[newlifeyeah]

hey guys!

The depression part of my bp 1 is causing me physically not being able to work, due to severe lethargy/ low energy issues.

It's just as simple as that. I start any activity and about 30 minutes, or maybe less, I'm done. no physical energy.
The mental part is a bit better, if I lay in a bed, I'm able to write a blog, or maybe write articles or something, but I don't have a job that pays me to do that.

I'm 27 and so far in my last 2 years, 8 out of 12 months has been like this, and the other 4, was once a full blown manic episode, with about 1 month hypomania, and the recent 4 "good" months were sort of stabilized with lots of drugs.

now out of nothing came the new "episode". You can call it depression if you want, I could qualify for that diagnosis, but I don't really care about the moods, I mean obviously it's not good to feel down, and be unhappy, and unmotivated, but the thing is, that I actually feel kinda motivated, it's just that I don't have the energy to do all the things needed.

I really want to "grow up" finally and be responsible for my life, but it seems like medication is just not doing it, it can't prevent, and not even help with my low episodes.

Which sucks, but can you maybe give me some advice, what kind of jobs are out there, that can be done from home, ie. writing, blogging, journalism, whatever, because obviously I don't want to be dependent from my parents, I wanna have my own assets.

Oh and another question: will this get any better? or I just have to accept, that it's gonna be like this forever? 4 out of 12 months I'm able to get things done, and other 8 months just being in bed, only able to do small tasks, and small amounts of physical activity.

are there any med combos out there that help with energy? I've basically tried everything, probably except the fluoxetine/olanzapine combo.
lamotrigine caused skin rashes, so can't take that one. i'm currently on venlafaxine, xanax and tegretol. Obviously not doing the job.

Visiting my Pdoc on monday, I'm gonna ask him about this.
also back in therapy as well.
it does help with anxiety and coping.. but coping's cool and all, but actual treatment that could help me hold a job would help a lot more.

thank you!

[nbritton]

Originally Posted by newlifeyeah

are there any med combos out there that help with energy? I've basically tried everything, probably except the fluoxetine/olanzapine combo.
lamotrigine caused skin rashes, so can't take that one. i'm currently on venlafaxine, xanax and tegretol. Obviously not doing the job.

I would stop taking venlafaxine, this is one of the worse antidepressants you can take with bipolar disorder because it has a very high risk of manic switching.[1] Manic switching is more then just mania, there is typically a hard crash that happens after a few weeks that ranges from crippling depression to mix episodes. It's counter intuitive, but in people with bipolar disorder antidepressants often make things worse.

The other thing I would do is retry lamotrigine. Just because you get a rash the first time doesn't mean you'll get a rash the second time, especially if you increase the dosage slower then before.[2][3][4]

[Crazy Hitch]

Originally Posted by newlifeyeah

hey guys!

The depression part of my bp 1 is causing me physically not being able to work, due to severe lethargy/ low energy issues.

It's just as simple as that. I start any activity and about 30 minutes, or maybe less, I'm done. no physical energy.
The mental part is a bit better, if I lay in a bed, I'm able to write a blog, or maybe write articles or something, but I don't have a job that pays me to do that.

I'm 27 and so far in my last 2 years, 8 out of 12 months has been like this, and the other 4, was once a full blown manic episode, with about 1 month hypomania, and the recent 4 "good" months were sort of stabilized with lots of drugs.

now out of nothing came the new "episode". You can call it depression if you want, I could qualify for that diagnosis, but I don't really care about the moods, I mean obviously it's not good to feel down, and be unhappy, and unmotivated, but the thing is, that I actually feel kinda motivated, it's just that I don't have the energy to do all the things needed.

I really want to "grow up" finally and be responsible for my life, but it seems like medication is just not doing it, it can't prevent, and not even help with my low episodes.

Which sucks, but can you maybe give me some advice, what kind of jobs are out there, that can be done from home, ie. writing, blogging, journalism, whatever, because obviously I don't want to be dependent from my parents, I wanna have my own assets.

Oh and another question: will this get any better? or I just have to accept, that it's gonna be like this forever? 4 out of 12 months I'm able to get things done, and other 8 months just being in bed, only able to do small tasks, and small amounts of physical activity.

are there any med combos out there that help with energy? I've basically tried everything, probably except the fluoxetine/olanzapine combo.
lamotrigine caused skin rashes, so can't take that one. i'm currently on venlafaxine, xanax and tegretol. Obviously not doing the job.

Visiting my Pdoc on monday, I'm gonna ask him about this.
also back in therapy as well.
it does help with anxiety and coping.. but coping's cool and all, but actual treatment that could help me hold a job would help a lot more.

thank you!

This episode won't necessarily last forever .... No.

And right now you're doing the right thing. You're seeing your pdoc and your T. Great strategy to support you through this.

Not sure how long you've been on those meds but when I'm in the midst of an episode they usually need tweaking.

Keeping and maintaining a job if you've been through quite an episode at work can be challenging. Especially if you continued working during the episode without taking time out. But that in itself could lead to other problems with regards to how much time out we would need and questions by employers with regards to our absence.

