[Emster]

Ladies, Gentlemen, boys and girls! It's time for my big question that I would love as detailed as possible answers to really help me out with, pretty please

What I want to know oh so badly, is the quality of life you all have in regards to a few things that I will outline. I am trying to determine the best method of treatment for this condition and the impact it has on your quality of life and your feedback will help to no end!!

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
How old were you when diagnosed?
Current treatment choice/why?
Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Do you work, if so where?
Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Again an answer to all these questions will help so much, thankyou thankyou!!! -Em

[kaliope]

Originally Posted by Emster

Ladies, Gentlemen, boys and girls! It's time for my big question that I would love as detailed as possible answers to really help me out with, pretty please

What I want to know oh so badly, is the quality of life you all have in regards to a few things that I will outline. I am trying to determine the best method of treatment for this condition and the impact it has on your quality of life and your feedback will help to no end!!

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
How old were you when diagnosed?
Current treatment choice/why?
Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Do you work, if so where?
Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Again an answer to all these questions will help so much, thankyou thankyou!!! -Em

wow...im going to have to write a book..this isn't going to be simple because my bipolar is complicated by ptsd.

I am accepting of my diagnosis now, but I was not when I was first diagnosed. ive been diagnosed 3 times. the last time in 2007 after I had a breakdown. that is when I took it seriously. I was 44. I was also diagnosed in 99. I stayed on meds for a couple years but then figured I was better. I was first diagnosed in probably 93. I tried meds for about a month but didn't like the side effects. I didn't believe I was bipolar so I quit. I have been exhibing bipolar symptoms since I was 16.

my current treatment choice is meds. I realized I had to take them or I was going to kill myself. I am stable on meds. it took nearly 3 years to find the right meds but life is completely different now that I am not cycling any more. it is so nice to be stable.

I tried so many ways to get stable prior to taking meds. I cant think of anything I didn't try. nothing worked. I knew it was meds or die.

I have a BSW. I completed it when I was very ill. I was hospitalized twice while going to school. as I said, it was complicated by my ptsd, being triggered by the subject matter at school which aggravated the depression and triggered the manias. I believe I was rejected from grad school because of the difficulties and my bipolar behaviors in the bsw program.

I work as a social worker at a family resource center. I run 6 different programs.

I live alone. my children are grown. I feel I am coping best with the bipolar as meds have stabilized that. I suffer from anxiety, agoraphobia, ptsd, DID and the quality of my life is diminished because of those disorders. Still, I am high functioning and pretty successful overall.

I hope I have answered your questions sufficiently. feel free to pm me if you need any more information.

[TheatreKid]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
I am now. At first I was convinced I was making it up and had tricked some poor psychiatrist into diagnosing me, but in reality, a team of psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists diagnosed me. Sometime around last year I accepted it because it was kind of obviously out of my control. It helped that I had a close friend who helped me make a list of my manic symptoms. I was manic, had not as good insight, and she was like "you do this and this and this" and I had to accept that if another person could see it, no matter how hard I tried to hide it, it was there.

How old were you when diagnosed?
24.

Current treatment choice/why?
Meds, supplements, and lifestyle choices.
Why? The more angles I can come at this, the better. I found meds alone don't work, supplements alone don't work, and lifestyle choices alone don't work. (For me, at least.) But combining them does.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
I stopped drinking. I miss it.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Whatever works.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
I'm in my 3rd year of a 4 year Honours BA in Theatre and Film. Bipolar does affect my schooling, this is my 3rd year in 3rd year. The past two years I dropped out because I was hospitalized. I'm slowly working towards my degree, though. When I'm not dropping out, I've been able to maintain full time status.

Do you work, if so where?
I do not work, but I'm looking for a low-hour on campus job. My pdoc wants me to focus on finishing my degree though.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
I live with a cat. She misses me when I'm in the hospital.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
I don't think it's really changed. I think I've always been this way. It just helps to have a name for it.

[OutlawedSpirit]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?

I was originally diagnosed as bipolar and I was very accepting of that diagnosis, I think because I suspected it when I started seeking help. However, it changed to schizoaffective bipolar type and that took a bit longer to accept, although I accept it now. I've also accepted my diagnosis of PTSD, and I'm working on accepting the OCD diagnosis I recently received.

