Hey...

I’m new to this forum and being bipolar1 with rapid cycles and in my mid fifties. It’s been a real eye opener for me. On one hand, for my generation, bipolar was something the weird lady down the road had...we were all “normal”. Now...I’m the weird lady down the road. But, I have an amazing husband as well as two adult children who have basically reacted to my DX with a “Duh...ya think?!” So, I’ve got that going for me. Today was better than yesterday is always my goal. Tonight, though, I’m up dealing with Herve shocks in my legs and coming down from a six day manic cycle. So...no sleep for me.

I’m hoping to find folks my age who might help me navigate this. I decided to take a liquid lithium instead of the carbonate...I already have liver issues from years of not thinking I would live past the years of self abuse and my kidneys have not appreciated the abuse either. Lol. I am trying the natural route except for blood pressure meds, flexeril and neurontin. I take supplements as other mood stabilizers and so far, since the DX and the readjustment of lithium and new supplements, I’m doing better. I don’t have that every few weeks I need to just get in the car and drive until it feels right to stop. The hubby keeps me grounded. I’m a writer and an artist so I’m not even sure I have a left brain. But, all in all...BP has been a genuine watershed moment and I just need to get acquainted with being able to look at my past and see all the cycles throughput my life and make plots on the graph where I self destructed and rebuilt. If I can get some sleep, I will, hopefully have an even better day than I did yesterday. Anyway...I hope everyone here is coping enough to say the same.