Hey all, wanted to share this great article by BP Hope blogger Gabe Howard:
What Everyday Life Is Like With Bipolar Disorder
https://www.bphope.com/blog/everyday...olar-disorder/

Here are my comments on the article. Would love to hear yours!!
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Amazing article - you nailed it!

Life before my diagnosis was exactly as you described: a pendulum that oscillated rapidly between "invincible god" and "worthless piece of garbage." I was diagnosed in October 2016. On the one hand it was a relief to have some context to all my horrible thoughts, and inability to maintain a job / healthy relationships with co-workers, friends, and family (my wonderful wife and kids, in particular). The world was like my oyster during my manic episodes: brimming with possibilities, a constant ball of energy, etc. Then thwunk - depression would rear its ugly head and send me into the corner of melancholia.

Do you still have mood swings? My mood has been mostly one of dysthymia - feeling in a perpetually downtrodden state, but able to get out of bed and function "normally."

Sounds like you've been able to hold down a job consistently; did it take some time to get to this point? I am hoping desperately to get there. I've been unemployed for 8 months, underemployed for 8 before that, and then unemployed again for 8 before that. Basically, July 2016 was the crash and burn phase of my career.

Life is - as you mentioned - very mundane right now. I used to hold out hope that, perhaps my frustration stemmed from a lousy job / boss, and that a new job would be the "silver bullet." My discontent now centers on the fact that I need to change my career drastically (can't handle stress / want to move away from my former industry), and my expertise is completely irrelevant to the work I want to do (writing / social media management).

I fortunately have been episode-free since October 2016. My wife keeps reminding me that the new ho hum life is what others call "normal." Glad to hear you affirm this view.

Keep writing - your posts really resonate with me, and provide me with helpful perspective.