How old were you when diagnosed?

I was 22 when I was diagnosed with bipolar and the schizoaffective. I was 24 when I was diagnosed with PTSD and OCD.

Current treatment choice/why?

I'm currently on meds and in therapy, and I've dabbled in alternative treatments, although I don't think I'd ever forgo the meds completely for alternative treatments. I do what I do because it seems to work for the most part, even though I'm dealing with a breakthrough manic episode now.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?

Not really. I mean, I take pills all the time, but I don't think that would really qualify as a lifestyle change. I still do things I want to do, and I try not to let my diagnosis affect my life that much. I don't want it to dictate what I can and can't do.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?

I think whatever works for each individual is what works. If using herbs and supplements along with coping skills allows someone to live a semi-normal life and manage their disorder, I think that's wonderful. For myself, that happens to be something that doesn't work, and I think that's fine too. I guess my point is that if it works, I think it's the right treatment.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?

I finished high school and got my diploma (barely). I do think bipolar affected my ability to do more, even though I was undiagnosed at the time. I went through, what I believe was a manic phase, my senior year of high school, and I failed most of my classes, which was really out of character for me. I took all honors and AP classes and maintained almost a 4.0 then senior year happened. I could have gone on to college, I got a 33 on my ACT, so I could have done a lot more, but I got reckless and impulsive and threw it all away.

Do you work, if so where?

Yes, I work full time in a factory. Although I've had to take quite a bit of time off of work, thankfully I have FMLA.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?

I live with my wife and our daughter. Things were bad before I got diagnosed. I used to yell. A lot. It seemed like an almost nightly occurrence. Once I was diagnosed and stabilized, the fights seemed to come to a grinding halt, which I am grateful for. Sometimes, however, it seems now I have to remind my wife that I am sick at times. Like now, during this manic episode, she seems to think I'm okay, or at least not as bad as I am. So it's a bit of a balancing act, I think. I've explained a little to our daughter (she's 7) about how my "brain is sick" so she's not completely oblivious, but I don't think she needs a detailed rundown at this point.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

I honestly think my quality of life has been increased since I was diagnosed. I'm now on meds that have relatively stabilized me, and I get along with my wife and daughter much better. Not to mention that I have had less severe, and less frequent episodes. So overall, I would say I'm better off now that I've been diagnosed and in treatment.

[Perfectllyflawed]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
When I was first diagnosed Bipolar, I didn't really process it well. I thought that it was nothing serious. Though I had been struggling for years. It took a while to be diagnosed with Bipolar II they thought I was just depressed which made things worse. I finally started taking it serious this month because of a situation I got myself into. Finally taking my meds, and hoping I stay on them, I have a tendency to stop taking them. But I am now accepting.

How old were you when diagnosed?
I was 24 when I was finally diagnosed.

Current treatment choice/why?
Currently just medication, but planning on getting a T and a doctor once I have health insurance.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
A little bit so far, but my meds are not fully in my system yet. I am still struggling with my episodes, but hoping to feel better soon.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
I think meds are a great decision if they work for you. I probably have a while before I find the right medication, but I feel it works for me. I do want to get into therapy eventually when I can afford it. But I think it takes a combination of things to get my life on the right track.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Started college last fall, but have dropped out currently, couldn't handle the stress, but trying to go back this fall.

Do you work, if so where?
Currently unemployed.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
I currently live with my fiance, he has always been a great supporter in my life, and I'm lucky to have him, he's also majoring in psychology, which helps. My family is pretty supportive, but I have isolated myself from them do to how ashamed I feel.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
I feel my quality of life has been a rocky road so far, I have struggled for a long time. I am hoping that my quality of life will increase now that I'm taking it seriously. I think in the next couple months I will have a new look on life.

[VoiceOfChrysalis]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?

Yes, although I very recently went through a phase of trying to reject it again. I was convinced otherwise by my pdoc, who reminded me of some things in my history that were hard to hear, but that I needed to hear. I was hoping to come off meds and "put and end to this chapter of my life," but that was not to be. Being Bipolar isn't just a chapter of my life, so I need to learn how to cope with it.

How old were you when diagnosed?

I was diagnosed at age 30, although I started showing symptoms at age 17. I am 43 now.

