the bills, and we get along better now... having bi polar is not fun i know, i will pray for you as well.. take care.. lots of luck with what ever you choose..to do...

I'm not sure if you see a psychiatrist, therapist, etc. but maybe you should and talk about that with him or her. You definitely don't want to feel like you're running away from the world and your problems and maybe with the right kind of help, you'd enjoy going back out and having a job. If you do see some sort of doctor, try and realize that the most effective way of re-entering the workforce and the world will require most likely a cognitive-behavioral therapy and some sort of medication to help with symptoms of depression, anxiety, etc. Take things slowly and one step at a time so you don't feel like you're overwhelming yourself with everything at once. If you want to get your finances straightened, try focusing on one bill at a time and once you have successfully taken care of it, reward yourself with a break or something you like to do and then tackle the next one. I'm sure it won't be easy, but I'm sure you'd want to be strong and overcome things and instead of running from the world, you'd be able to stand tall and face whatever comes your way.

I haven't read the entirety of the responses, but from what you originally wrote anyway you didn't mention any diet changes. If I eat a certain way (sugary foods and drinks), I also fall into deep, deep depression within minutes. The aim though is not to NOT eat bad, but to eat very, very good. It will change your mood drastically. Also, stay away from the media and watch only what you know is feel-good. Definitely don't read any politics columns. Don't stay on the internet for more than an hour or three a day. I still have no clue how this works, but it definitely promotes depression. DO take walks outside and breathe in fresh air. Not that I'm the expert other than what works for me, but from personal experience depression is caused by politics, bad diet, not sleeping at least 9 hours a night, and sitting still in front of a computer. I wouldn't recommend you grab at chemicals and pills before any of the aforementioned is fixed, unless you need them for survival. Which is rarely the case. And if you want to work, find a job that you'll find more of a game you enjoy to do, instead of a stressfull burden.

i have fibro and i am so tired all the time. i wake up tired and go to bed tired and drag myself through my day. it sucks having stuff wrong with you. oh how i envy people that wake up after have a great night's rest, feel energetic and peppy and ready for their day. hang in there philly!

It is a shame that most days are a struggle for you. You didn't want to feel in a constant state of depression and so you sensibly made some serious life changes. Well done trying to avoid any stressful situation. You need to feel calm and try to find moments to be happy. You are suffering from a mild form of bi-polar disorder. I think that you will feel better if you get your finances more in order. You could carry on without the medication or try it to see if it improves your feelings all that much. Good luck.

To be quite honest I don't believe in medicine for that. I feel like if you were to get back on the medication it would take your body a bit to get used to it again and the side effects / mood swings could be worse before you get used to it. Also what worked for you before may not work for you again. You may need more, or less, and well you know the process. Do you take any kind of medication at all? I say look into B-Complex Vitamins. These Vitamins are supposed to be good for helping with moods and the such and may help you a little bit. I just don't believe in medicine, and especially not to stabilize moods.

I am not familiar with bi polar although I have been hearing about it for quite sometime. I don't know if people with bi polar do get depressed because it's the effect of being a bi polar and if they experience mood swings for no reason. I'm depressed most of the time when I was growing up and even until now. . That's because I had problem having friends . I always had been shy and not confident and afraid to get rejected so that's why I had problem to have friends but when I do have friends it feels like heaven. Sadly friends do come and go and so my depression. I hope that you would b able somehow make your life a bit easier and less stressful.

I understand Philly..i havent been diagnosed with bipolar but i sure feel like i have. Most say i have anger management problems. But i need to try some of those techniques because i have depression issues also. so i hope all is well with you.