[Mkrooks1]

Happy 4:06am! In my previous posts I mentioned my pdoc was leaning towards diagnosing me bipolar and its official. Saw him yesterday and we discussed everything that has gone on since I started my Abilify (major manic phase) and he explained how the antidepressants in people with bipolar make them manic and yada yada. I threatened his life (not really) if he took away my Abilify so instead we are cutting down on my Luvox to see if that will keep me "happy" enough but less manic so I stay out of trouble and can sleep before I crash! So I go back in two weeks to report to him!

So, I feel better but very scared and nervous right now! I'm sure you will hear a lot from me as this board has been a tremendous help to me! 😘

[Crazy Hitch]

I'm glad you've got a proper diagnosis.

It will serve you well in the long run in terms of treatment and recovery.

Wishing you well.

[Blitter2014]

Its good to put a name to the way you are feeling, it puts you in a position where you can start to research what you have and learn coping strategies. It will take time to settle your medications, so be patient and work with your Pdoc. Are you seeing a Therapist? They are a really good source of information to help you along your journey towards better health. Perhaps your Pdoc can recommend one?

Welcome to the forum

[Love&Toil]

Mkrooks1 can you clarify - did the Abilify push you into mania? Or you started it when you were in a manic phase?

[Wander]

I'm glad you finally have a diagnosis so you can work on a treatment plan but I am sorry to hear you too have to suffer this illness. Post away, you are most welcome here

Hello, mkrooks1, and even though I don't post often anynore, I'll also say Welcome to the forum and the "Club." I got my diagnosis 18 years go, at the age of 54. For many years, I posted to bipolar forums and got into some great online communities of friends. I've been mostly stable for a long time, now, and also have made plenty of friends in the city where I live, several of whom are also in the "bipolar club"! After my dx, I was put onto Social Security Disability. I didn't want that, and only wanted a good job, with some "reasonable accommodations," which is the legal language in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Prior to my dx, counseling and meds, I had had two small service businesses. They were successful, in that I had lots of clients and made a profit, but these jobs didn't completely support me for lack of energy and up and down symptoms that caused me to take days off. I discovered that the best type of "job" for me is as an independent contractor. In one of the IRS publications, there is a definition of the difference between being an "employee" vs "self employed." As an employee, the employer/boss can tell you "what do to, how to do it, and when to do it." As a contractor (which means a self employed person), the person you work for, and you yourself, discuss and negotiate these things. YOU decide what days or hours you work for the people you work for/with. YOU negotiate when the job will be finished. YOU decide exactly how the job will be done, so long as the finished results please your customer! The customer does not tell you, for example how to hammer a nail, use a stapler, whether you can dance while you are doing a long copier job one a copier that you either own or use at someplace like Kinkos, etc. Instead of co-employees saying to you, "You're havin' too much fun" if you giggle or dance or whistle, they will admire you for running your own business. Telecommuniting -- i.e. computer work at home -- is a great option for people with bipolar. Job sharing might work, too. If you are able to find a GOOD staffing agency, that might work, too. I used to do temp work in the 1960s when almost nobody did that, and it worked super. I worked when I felt like it, the jobs were plentiful, I could go to work the very day I signed up, and when I didn't feel like working I stayed home or did something fun, and even saved a lot of money in the bank. But more recently (1990s) when I did "temping" -- where the employees of the temporary agency (now calling themselves "staffing services") the jobs were very demanding, and I was not treated with respect. There was certainly nothing left over to put in the bank, for office work. I did have one temp job for six months as a technical writer, though, and it paid professional wages. From only that one experience, I wonder if professional temps are treated better than office workers. And, mkrooks1, now that you have your dx, you may be able to get assistance from your state's Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. (which may have a slightly different agency name where you live.) A good Voc Rehab counselor will help you find the kind of work you can do. A good one will go places with you so you can get a feel for the employment environment at the place, and the counselor will make sure that the employer will provide the accommodations you need. Be real careful, though, about going into training or back to school, which Voc Rehab is famous for granting their clients. Be absolutely certain that there are REAL and CURRENT opportunities for work in any field you choose. Voc Rehab has historically trained people into fields where they never find jobs. I'm real out of date now about Voc Rehab, so hopefully things are better with them now. The ADA has had about 20 years to mature, whereas it was new when I was seeking work. I'm pretty sure Voc Rehab will also assist a person to get self employment, , and if the person and Voc Rehab find that person is a good candidate for that.

[Mkrooks1]

Originally Posted by Love&Toil

Mkrooks1 can you clarify - did the Abilify push you into mania? Or you started it when you were in a manic phase?

This is my second time on Abilify that I have gone into mania within 3 days on 2 mgs. Long story short, I have been on almost all AD's fo the past 19 years through my primary care and I would always say "but I'm not really depressed... If I'm not on some kind of med my anger is out of control!!!" Finally saw a psychiatrist and going through my past we discussed bipolar and the meds issues.

[sidney1771]

Congrats on your diagnosis. I think. It is always good to know what you are dealing with so you can learn about how bipolar affects you and the best way to incorporate therapeutic strategies.