So in the last month I've

Gotten a full time job at a great company that has me in training for the past month learning something completely new and required total concentration.

Left my abusive husband 3 weeks later and am in my own apartment now- definitely the hardest thing i've ever had to do.

Experienced an earthquake while at my new job - it wasn't a bad one but i definitely had some chest pains.



Waiting for a hurricane to hit that they are actually closing highways down for -and have been evacuating the coast. I don't live by the coast and I'm not really sure whether or not it's going to be that bad but the gas station was out of gas yesterday - the stores are out of bottled water and flashlights....it's total hysteria here in my state.



And I have not smoked a cigarette through all of this. I am a week and a half away from one year of quitting but Holy YOU KNOW WHAT!!!!
And i don't drink anymore because it gives me headaches.

i have a panic attack daily at 4pm and start crying. I sit close enough to the ladies room so I can run in for a few while my Ativan kicks in.
I cry a few times a day...I know it's to be expected...i did just have all these major life changes.

But I can't sit still when i get 'home"...it's kind of new to be calling it home. I have been cleaning incessantly...walking around....I unpacked immediately when I moved in so i really don't have too much to do here. It's taking every ounce of strength in me not to go haywire shopping for stuff but I really need the money so I can pay all of my bills on my own. And i'm barely eating or sleeping - I sleep from 11:30pm to 4:30....try to lie in bed till 6 - good thing is that i'm exercising regularly....and i take Ambien and Xanax every night....and i'm just not very hungry.

To me all of this sounds like hypomania, but i think I need to get other opinions to solidify it in my head. I'm BPII and have only had a few hypomanic phases.

I see my T this week - I hadn't moved when I saw my Pdoc last to tell her these things....and that's the other thing - i'm going to have to switch both T and Pdoc now that i've moved...I just really hope nothing else stressful happens like a long and drawn out power outage to send me over the edge.

[zbmom]

Definitely sounds like a hypomanic state to me. I'm noticing that when major life changes happen it seems to either kick me into one or sink me into a depressive state. You should be proud of yourself for how well you're coping though. Getting a good job and leaving an abusive relationship are HUGE positive steps in your life. Sometimes even positive stress can be hard to handle though. As for the hurricane and stuff, those are things you can't control, so just keep trying to do the best you can and take it day by day. I would definitely call your pdoc though.

[SunAngel]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

So in the last month I've

Gotten a full time job at a great company that has me in training for the past month learning something completely new and required total concentration.

Left my abusive husband 3 weeks later and am in my own apartment now- definitely the hardest thing i've ever had to do.

Experienced an earthquake while at my new job - it wasn't a bad one but i definitely had some chest pains.



Waiting for a hurricane to hit that they are actually closing highways down for -and have been evacuating the coast. I don't live by the coast and I'm not really sure whether or not it's going to be that bad but the gas station was out of gas yesterday - the stores are out of bottled water and flashlights....it's total hysteria here in my state.



And I have not smoked a cigarette through all of this. I am a week and a half away from one year of quitting but Holy YOU KNOW WHAT!!!!
And i don't drink anymore because it gives me headaches.

i have a panic attack daily at 4pm and start crying. I sit close enough to the ladies room so I can run in for a few while my Ativan kicks in.
I cry a few times a day...I know it's to be expected...i did just have all these major life changes.

But I can't sit still when i get 'home"...it's kind of new to be calling it home. I have been cleaning incessantly...walking around....I unpacked immediately when I moved in so i really don't have too much to do here. It's taking every ounce of strength in me not to go haywire shopping for stuff but I really need the money so I can pay all of my bills on my own. And i'm barely eating or sleeping - I sleep from 11:30pm to 4:30....try to lie in bed till 6 - good thing is that i'm exercising regularly....and i take Ambien and Xanax every night....and i'm just not very hungry.

To me all of this sounds like hypomania, but i think I need to get other opinions to solidify it in my head. I'm BPII and have only had a few hypomanic phases.

I see my T this week - I hadn't moved when I saw my Pdoc last to tell her these things....and that's the other thing - i'm going to have to switch both T and Pdoc now that i've moved...I just really hope nothing else stressful happens like a long and drawn out power outage to send me over the edge.

You have definitely have had major life changes and it would make any person without BP a mess, nevermind someone with BP.

They were all positive things you did too and be proud of yourself for doing them.

Just keep on posting and let us know how you are doing.

It does sound to me like you are in a hypomanic state. I would show everything you just posted to your pdoc and see what he has to say and he will be able to help you.

I am also happy that you are going to see you T this week. Talk things over with her and she/he can help you with all the changes you made in your life and how to deal with them.

I understand your feelings about the hurricane because we are going to get a direct hit by it, but there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. Mother Nature has just been messing with us lately.

[roads]

Yeah, jadedmoonbeam, I'm with SunAngel on this. Her analysis seems absolutely right on to me.

I have a friend who's not bipolar. She left her abusive (& crazy) husband about eight to ten weeks ago. She had quit smoking four yrs ago & is struggling with that again, took an aspirin maybe twice a year & nothing else--now she's on seven mood-altering things (inc Ativan).

So sure, maybe scrubbing the floors daily would seem hypomanic were she bipolar--but since she isn't, everyone just let's it go as a normal response to the stress she's under.

Oh yes, her brilliant daughter just gave up a law scholarship to have a baby & she won't marry the father.

You have done very good things for yourself. You are amazing.

Wow, you've gone through a lot in justa month!! Very proud of the positive life changes you've committed yourself to though, I must say... I had a hard time settling in when I moved into a new place as well. I'm still not totally comfortable all of the time & I've been here for 3 months already! So it COULD either be hypomania or just normal anxieties on top of your productive attitude causing you to lose appetite & sleep & pace around the house... I hope you get yourself sorted out & find some time to rest for a few minutes