Current treatment choice/why?

I use a combination of medications and lifestyle factors like medication, exercise, and support. I have completed a WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) program, and that has greatly helped me to try to coordinate all my wellness efforts. For me, medications alone do not work. If I want to be well and life a full life, I must put effort into doing things that help me get and stay well.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?

Yes -- gradually. For the first 7 years I took pills and tried pretty much to live as before. I missed work off and on, but had FMLA. At age 36, I crashed hard after moving to Canada and have had a serious years-long battle with mostly depression, which was a real challenge for my doctors to treat. I have only recently regained some stability.

7 years ago I gave up wine, which was previously a daily indulgence, but I think it was not good for my disorder. I still miss it, but I think I made the right choice.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?

For me, both are essential.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?

B.S. in Microbiology. My original intention was to go to medical school or other graduate school, but my mood episodes while at university affected my grades so that getting into med school was not realistic. I finally decided to forgo grad school as well and settled for becoming a certified Medical Technologist.

Do you work, if so where?

I don't work at this time, although I did work full time and steadily until I was 36.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?

I live with my husband of 5 years. He is very supportive of me in doing whatever it takes to stay safe and to get better. I was previously in a 14-year marriage to a verbal abuser. That was not a good environment.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

A bit of both. My recent long battle with depression definitely compromised my quality of life, but my 20s were no picnic either even though I was working and to outsiders I probably "appeared" normal.

I am now hoping that through using all of my wellness tools, including medication, I will come to a place of having a better quality of life than I have experienced since I first became symptomatic.

[Lobster Hands]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
Yes, but there are times I reject being bipolar. As I'm sure most of us do from time to time.

How old were you when diagnosed?
Well, I was diagnosed with ADHD around age 10. But my parents told me I seemed to be a depressed child. (I don't remember hardly any of my childhood...) I was 19 when diagnosed with bipolar disorder but my pdoc/therapist says I've had definite symptoms of it since around age 16.

Current treatment choice/why?
Medication. Yeah, you know...those pills I stopped taking for who knows why. (I need to get back on those lol...)

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
HAH! I'd say no. I still make just as dumb decisions as I would if I didn't know I was bipolar. I think this question can be better answered in 'does bipolar affect your abilities'.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
I think that for alternate treatment to work, you really have to believe in it. I have my ways of nitpicking over minute details in those sorts of plans and those minute details usually turn into gaping holes that stop me from following through with the treatment. My opinion of meds? I don't like them...but I take them. Not right now of course, but I will be back on them soon because I don't want to crash during a school year again.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Gosh this is a big question to answer. Yes, bipolar disorder has a huge affect on my abilities. In high I was in honors classes my sophomore and senior year...my freshman year I was a straight A student, no problems whatsoever, so they stuck me in honors classes my sophomore year. Sophomore year I got depressed and quit going to classes. My sophomore transcript had something like three F's, two D's, and a C. Then junior year rolls around, oh gosh did my teachers hate me because I was so freaking energetic. I was a straight A student again, like nothing ever happened. My counselor didn't want me getting in honors classes again in my senior year because he was afraid I would fall apart. So he didn't let me take them. What did I do? Went to every one of my teachers and told them to write down why they think I should be able to be in honors classes the next year. Sure enough, the counselor gave me my way and I was in all honors again my senior year. Senior year was the biggest failure ever...I got really depressed again...I don't even want to go into it. I ended up graduating around 260 out of 283, kind of a silly place for an honors student to be.

Even with my terrible grades I still had a scholarship to play golf in college. But, I was incredibly over invested time wise in my sport. Golfing 6-9 hours a day doesn't work so well when you're in college. So I skipped classes to make room for my practice schedule. The end result was that I failed most classes that year.

Ahh, finally we are almost to where I am now. By the end of my freshman year I was suicidal and I told my nurse practitioner (whom I had been seeing since age 10'ish for ADHD) that it was an effort to stop myself from driving my car off of a bridge. She relayed me to another pdoc and he ended up diagnosing me bipolar.

I took a full year off of school to try to get stable on meds and that is what I'm still trying to do. I have around 23 days to become "stable". Stability won't happen, so I have to go into the year knowing that I will get depressed and want to quit again. I can't let my bipolar disorder affect my abilities so much anymore. I will try my hardest to keep myself on track.

