How do you deal with being Bipolar?

I do not mind taking the meds correctly per se - I do it without fail - I mind the side effects that come with them!

Thanks guys,

Bluemountains..... I am like you, I do not like the whole change in life style. It took me a long time to cut my alcohol as I was quite dependant on it. I can give or take the alcohol now. I don't go out of my way to buy it etc. I don't mind the exercise as I have started doing things I love ie Swimming and Badminton but it does take a lot to keep going to them especially when I am anxious. Meds well thats a completely new kettle of fish. I am a "non complier" some people hate this word but hey ho its true. I have been on meds 6 months solid. I came off my meds as unknown to me I was delusional for the 2nd time in less than a year. Bloody delusions. But now its been 6 months and I am still up and down but guess that is a normal thing for me. I find socialing hard though. My social skills now are poor compared to when I worked. I have been told I need to meet people who are not mentally ill as I need that balance in my life. All my friends work in care/MH and also have MH Issue's themselves

Hey... It took awhile but I have finally quit worrying about being "bipolar I" "bipolar Ii", whatever. IMHO all those labels are for diagnostic purposes only.

YOU ARE NOT BIPOLAR!!! You are Laura. You have a chronic disease, like diabetes. You exhibit symptoms which you try and learn to manage. My mom takes insulin, I take lithium, simple as that.

Merlin shared some excellent ways to deal with the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Pretty much all of us should try to do these. Perhaps the most difficult and most important is socialization. I am on disability so I don't get out of the house for work, so I go to the mall, parks, stores wherever there are people. Smile at them, strike up a conversation if you can. Go to church, political rallies, WHATEVER!

Support groups, definitely. This is a good one here at PC. I come here when I'm having a problem. Just now I came here because I about to fly into a rage and start breaking things. I feel better now, because I'm hangin with you guys, if only virtually!

You are NOT abnormal. You have a disease. It's a struggle, but you have to try and come to this conclusion. Does your disease put limitations on you? Mine does, but I try to work within them. Don't give up.

Miss Laura, I admit right off the bat (batty?) that I have not read other people's responses to your question. Frankly, I find dwelling on being bipolar too depressing! I have been fighting this battle for about 12 years, if I count from when I was first diagnosed, and I still don't like to think that I am bipolar, although I SAY I am and get treatment.

So, as I'm indicating, I do get treatment for it. I take medicines, which have varied greatly over the years, and I stay in therapy. Alas, I have still had to be hospitalized some, though. But I have agreed to go in for this treatment, too. I don't fight the docs over it.

I try to keep a sense of humor about it, too. And I look for humor in life in general. I watch funny movies and TV shows, read jokes, etc.

I am blessed that my hubby accepts me, since he is also bipolar. Neither one of us was diagnosed before we married. I guess like just attracted like. I also have two friends IRL in the city I live in who accept me--one more than the other--and we do things together.

I do find being friends with people here helps. We can accept each other and talk about our mental disorders or whatever, without the judgment that often goes on in real life. I don't have to try to figure out who I can tell and who would be scared away, like IRL.

I have read books and articles on the subject, so I haven't avoided it totally. I try to keep enlightened.

But, I have to admit, having Bipolar Disorder really breaks my heart. (Maybe I shouldn't say this.) I lost my whole career over it, and I am now on disability. Oh, well, dear one, bottom line, I just do the best I can to survive--and sometimes, at least now and then, to thrive.

I also try to keep up with hobbies such as reading for pleasure. And I am writing a book about being mentally ill!

In general, too, I try to be nice to myself--not negative. (Can you tell I'm bipolar?! I'm having a time shutting up!)

I think not working has had a major aspect to play in my recovery. I was sacked and I still haven't fully gotten over that either. My social life went down the drain too as all my friends were work colleagues. I am just finishing off an app form for a youthworker volunteering job at my local community centre and I am hoping this will help me out. I want to go back into the working world but I am majorly scared at the same time. I was treated like poo in my old work. I have read a lot of info from books and online about bipolar but sometimes I have to walk away from reading it as it really upsets me.

I crave the life I had and grieve over the lost of that life that I feel I won't and can't get back again

Miss Laura, what you just posted takes the words right out of my mouth. I wasn't officially sacked, but I totally bombed the last class I tried to teach, and I doubt I would have been asked to return. (I was trying to work part-time.) I really, really miss the colleagues I had in that world. We had so much in common. Sigh.

yeah, this is a good point.

Moreover, the challenge is... since our emotions are wider range than "normals"... to get comfortable with this wider range. I think you can be depressed and manicky and not get swayed by it. After all... one can control what they eat, one can force themselves to excercise and go to job and do other sucky things... so willpower is a real thing.

(some say when i talk of this that you would not force somebody wiht heart condition run marathon... well, nobody is asking you to run marathon, a country, or an international corporation... but most people CAN find a way to live life, if they let themselves to. You don't NEED to have white collar 9-5 job... you don't need to do many things your family wants you to do... find YOUR way... think of what YOU want to do and then find a way how to go for it, or the next best thing).

Don't overfocus on normal.... focus on being comfortable in your own skin.




I don't think it is that simple and honestly, i think the diabetus analysis is a put down (kinda like saying "take your meds and STFU". If you have high blood sugar... it does not really impact your perception of the world and whatnot.

Bipolar is different. Not necessarily easier or harder, but just something else.

I use the I "am" term.... but so what if I am? I am also Slavic, which is neither good or bad, but it was part of shaping my experience...

Again, I don't think "normal" matters, because if we took normal in global scale.... nobody would truly fit in. You can be abnormal and be more or less comfortable with it. When it comes to emotional issues, the dichotomy of normal/ill is misleading and not too helpful, imho.