Quote:
Originally Posted by eeyore1234
Hi
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?
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?
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1). I was diagnosed with BiPolar type I in August 2014. I returned to work in November 2014. I did not find the right combination of meds until August 2015, and I've made gradual changes to my meds for the past year. My highs and lows are nowhere as extreme as they used to be. I anticipate remaining stable for years to come by taking my medicine as prescribed, going on my psychiatrist visits, and remaining vigilant on identifying any warning signs that my medicine isn't working.
2). My daughter was born in September 2010. In order for me to recover from bipolar, I had to let go of my marriage- it was a very unhealthy relationship. My friends consider me to a great Mom to Anna, and I am hopeful that one day, the right relationship will come along. If you saw me out in public or at work, you would not suspect that I have bipolar. I have friends who were shocked when I told them.
While you would need to take precautions if you plan on having a child, it is still very much possible to be bipolar and have a happy family. I have a great career as well.
3). When it comes to brain activity fears, you are not alone. During my first year of being medicated, I felt like my response time was lagging. I had the worst time concentrating. I was fortunate enough where I could afford to be on auto-pilot for my job because I had seven years of experience. When you start taking medication, your body goes through a huge adjustment. I remember being very harsh on myself. When I asked other people if they noticed a difference, they did not notice it to the degree that I did- and they pointed out that I had a huge medical crisis and it takes a while to adjust. It really took me about a year and a half to feel as though I could concentrate for long periods of time.
4). While I work extra hours for my job, I have to go to bed at the same time every night to feel normal. While I will stay up later on occasion when I don't have work the next day, I follow a very strict sleep routine. For me, getting enough sleep is crucial to remaining stable.
Career wise- I find that I do better with structured activities that limit uncertainty. For example, I do not think that I could mentally handle having a commission-only job. However, I know a lot of non-bipolar people that share my thoughts regarding taking a commission based job.
Regardless if your bipolar or not- being in tune and finding a career that is meaningful is crucial for a positive sense of self.