Do you work, if so where?
I work at two golf courses. At each of them I work about 10 hours a week part time. One is a city course, one is a private course. The city course gives me free golf at every public course in the city and the private also allows me free golf. So I've got a free golf citywide mini monopoly which is just perfect for me!

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
I'm 20 and taking a year off college to get stable, I live with my parents. I'm about to leave again though.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
My ups and downs, I suppose, cancel out each others goods and bads. Great things happen when I'm up, terrible things happen when I'm down. I'd love to be normal but if I was never hypomanic or manic, (or whatever you want to term it) I never would have achieved certain things.

[bleutamales]

Originally Posted by Emster

Hi Em-I'm happy to answer your questions.

Are you accepting of your diagnosis? Oh yes, everything made sense for the first time in my life.

How old were you when diagnosed? 43 (last January) Before that my diagnosis was social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder and MDD.

Current treatment choice/why? Medication because without it I do about everything I can (including steal) to get painkillers.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed? Yes, my husband blames everything about me on my diagnosis and medication. Ugh.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment? It is a personal choice. When I didn't know what was wrong with me and wasn't taking meds I drank like a fish and took painkillers like every bone in my body hurt to kill every feeling. I'm lucky to be alive.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities? My substance abuse began at age 13. I managed to finish high school and tried to go to community college but I was doing drugs pretty heavily so I dropped out 3 times and was only able to finish about 12 credits. Bipolar definitely had a hand in this. I was numbing the pain of the ups and downs.

Do you work, if so where? I've had about 7 jobs since age 18. I only last about 2 years at every job. I've only been fired once. I've quit all the others. They've all been customer service except for one-the one I was fired from was human resources. No big surprise there. I can't work now. I can barely leave the house anymore. I'm seeing a lawyer next week about disability.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder? I live with my husband and 6 year old son. My husband has been really unsupportive and thinks I'm overeating and blaming everything I do on my diagnosis even though I had a suicide scare in January. It's really hard to live with him right now. I actually have been avoiding him as much I can lately. My parents have been my rock. They help me so so much. Of course they've seen my problems my whole life and feel like they've finally got some answers. My 6 year old is my joy. I also have a 20 year old that I text daily and who comes up to see me once a month and is my pride. My quality of life has increased since being diagnosed. I am on the right track with medications. It's not perfect but I feel better. I wasn't on a mood stabilizer before and was on the constant med change rollercoaster. Now I can do some things normally. Like having my son's friends over. It used to bug me like crazy but now I just go "whatevs, do what you will".

Sorry if there are typos. I've got 3 kids running around right now!

Again an answer to all these questions will help so much, thankyou thankyou!!! -Em

You are welcome!

[venusss]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?

More or less. I refuse to view it as illness though, in the classic sense of the word. As in "I am not ill, I am troubled."

How old were you when diagnosed?

21.

Current treatment choice/why?

herbals (SJW tincture), some calming herbs (valerian, , omega 3, lecitin, bach essences.

It helps to target the most obvious symptoms and somewhat lessen them.

I also try to eat healthy and have my spirituality "right" and be in good place altogether.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?

I try to be more considerate with myself.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?

I am bit skeptical of meds. Sure they help. They are mind alterning substances...so they make you feel... different. I don't like when they are presented as a must or "correcting imbalances" or "vitamins of brain".

If meds work for you, that is great. But if not, I find the pushy attitude horrible. I don't like how sometimes flat effect and smothered personality is presented as normal. When people are told "you only thought you were smart, cause you were manic" when complaining about feeling dumb... and so on.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?

MA in International relations, BA in ENglish/IR. Teacher's licence and tourguide licence...

how BP affected my education? Maybe this cerf hoarding is part of it. It certainly makes me bit sporadic and I picked quite difficult topic for my diploma thesis, which led me to have to prolong by a semmester. On the other hand, I am passionate and can thrust myself in things more than normal people.

Do you work, if so where?

I work from home.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?

I live alone. I cope alright.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Depressions suck and are responsible for scars on soul. Highs... are enjoyable for most part. I wouldn't want to give it up.

[Secretum]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?

