Since I was diagnosed (six months ago today), I've finally learned to ask for help sooner rather than later.......a skill that eluded me for the first 53 years of my life. The process does slip every so often, but when it comes to my mental health I no longer wait for disaster to strike, I call my pdoc and ask him to help me sort things out.

I figure this is my very best chance to live my very best life with this disorder, and I want to get it right. I've come to be a pretty strong believer in the 'kindling' theory of bipolar, which essentially means the more you try to ignore it and the more episodes you have, the more likely it is that you'll just keep having them and getting worse with time. BP got the drop on me many years ago, so I'm probably running out of time....which means I have to take care of myself to avoid losing my battle with the disorder.

Just recently, my pdoc and I tried a little experiment with going off Zyprexa to see if I could manage without a drug that put about 18 pounds on me and threw my diabetes out of control. He warned me that I'd likely have a few nights of rough sleep, but I never expected to switch into hypomania within 72 hours of my last dose! But I did, so I called him to let him know what had happened. I told him I was absolutely shocked that I'd flipped so quickly, and he said he was NOT shocked and indeed expected it, though he'd hoped I'd be able to come off the Z. So we learned two things: one, I really can't manage without an antipsychotic, and two, he can trust me NOT to wait until I'm swinging from the chandelier to holler for help.

In short: YES, it does get easier. Asking for help is never enjoyable, but it's necessary sometimes, and we'd better learn how to swallow our pride or we just won't do well.