[Auqinu]

I keep saying thank you to everyone.
I am just awed by the amount of information on this forum. I do not feel so alone anymore. I have been stopping by here and reading and thinking and then reading some more. I have bipolar, have had a few hospitalizations for manic episodes also a few more manic episodes where I took off from my life. I am seeing as I read that I am not the only one with bipolar who feels the way I do. The lack of functioning that hits. The agoraphobia that comes. The anxiety. I don't know really what I'm trying to say. lol I want more information. I am learning new ways to deal with myself, my illness and my family. The things I struggle with most days. I try so hard to be normal, portray to everyone else that I am normal. These last few months I've been trying to accept that I have this disease. I think I need to work more on not trying to portray myself as normal but that of a person who is bipolar but doing her best to live her life symptom free? Here I thought I was doing pretty good about living with bipolar, I mean I'm not failing, I take my meds and eat pretty good and try to exercise and get sleep. I am learning here there is so much more I could be doing. When I get in my depression/non functioning times I just let that take over. I need to learn more coping skills. Can the person with the bubble bath idea give me a way to trick myself into doing the dishes????
I am really not doing well, issues at home. I have that foggy brain crap going on. The ability to concentrate has essentially flown out the window.
I just wanted to thank you, for the posts that have made me think and given me ideas on how to manage some of my symptoms.

[CliveWild]

Welcome to PC. I'm glad you like it here. I haven't been a member for very long. I also feel far less alone. I have been diagnosed bipolar since 1985 and I have had symptoms at least since 1982. If I can ever be of help, just send me a message. Take Care.

[Anneinside]

I signed up for a "support group" for housekeeping called flylady.net She sends out an email every day for area of the house you should clean that day. She advocates for using a timer and just set the timer for 15 minutes then only work during the 15 minutes and you can quit. It is surprising how many dishes you can get done in 15 minutes!!!

[Ryask]

Originally Posted by Auqinu

Can the person with the bubble bath idea give me a way to trick myself into doing the dishes????

Well all of my tricks still involve actually doing them but here some fun suggestions to make it less horrible!

1)music..yes! very important. Put something on that you can sing along with.

2)Poor yourself a glass of wine and save it as a reward for when you are finished.

3)sing the "Lamb Chop" song with a few changes in the words......
This is the CHORE that never ends, and it goes on and on my friends....some people started DOING it, not knowing what it was. And they will continue doing it forever just because this is the chore that never ends.

4) timing my self to see how long it takes to get everything done and always try to beat my previous time.

5)See how many dishes you can wash during 1 song.

6)See how many dance steps you can do without taking your hands out of the sink.

7)playing on the computer while an icky pan soaks.


and thats all i got for now lol i hope something works!

[Skully]

Originally Posted by Ryask

Well all of my tricks still involve actually doing them but here some fun suggestions to make it less horrible!

1)music..yes! very important. Put something on that you can sing along with.

2)Poor yourself a glass of wine and save it as a reward for when you are finished.

3)sing the "Lamb Chop" song with a few changes in the words......
This is the CHORE that never ends, and it goes on and on my friends....some people started DOING it, not knowing what it was. And they will continue doing it forever just because this is the chore that never ends.

4) timing my self to see how long it takes to get everything done and always try to beat my previous time.

5)See how many dishes you can wash during 1 song.

6)See how many dance steps you can do without taking your hands out of the sink.

7)playing on the computer while an icky pan soaks.


and thats all i got for now lol i hope something works!

This is great advice! I hate doing the dishes!

[bpd2]

A little trick: I wear glasses. Sometimes I wash them. (ahem.) When I do, I try to hold them over a dirty dish that will hold even a little extra water. More soap than a person needs always comes out of the bottle, so the water that rinses off into the dish can be used to do, oh, say one more dish, which I hold over another dish while I wash it, and gee, I could put all the silverware in a pan and it would be filling with hot water and this extra soap, and I could wash them....It's not good for a whole sink of dishes, but it's something...and it could lead to a burst of dishwashing.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Auqinu

When I get in my depression/non functioning times I just let that take over. I need to learn more coping skills.

This definitely happened to me a lot prior to being diagnosed and the 1st 2 years of my diagnosis. For me the increased coping skills came from therapy and I also had a mind shift about the depression. I use to get scared every time I started to get depressed because I thought it would result in me being hospitalized etc. This wasn't true. Now when I'm depressed I really try to continue with my routine going to work, exercising etc. It's hard, but I find if I don't the depression becomes worse. I also started using a SAD lamp and this has really made a difference.

