Patients Voices: Bipolar Disorder

I have copied this from another forum, but I found these interview clips with people diagnosed very interesting.

Here is the link from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...LAR_CLIPS.html

Love it - didn't listen to them all, but loved the dude that was off meds: something to look forward to - going off meds is something I promise myself so I keep taking them now! I think they are really helpful (most likely necessary) to get things under control, but I hope that in time with additional coping strategies I can limited or intermittent medication...

LOL that's the one I didn't like. I found him to be condescending and that he was indicating that he was "stronger" than the average bp because he had learned how to "control" his moods. The whole time I listened to it I was thinking yeah you're 28 just wait until you're 38 and you may be saying something different.

So excellent. I wish it was a regular series. I am always online looking for personal accounts and memoirs. It helps me feel less alone in my diagnosis.

In this series, I identified with the woman who would start businesses and go shopping during her manias. I have started at least a half dozen businesses that would ultimately fail when I crashed into depressions.

Hi, im 36 was diagnoste with bi-polar 5 years ago. I would go into extreme mania then severe depression. During my mania I would go on shopping spells, drink alcohol excessively, party, pick up strange men for sex. Then I would hit my lows and be in bed for days sleeping. I have been level for 4 years now. I found for me that keeping stability in your life as much as possible helps. I had to get rid of friends who brought constant drama or problems. I also kept a mood chart daily for my doctor. My son was diagnosted 10 months ago with bi-polar its been a long hard ride. He has been hospitalized twice. He has been moving forward and doing great. Now its starting all over again!!! I feel like im loosing my mind.....AGAIN

very good.. ty for the link

get where your coming from, I don't think that he is anything special, I just wonder if part of the problem is how we view our illness and how we are viewed by others.... maybe there is a way to live better - not necessarily without drugs, but with minimal drugs.

I completely agree with that. I was over medicated for the first 2 years after my diagnosis. I understand why my p-doc did it because I had let it get to a point of crisis. Now I feel that I am on the right meds (only 2) and there is so much more I do to manage my bipolar than just take meds. However, without the meds none of that other stuff helps me.