I'm mostly accepting of it, though I question it sometimes. I've been diagnosed with bipolar I with psychotic features by one pdoc, schizoaffective bipolar type by another. So I don't have a firm label. Sometimes I wonder if I'm imagining all my symptoms.

How old were you when diagnosed?

I was 19. Started having symptoms at 12 though.

Current treatment choice/why?

I'm currenty on zyprexa and prozac, and I have therapy every other week. I would really like to go off my meds because of side effects. My big problem is depression, especially in the winter, so I think I'm going to get a light box.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?

I act like an old lady now, going to bed at 10:30 almost every night, haha. I go to bed so early because zyprexa is extremely sedating. I sleep 10-12 hours a night, whereas before diagnosis and medication I would usually only sleep 6-7 hours. I didn't drink before I was diagnosed, because I wasn't 21 yet and didn't want to get into trouble with the law. Now I drink in moderation, 3-4 glasses of wine a week.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?

I think meds can be very helpful. Zyprexa essentially brought me back to life after I had been a depressed zombie for two years. However, meds come with a high cost. I've gained 40 pounds, on a relatively low dose of zyprexa! Other meds I tried caused terrible nausea and vomiting, or intolerable restlessness and anxiety. I also don't think meds work as well as pdocs would like to believe. I'm better on them, but I still have symptoms, sometimes severe symptoms.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?

I have a bachelor's of science in biology and psychology. I will be attending a master's program in physiology in the fall. I've gotten several Cs in college, so my GPA is horrible. My dream is to go to med school, so having a low GPA is an obstacle. I was always too prideful to go to the disabilities office at my university, so that might be part of my problem.

Do you work, if so where?

I work in a neurobiology laboratory on the campus of my old university. I will be quitting at the end of the month, however, to focus on school.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?

I currently live with roommates; they're nice, but we don't really have any kind of relationship. I really wish I could be friends with my roommates, but that has never happened. I will be living with my parents while I pursue my master's. I'm nervous because they don't really understand and accept me. I hide my symptoms from them until it gets so bad that I can't hide it anymore, and that is usually because my pdoc wants me to go to the ER and I'm still on their insurance.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Definitely decreased. It has affected me socially more than anything. I used to have a lot of friends, but at 12 with my first episode I lost all of them. I oftentimes feel like I can't get close to people, especially other people my age. I've never been in a romantic relationship, and I'm 22! I feel like I've missed out on adolescence because of this illness. It wants to destroy my early adulthood too, but I'm not going to let it.

[lil_better_everyday]

Very accepting since I quit drinking.

26

Meds and exercise.

Meds are what works for me, but if alternative treatments work for others I am fully supportive.

Honor Roll in HS, joined the Marines after graduation in '01. College on and off after I got out, about 3 full semesters from graduating.

Work full time at the front desk of a hotel.

Lived with my folks since getting out of rehab. My folks think any outwardly showing symptoms are from combat PTSD even though I've explained things fully to them.

Yes and no, & no and yes. After drinking from sunup to sundown for a little over 5years, this last year and a half of sobriety (during which I finally accepted my dx and started meds) has been like I'm living in a whole new world. So I guess I dunno yet.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Skitz13]

Originally Posted by Emster

Ladies, Gentlemen, boys and girls! It's time for my big question that I would love as detailed as possible answers to really help me out with, pretty please

What I want to know oh so badly, is the quality of life you all have in regards to a few things that I will outline. I am trying to determine the best method of treatment for this condition and the impact it has on your quality of life and your feedback will help to no end!!

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
How old were you when diagnosed?
Current treatment choice/why?
Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Do you work, if so where?
Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Again an answer to all these questions will help so much, thankyou thankyou!!! -Em

WOW, you want details.

I've been diagnosed for over 20 years and I think I'm just now on the verge of accepting it due to my latest experiences. I was diagnosed when I was 30.

My current treatment consists of Latuda, Lamotrigine, Serequel, and clonazepam.

My lifestyle didn't seem to change until the last few years as the illness has gotten worse.

I've been supplementing medication with acupuncture and homeopathic remedies. I would like to have gone that way totally but for now it's not an option. I hate putting chemicals in my body.

I have a college education and it did interfere a little while in school but managed to graduate with honors.