[PT52]

So many really good suggestions! It really helps to tell yourself, "I can wash one plate, that's no big deal", or "I can do one load of laundry", for me lately it's raking leaves. The hubs would do it all at once and be done with it. He thinks it's silly that I mentally set a certain area, get it done and then do another in a couple of days. But at least I'm getting it done! Earlier this week, I ran out of clean forks. That shocked me into really looking at the dirty dishes, and hating that more than I hated washing them. Anyway, babbling , ...so glad you're finding answers here!

[widgets]

i rarely have to do dishes anymore cause i live back at home, but wish i had this advice last year when it was the last thing of my priorities.
Although i became addicted to doing washing, like an OCD, the dishes however got completely ignored. when you get started though, its oddly therapeutic.
What you're saying in your post about how helpful this forum is, is so true, i wish i had found it last year, but then i had no idea i was bipolar then, so it wouldnt have made any difference any way!

Aquinu, I'm so glad you found the forums and find them so helpful! I do too! It's my only real connection to people...

Originally Posted by CliveWild

I have been diagnosed bipolar since 1985 and I have had symptoms at least since 1982.

Hmmm, sounds just about right! Clear symptoms from about '83, but hear ya! (Not diagnosed till fairly recently.) BP contemporaries!

Originally Posted by Ryask

1)music..yes! very important. Put something on that you can sing along with.

OH YES! Music is a huge help! And this may sound weird, but I need to be wearing shoes. And there ya have it, laugh if you like(!)
Aquinu (sorry, I'm having the hardest time with spelling lately, even though it's usually a specialty...), sooo hear you on the issues at home and brain fog. It happens. It's happening to me right now too, so you are not alone in that!

(I'm not the bubble bath person, but in terms of dishes.... try to do at least a few while the coffee is brewing. Standing there anyway, so... might as well!)

[sugahorse1]

@Blue - thanks for the encouragement that one can learn coping skills and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
@Ryask - some lovely, and more than achieveable, ideas there! Thanks

Music is something I'm very sensitive to, and why I have to set up playlists on my iPod. It can trigger me, or give me energy in a certain direction.

[allme]

Originally Posted by Ryask

Well all of my tricks still involve actually doing them but here some fun suggestions to make it less horrible!

1)music..yes! very important. Put something on that you can sing along with.

2)Poor yourself a glass of wine and save it as a reward for when you are finished.

3)sing the "Lamb Chop" song with a few changes in the words......
This is the CHORE that never ends, and it goes on and on my friends....some people started DOING it, not knowing what it was. And they will continue doing it forever just because this is the chore that never ends.

4) timing my self to see how long it takes to get everything done and always try to beat my previous time.

5)See how many dishes you can wash during 1 song.

6)See how many dance steps you can do without taking your hands out of the sink.

7)playing on the computer while an icky pan soaks.


and thats all i got for now lol i hope something works!

Love it love it love it lol You made me laugh and made washing up seem like fun! lol I too put the music on while cleaning up and usually have a little dance with my dog in the living room while polishing lol

[Ryask]

Haha i sing..very loudly, do some spins while dancing and i use a really nice smelling soap the palmolive one that gives you soft hands!

Originally Posted by Ryask

Haha i sing..very loudly, do some spins while dancing and i use a really nice smelling soap the palmolive one that gives you soft hands!

Hehe, I can NOT resist singing along with any of my music. Ever. I can sing, but I'm sure it might be annoying to others, I don't care. I totally can't help it. It's also a necessity in the car -- especially on long trips (not exactly a chore, but sometimes it is...). Only problem is, if it's a long trip, I can barely talk once I get there, because I just can't give it a rest already! Maybe half a song, then I'm off again... Hear ya on the ipod, sugahorse! I'd become very agoraphobic without it, so it helps with the chore of getting out of the apt. to get errands done.

So Ryask, spinning and scented? A swirl of fragrance! Nice! I sometimes light some incense (not harsh, nice stuff, Shoyeido) It just seems to make the atmosphere more special, which can help attitude.

Allme, I love that you dance with your dog. Mine never would have gone for that (she lives with the ex, and I miss her so...).

[Auqinu]

I got my dishes done today (most of them) and my kitchen and bathroom clean as well. I feel more like a functioning human being because of this and now am looking forward to decorating for Christmas and not feeling so overwhelmed. Thank you for all the tips and support. I am also looking into why I go into a non functioning mode after my mom visits. I know it's because I try so hard and do so much before she comes and while she's here. The week after is pretty awful though and want to figure out how to make it not so bad.

[Ryask]

This is awesome news i am so glad you were able to pull through and get it done!

[sugahorse1]

Whoop Whoop!! Congrats