[Justugh]

hey man

u do have a job .......called getting yourself to a better place

as for work and all that at some point u can go back to work hopefully that is the goal u set for yourself ........i was never able to fit in longest i ever held a job was 10 months

if u are in money issues ....or looks like it be a fairly long time before u can get back to work u should apply for SSI bi polar is one of the conditions that allows u to apply

this way u atleast have some funding coming in so u can get better and not worry about being homeless or hungry while getting the head fixed up .........applying for it will take time up to 18 months before they approve or denied yah (the good part is when u apply if they say yes u get money from the time u applied so that first check is pretty large if u have waited along time )

[BlackSheep79]

Have you had your thyroid and glucose levels checked as this can cause low energy levels? I have problems with both and take medications and feel a lot better.

[yellowfever]

Originally Posted by newlifeyeah

hey guys!

The depression part of my bp 1 is causing me physically not being able to work, due to severe lethargy/ low energy issues.

It's just as simple as that. I start any activity and about 30 minutes, or maybe less, I'm done. no physical energy.
The mental part is a bit better, if I lay in a bed, I'm able to write a blog, or maybe write articles or something, but I don't have a job that pays me to do that.

I have been there before. no engery and I could not get out of bed.

I'm 27 and so far in my last 2 years, 8 out of 12 months has been like this, and the other 4, was once a full blown manic episode, with about 1 month hypomania, and the recent 4 "good" months were sort of stabilized with lots of drugs.

now out of nothing came the new "episode". You can call it depression if you want, I could qualify for that diagnosis, but I don't really care about the moods, I mean obviously it's not good to feel down, and be unhappy, and unmotivated, but the thing is, that I actually feel kinda motivated, it's just that I don't have the energy to do all the things needed.

I really want to "grow up" finally and be responsible for my life, but it seems like medication is just not doing it, it can't prevent, and not even help with my low episodes.

Which sucks, but can you maybe give me some advice, what kind of jobs are out there, that can be done from home, ie. writing, blogging, journalism, whatever, because obviously I don't want to be dependent from my parents, I wanna have my own assets.

Oh and another question: will this get any better? or I just have to accept, that it's gonna be like this forever? 4 out of 12 months I'm able to get things done, and other 8 months just being in bed, only able to do small tasks, and small amounts of physical activity.

are there any med combos out there that help with energy? I've basically tried everything, probably except the fluoxetine/olanzapine combo.
lamotrigine caused skin rashes, so can't take that one. i'm currently on venlafaxine, xanax and tegretol. Obviously not doing the job.

Visiting my Pdoc on monday, I'm gonna ask him about this.
also back in therapy as well.
it does help with anxiety and coping.. but coping's cool and all, but actual treatment that could help me hold a job would help a lot more.

thank you!

I am sorry that you cannot take lamotrigine, it is very good one for me and I just started the wellbutrin which is suppose to give me energy and better organizational focus. check out some medication options. Tell the pdoc you want to be working and stable

[prepsychmel]

I can relate so much to what you are talking about. I never have any energy. It's also hard for me to keep a job. The longest I've ever worked somewhere was nearly one year, and that was a lot for me. Some of it I blame on the meds, but my meds keep me stable. So, that's tough.

[Creative1onder]

Im not working at moment and havent been for while cos of illness. The longest i held a job for was over one year but i was affected by depression and anxiety in my job during that time and i quit it in end cos i was bullied by supervisors. I feel vulnerable to bullying , abuse by staff which has deterred me from finding other work cos when i suffer significant stress i end up falling into severe depression. I was bullied in both paid and voluntary roles. An Assistant Manager in one voluntary role i did, became sexual with me, in and outside the office even though he said he had a girlfriend. The last thing job related thing i did was a paid internship two years ago. Not worked since then.

[Wander]

I was off work for five years until last December when I started a casual job that I have amazingly still been able to hold. In the last year I have had two major depressive episodes that have lasted at least 2 months each but with some time off and meds to get me through work I have just managed to keep my job. I am also studying super-part-time so my level of functioning has improved immensely over the last year. I attribute this to the right meds (and that took aaaages to find) and excellent therapy. I want you to know that there is hope that you will be employed again even if it is in a limited capacity. For some people employment is not an option, which is perfectly understandable, so don't pressure yourself or put yourself down if you are currently unable to work. As it has been said, your job now is to try to get stable. And that is a worthy task. I wish you all the best.

[stellarx]

I've lost two jobs this year that both required a college degree to get. These weren't places w/ high turnover. I believe that my inability to keep jobs was simply a result of me not having good coping strategies for my depressed and mixed episodes. I spent fives days in a hospital for my mental illness and now feel I have a better hold on life. After a month at the current part time job I'm at I feel better about myself and have recently been offered a better paying job.

Life will get better my friend. Just stay positive and learn good coping strategies. Find a support group in your area that way you can visit w/ like-minded people. Good luck

[Trippin2.0]

Definitely have your thyroid checked, you could have a physical condition that's causing this extreme case of no energy.


I used to get regular B12 injections which helped me out quite a bit in the "my body is cemented to this bed" department.