[sleepystephy]

Hey all! I'm new to this forum but not super new to being diagnosed bipolar. They've been playing the "What medication is gonna work?" and the "What dosage is gonna work?" guessing games for about 4yrs now.
I have so many questions and even more frustrations. All swimming around in my head at once. The only one that seems important to me is:
Does this ever get good enough?
I can accept the facts that I'm bipolar and never will be fully a 'normy'. I don't need perfect. I'll settle with good enough.
Please give me a little hope.

[dubblemonkey]

I tell you what...

I much prefer having such emotional awareness than just floating along free and clear....

I am sick but my senses are super-sensitive....

I suffer beyond the understanding of the functional human

but I am an expert at the dysfunctional human...

I won't admit it gets good enough...

but I can agree with myself it gets good.

and that's ok...

I only feel it when I ignore it

[Victoria'smom]

I still have a lot of break through (hypo)mania's that last about 6 weeks (for me that's incredibly short). However I do not take my PRN until I'm having severe violent intrusive thoughts. I wouldn't have ever got stable-ish if I did not changed my Psychiatrist. My former Psychiatrist had me in a severe mixed state constantly and refused to try the only mood stabilizer that has helped me. It has been strange and hard to get use to have longer stable periods along with the severity being less it feels more dangerous. I don't think I would continue being on medication if it wasn't for this board and regular therapy. She helps remind me of all the times that I've said it was a bad idea to lower my meds on my own. It was hell finding an anti-depressant that worked without throwing me into a mania. I went through several SSRI and SNRI to find that viibryd was the only one that worked.

My husband goes through depression still. He had to change psychiatrists 2x before getting some assembles of stability. He still has a lot of depression but hardly any mixed or (hypo)mania issues. His psychiatrist is working on his depression symptoms currently.

It took us 8 yrs. with a year break to find a generally proper combo but I feel that the only reason why this happened is because our psychiatrists takes all of our issues in to consideration before suggesting some choices. I don't feel we will ever function normally as neither of us can hold a job but therapy has really helped us accept our limitations.

[~Christina]

Whats good enough? Thats an answer only you know.. Whats good enough for person X may not be for person Y ..

For me ... I just want some peace and feel content with my life. Bipolar is going to rear its ugly head when it wants to whether there is a reason or not ... or when I get laxed on my self care.

Often times what pile of meds worked for you for a while will suddenly stop working maybe there is a reason maybe there isn't .. That is where your own self care comes into play. Coping skills,exercise, yoga, healthy diet, stress management, support system, the list goes on and on. I think of it as a Buffet ,, everyone picks and chooses what works for...

I never think about being " normal" there is no such thing as being Normal.

Welcome to PC ~

[Amelie10]

You are good enough at this very moment. No matter what your mood or how you feel, your self worth is the same. YOU are good enough. The moods and the meds will go up and down. Therapy is great because it give you some support and way to learn to accept where you are.

Hang in there!