I do have a job, I'm a nurse but I'm on disability for now. I have to be able to go symptom free for 6 months before returning to work, which so far has been a challenge to attain.

I live alone. My kids are grown now and have started their own life.

My quality of life has certainly decreased as time has gone on. I isolate, lost some from friends because of my illness and spend 95% of my time alone now.

Hope that covers it.

[sui generis]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
I was the one that suspected I might have bipolar in the first place but actually after I got diagnosed I felt like when I experienced hypomania it wasn't significant enough to actually warrant a BP2 diagnosis and also because bipolar doesn't affect my relationships but I think that's because I'm a very polite and also paranoid person; I'll do everything to keep my actions and feelings from affecting others. I do accept it deep down because I know how much it affects me and I know my experiences are real but it's more other people's disbelief that makes me doubt it sometimes.

How old were you when diagnosed?
21

Current treatment choice/why?
Meds. I really needed something to stabilise me because I was having a depressive episode every year that would last months without warning and a couple of mixed states + maybe a hypomanic episode every year. I couldn't control it by changing my thinking or using some CBT crap. It was getting to the point where even though I've had good moments in my life, I was thinking, if the rest of my life is going to be like this, is it really worth living?

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
Yes! I don't drink anymore because of my meds (I never did drink much anyway but when I quit I realised I actually missed it! ) no more coffee, I eat healthier, try to cut down on sugar). Also I try and stick to a routine everyday; not saying I won't be spontaneous or anything but I need to know what I need to do everyday so I have something to focus on. I get really distracted and confused otherwise

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
I can only speak for myself but meds really helped me when I found the right one. I like it especially because it doesn't make me feel any different personality wise, I basically feel like I would when I'm not having an episode of any kind. I also take sam-e which I was surprised didn't make me hypomanic (I've had baaad luck with natural therapies before), though I don't plan on taking it in the long term.

I was in therapy but it wasn't for bipolar specifically but depression + anxiety. I don't think my psychologist thought I was really bipolar but I never discussed my hypomanic episodes with her because I was embarrassed

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
Currently studying a bachelor's degree. Oh my god. Yes it really has. Right through my schooling I've had major troubles with being able to do any work, study, remembering things. If I'm depressed or anxious my energy level go way down and it's so hard to get anything done and if I'm hypomanic I can't concentrate. I get some moments where I'm great at school but I was never stable enough for that to last very long. Not doing well at school has always been a major source of embarrassment for me because I was always told it was my fault =\

At uni I've either got grades between B- and A- or I just straight out fail. I've had maybe one C grade haha. I've actually just returned to uni after I took some leave and so far I've been feeling good, been able to concentrate and studying has been fine. This is the first semester of uni since I've been diagnosed and been on meds that work so it will be interesting to see how that plays out

Do you work, if so where?
Not applicable

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
My mum and two younger sisters. When I was a teenager I was pretty difficult but I had other issues too like drug abuse, eating disorders etc. I would often yell at family members and just feel really horrible living at home. That doesn't happen now, I try and let them know how I'm feeling and I don't have anger issues. If anything I think my disorder makes me more empathetic towards issues that my sisters are facing.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
Hard question to answer because I'm not sure when I started experiencing bipolar disorder. I was always experiencing negative moods and anxiety as a child but I don't remember anything relating to hypomania. My guess would be around 11 years old and so I would say my quality of life decreased... by a lot. Last couple of years has started to pick up (and go down again...but then pick up ahaha).

[tealBumblebee]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis? Yes, mostly because I don't think it affects me as much as some others have experienced.

How old were you when diagnosed? I was 12 when I was diagnosed manic-depressive by a school mandated psychiatrist visit. I was 25 when I was diagnosed by T with major depressive disorder/hypomania. So I'm not really usre.

Current treatment choice/why? Counseling. I'm at a relatively stable place in life without much action or interaction on my part. Counseling works well for me.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed? At that age, I was too young to understand the impact of a diagnosis (nor did I believe the pDoc and my family ignored the diagnosis and never followed it up with any care or treatment). So, no my lifestyle didn't change in the way that it would seem. The fact that it didn't change led me to both the exceptionally good and exceptionally bad coping skills I currently have. After 're'diagnoses, my lifestyle changed because I was never sure if my behavior was normal or part of my 'diagnosis'. Once I stopped caring about that, and started caring about coping - things actually got much better.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment? I don't believe in the use of medications for many reasons and because of this I have chosen the 'alternative' treatment of nothing at all.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities? Bachelor's Degree, and at the time I would have said no, but I went through a pretty large period of "I don't care about anything" and looking back I would attribute that and the "I can't focus because i'm too hyper" moments to it.

