Home Menu

Menu


Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old May 25, 2014, 09:32 PM
Anonymous100166
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
What does being stable. actually mean and consist of? Maybe a better question would be is this. I'm on 1000 mg Depacote daily. I still have insomnia, I still get irratable easy, I still have periods of extreme up and extreme down, and I still am getting bad thoughts every now and then. I am only 7 months into this with 30+ years unmedicated. Am I being way too impatient, or do I need to seek a different treatment route?
Hugs from:
BipolaRNurse, Victoria'smom

advertisement
  #2  
Old May 25, 2014, 10:01 PM
BipolaRNurse's Avatar
BipolaRNurse BipolaRNurse is offline
Neurodivergent
 
Member Since: Mar 2012
Location: Western US
Posts: 4,831
I understand what you're saying. It's taken me two solid years to get to a point where I can say I'm in full remission, and even so, I can't say I'm stable because it's only been a couple of months since my last episode. Impatient? You better believe it. I am so sick of losing bits and pieces of myself to this illness it's not even funny. I've lost friendships, respect, even jobs because of it. So yeah, I'm damned impatient, and if my current combination of meds turns out NOT to be the Holy Grail after all, I'm going to be furious!!

That being said, what "stable" looks like to me is long periods of being able to carry on about my business every day without symptoms. That doesn't mean never getting angry or having a bad day, it means those things happen sometimes without me being triggered and going into orbit. It means not thinking about bipolar all the time or always waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. It means dealing with life on MY terms, not those of the illness.

If you're still not sleeping well and you're having lots of symptoms, you aren't yet on the right treatment. Unfortunately this IS a recurring illness and we will get sick from time to time even if we're perfect in our self-care, but it doesn't have to be a battle every single day. I would definitely talk to your pdoc ASAP and then keep experimenting until you arrive at the right combination of meds. Most of us need more than one to control symptoms. In the meantime, make sure to go to bed and get up at the same times every day, try to eat at the same times every day too and make a routine for yourself. This helps reset your body clock and will eventually even out your sleep patterns, which is very important in the management of BP.

Please be patient with yourself. You didn't ask for this disease, it's not your fault that you have it. Don't expect to be 'fixed' so quickly either; it takes some BPs literally years to stabilize, so the fact that you're still having symptoms 7 months in isn't as bad as you think. And always remember, no matter how bad you feel on a given day, that this too shall pass. It always does.
__________________
DX: Bipolar 1
Anxiety
Tardive dyskinesia
Mild cognitive impairment

RX:
Celexa 20 mg
Gabapentin 1200 mg
Geodon 40 mg AM, 60 mg PM
Klonopin 0.5 mg PRN
Lamictal 500 mg
Levothyroxine 125 mcg (rx'd for depression)
Trazodone 150 mg
Zyprexa 7.5 mg

Please come visit me @ http://bpnurse.com
Hugs from:
Anonymous100166
Thanks for this!
UcancallmeB3tty
  #3  
Old May 25, 2014, 10:17 PM
Anonymous100166
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Me sitting around bored out of my ghord isn't helping. An old friend of mine is always saying that I need to get out, but no one seems to tolerate me long, but that is a mutual feeling. That's something I've talked with my therapist about. Just like a couple of weeks ago I came unglued in a very crowded fast food joint a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't get out of the door fast enough before I was cussing out loud, and God knows I don't need police or jail mixed into this. In fact, I'm very fortunate that my verbal outbursts haven't gotten me in legal issues in the past. However, it has gotten me fired at 3 jobs over a 9 year period. So I go around in fear and paranoia that they're just waiting to nail me when it will be at my weakest moment.

I am greatly appreciative of your responses back.
Reply
Views: 538

attentionThis is an old thread. You probably should not post your reply to it, as the original poster is unlikely to see it.




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:30 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.




 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.