So approximately 5 yrs ago I went into a bad mania that led to a psychosis. Long story but nothing could get me to sleep. Finally I was put on 15 mgs of zyprexa as well as 50 mgs of hydroxyzine, and 300 mgs of trazadone. I had the zyprexa added about a yr ago. Before the addition of the zyprexa I still really struggled without sleep on and off. With the zyprexa I sleep but have also gained about 30lbs.

Lately I've been sleeping and sleeping, so I've decreased the zyprexa first to 10 mgs and I was still sleeping a lot and now I'm down to 5 mgs. I'm so happy about this as I hope to come off the zyprexa and lose some of this weight gain.

I also feel more like myself pre psychosis. I feel like I'm not hopeless with no life. I can get better! Have any of you had similar experiences? After the psychosis I was so vulnerable and felt so lost. Like zero self esteem. But now I'm feeling so much better. Anyone relate?

Yes. I takes me months to come out of a manic episode.

[Hopeful10]

I can relate some. It usually takes only a few weeks to a month to actually bring down the mania fully, a few days in to treatment to bring down the psychosis. However, it takes me a few months to mentally and emotionally recover from the psychosis. I question what is and isn't real anymore for a while. I think the hardest part of it all is I question what's real in my faith, because a lot of my delusions and hallucinations while in psychosis tend to be religious in nature, but out of the bounds of my faith normally. But of course, when manic, everything seems possible! So it takes me a while to restabilize in that respect, as I am typically strong and secure in my faith, but that really messes with me. And even though the Meds are working, when I have a moment where I start to question everything it can temporarily destabilize me for a few minutes, which is frightening sometimes.

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[Ocean Swimmer]

In my support group thru DBSA we rate ourselves 1-10. 1 being so depressed you're in the hospital. 10 being so manic you're in hospital. Right now I'm about a 3. Still managing to eat, shower& brush my teeth. Feed the animals. But that's about it.
Where do you stand? It helps so you identify mania or depression before it gets out of control.

[Hopeful10]

@Ocean Swimmer: I attend a general client support group that does a 1-10 mood rating scale...however, for most, 10 is great. But as I deal with BP type 1 with psychotic features, I had to explain that when I rate my mood, a 5 for me is perfect, that getting towards anywhere above a 7 is a sign I may be going towards mania. That kind of scale is very helpful for me.

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[Ocean Swimmer]

So right now I'm about a 3.5. On the depressed side of bipolar.
Where are you?
I have workers coming to my ranch today and even thinking about it starts making me feel anxious.

[Hopeful10]

I'm about a 4.5 in regards to the bipolar, but feeling stressed at moments, as I also deal with Chronic Complicated Migraines with Complex Auras. The Botox injections for the migraines have brought down the facial pain to a manageable level, but I'm at the time of month where I pretty much have a migraine constantly for about a week. So with that factored in, counting the bipolar, migraines and complex PTSD, right now I would rate myself at about a 3.

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