Do you work, if so where? Yes, at a hospital. Part time.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder? I live with my mom, moved back after college. They know that I am 'moody'/'crazy'/'weird' but ignored the diagnosis back then and know nothing of the diagnosis now.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since
experiencing Bipolar Disorder? Decreased in many ways but increased in that it's helped me find my true friends.

[Love&Toil]

Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
I have struggled with depression, anxiety, panic and since teen years and had one or two bouts of paranoid/delusional thinking. So yes, I can accept my diagnosis because I suspected I had bipolar for a very long time.

How old were you when diagnosed?
Before I left home as a teenager I was sent to the hospital from high school (age 16) because I was having so many panic attacks back to back. The school guidance counsellor didn't know what to do with me. From the hospital teen clinic I was referred to a family doctor who provided excellent support for a long time. After awhile she referred me to a psychiatrist. I tried meds a couple of time (Effexor, Luvox) but had a horrible reaction both times and never got past 1 pill each time. I had terrible PPD/PPA/PTSD after the birth of my first child (age 29) and didn't get treatment for depression until pregnant with my second child (age 32). At that time I was diagnosed with depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In the postpartum I tried Trazadone once but didn't like it as it made me too sleepy to get up and nurse. When my cycles came back I was diagnosed with PMDD and I finally felt like I was getting some answers. It wasn't until the last year or two (age 38 now) that I connected with a pdoc who suspected bipolar 2. She referred me to a book called Why Am I Still Depressed by Dr. Jim Phelps and I felt like it was describing my life!

Current treatment choice/why?
Before kids I tried all natural treatments (supplements like St. John's Wort, omega 3's, vitamin B; cognitive behavioural therapy, journaling, tons of exercise, good diet, time with friends, etc). Those worked sometimes, at other times not at all. After kids none of it was enough anymore and I turned to meds out of suicidal desperation. I had a pdoc who slowly titrated me on to Prozac starting with infant sized doses so side effects were manageable and slowly upped my dose so I could function at work and as a parent. At present I am taking meds (Prozac, Wellbutrin and Abilify) and I LOVE THEM!

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
I sleep more regularly, take meds regularly, listen to taking care of myself more by reducing stress. I am staying away from overly negative people and situations that can trigger me into doing impulsive things that have negative consequences (staying away from drunken dance parties that I used to attend). I am still working on exercising enough and losing weight.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Do what works for you. Not everything works for everyone all of the time. We are all different and what you may need at one stage of life may be helpful, but you may need something else at another stage of life.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
I'm university education and have a 13 year career in social services. I also work as a birth and postpartum doula on the side. I am an excellent actress and could act "normal" at work an overwhelming majority of the time. No one can tell I have bipolar.

Do you work, if so where?
See above.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
Before kids when it was just dh and me, he was very understanding and we could ride the waves of my illness. But with children it is utterly necessary for me to be stable so I can be the best mom possible to my kids. I don't want to hurt them with my mood problems. That said, I know I'm not perfect and I've made mistakes. At times my mood problems burst through with them and I know it affects them. This is where my triggers are: at home with my family. I go for counselling as I need, read parenting resources, take my meds. Its better this way.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
At times I miss being unmedicated because I had an incredible memory, great charisma, tons of energy and got tons of stuff done, had tons of sex appeal (which was lots of fun!!!). But at times I was also severely irritable to the point of irrationality, had anxiety/panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, deep dark depression. I feel bipolar disorder has made me more appreciative of what my client base goes through (they are people with disabilities). I feel it gives me a particular insight into the struggles of life. I think it makes me more human and a stronger person because I've had to learn to go into the abyss and come back out again many, many times. I've learned I can rely on myself to get help when I need it because I've already done this many, many times.

[Emster]

Thanks so much everyone, really great answers!! You have helped so much I appreciate it greatly x