Hi
I'm a 22 year old female and I've just recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 2. I have been struggling with depression for almost a year and a half and right now it just gets worse and worse....
I have a few question and I was hoping you could answer from your personal point of view or maybe you know some statistics:
- When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows?
- Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family?
- Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? Right now I have problems reading, spelling, concentration and so on.
- Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on?
Now to a more personal question. I was a straight A-student in high school and when depression got me down I had just started med school. I had to drop-out of school and shortly after I decided I didn't want to be a doctor after all. I've looked at some other jobs and careers and decided what to study. The problem is that I need to pass a language class and exam to get in. I've taken the class online since January, but I'm far behind and I just can't keep up. I can't read, I can't remember, to be honest it just feels impossible. If I don't pass the class I can either wait another year to apply for university or I can find another course to study. But it really means a lot to me to pass the exam and study Audiologopedics. My questions are:
- Do you think I should keep taking the language class and try to pass - even though it seems impossible and might cause me extra stress? Or should I "give up" and take it slow?
- I haven't been "normal"/myself since I got depressed, and dropped out of medical school. Should I wait another year to make a career decision or should I do what I think is right now?
Btw. I am getting treatment for bipolar disorder, but after two months there hasn't been much improvement, I've actually gotten worse! I'm taking 1350 mg lithium and waiting for my blood test results. I'm hoping that my psychiatrist will add an antidepressant (even though they have never worked on me....) and antipsychotic.
I don't even know if I'll be ready and well enough to attend university in late summer?!
I'm so sorry for the long thread! I just didn't know what to do and thought I might get some answers and advice here!
Thanks
