[fletch33]

Does anyone else feel trapped by this disorder? I got treatment in the hospital and just got out about a week ago. I am so tired of feeling awful and having negative thoughts and thoughts to hurt myself. I just want to feel happy and go through life without having to deal with these negative thoughts. I hate complaining about this, but I thought that going to the hospital would help more than it did. I know that nothing is a quick fix, but trying to be patient about this is really hard at times. Thanks for anyone who read.

[Anneinside]

Yes, I have felt trapped by bipolar. I had to give up my job and my home because of it. It is a difficult disorder.

[Victoria'smom]

Most of the time no but when depressed yes.

Fletch, what medications are you taking for bipolar illness? Did you see a psychiatrist at the hospital who prescribed for you and gave you discharge directions?

Some of the first things you need to do, according to my psychiatrist, are these:

1. Don't use alcohol in any form; it makes bipolar illness worse.
2. Don't eat or drink anything containing caffeine; it makes bipolar illness worse.
3. Take your meds.
4. Establish a routine sleep schedule and adhere to it.

Things will gradually improve as you remove the caffeine from your diet. Go to
a website called Alkaline Foods.com and learn which foods are digested as more
alkaline than acidic. You need to keep your diet slightly on the alkaline side for best
feeling tone.

All medications are digested as acidic, so you need to offset that effect by using something like lemon juice in cold water once or twice a day to create a calming effect.

If you want to make the best of a somewhat difficult situation with bipolar illness, you
will want to learn all you can about diet, foods to avoid, which ones are best for
keeping a calm emotional state and how important it is to see that you get proper rest and exercise.

But take it slowly so that you don't get discouraged. Changing your eating habits is going to take time, so go at it at a satisfying pace. Stop the caffeine right away, because it sometimes takes months for that to dissipate as a cause of low feeling tone in bipolar illness. You see, caffeine isn't removed from the system as water is. It clings to organs and often makes things worse over a long period of time, so if you've been a big fan of caffeine, it may take you up to a year to remove its negative effects from your system.

Drink water, please.

Keep thinking fresh water, fresh foods, no caffeine, no alcohol.
That will get you started.

Take care of yourself first now.

Genetic

[HopeLost]

I hear you. In many ways I feel similar. I am going to make it through the night...even if all that means is sleeping

[BlackPup]

Everything seems worse in a depression. At those times I have to believe that things will get better. And eventually they do... But during the depression it is unrelenting.
Sleep regular hours, exercise regularly even if it's only a walk try for most days it really helps the depression, take your meds... Thinking of you

[sugahorse1]

And build up a support network that you can trust and lean on