How is life with bipolar? Questions

Hi

I'm a 22 year old female and I've just recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 2. I have been struggling with depression for almost a year and a half and right now it just gets worse and worse....

I have a few question and I was hoping you could answer from your personal point of view or maybe you know some statistics:

- When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows?

- Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family?

- Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? Right now I have problems reading, spelling, concentration and so on.

- Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on?

Now to a more personal question. I was a straight A-student in high school and when depression got me down I had just started med school. I had to drop-out of school and shortly after I decided I didn't want to be a doctor after all. I've looked at some other jobs and careers and decided what to study. The problem is that I need to pass a language class and exam to get in. I've taken the class online since January, but I'm far behind and I just can't keep up. I can't read, I can't remember, to be honest it just feels impossible. If I don't pass the class I can either wait another year to apply for university or I can find another course to study. But it really means a lot to me to pass the exam and study Audiologopedics. My questions are:

- Do you think I should keep taking the language class and try to pass - even though it seems impossible and might cause me extra stress? Or should I "give up" and take it slow?

- I haven't been "normal"/myself since I got depressed, and dropped out of medical school. Should I wait another year to make a career decision or should I do what I think is right now?

Btw. I am getting treatment for bipolar disorder, but after two months there hasn't been much improvement, I've actually gotten worse! I'm taking 1350 mg lithium and waiting for my blood test results. I'm hoping that my psychiatrist will add an antidepressant (even though they have never worked on me....) and antipsychotic.
I don't even know if I'll be ready and well enough to attend university in late summer?!

I'm so sorry for the long thread! I just didn't know what to do and thought I might get some answers and advice here!
Thanks

Hello eeyore1234: I see this is your first post here on PC... so... welcome to PsychCentral... from the Skeezyks! May you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm not really the right member to answer your questions. They really need responses from members who have actually been diagnosed as having Bipolar 2 & who are living with it day-to-day. Hopefully some of them will yet see your Thread & offer answers to your questions.

The only thing I can say, in general, is that so much of this depends on the individual, I don't know if it is even possible to draw any conclusions based on other people's experiences. But, then, this is just my own personal opinion with regard to mental illness in general.

By the way, Are you familiar with the writings of Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison? She has Bipolar. Reading her books might be of interest. There are also some videos on YouTube of talks & interviews she's given over the years. I wish you well...

Welcome to PC ... the only advice I can offer from my experience is my inabality to read and consentrate came from my depression ... when it lifted those came back ... good luck to you and never give up on your dreams ... Tigger ..

I have bp1 so I'll only answer some questions:

Please remember I'm on the severe end.

When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows? I judge my stability in weeks not months or years. The medication lessens my severe symptoms but lengthens my episodes.

Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family? I can't take the stress of a job and family. So I don't work. My family is small and generally happy.

Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? I do when I come out of depression.

Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on? sleep is very important to stay stable.

If I could do college over I would take things slow.

- When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows?
It is different for everyone. For example, I had my first diagnosis around your age and I tried meds and then decided my dr. was stupid and weaned off them and lived semi-normally for 10 years before another significant episode.

- Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family?
Yes, while I don't currently have a career, I do have a family with 3 kids. You might take care to chose a profession that isn't extremely stressful as that can trigger an episode.

- Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? Right now I have problems reading, spelling, concentration and so on.
Everyone is different. Unfortunately, the problems you describe occur on meds for me, but you can learn coping skills. I wrote everything down because I was super forgetful on the first meds I tried.
- Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on?
I think it would be wise to do so. Sleep is definitely important.

The other questions you asked regarding your coursework, I will tell you a bit of my story.

I was also a straight A student and in college when I had my first episode and diagnosis. It was a really stressful time and I was taking 3 summer classes, so they were more intense. I ended up dropping one because I couldn't keep up. Since you already paid for it, I say finish it as best you can, don't stress too hard. Then you can retake it for a better grade (right?). The following fall I was still trying to work the meds and I actually talked to my professors about it, not specifics, but just that I was trying to sort stuff out. Though I was majoring in special ed. so my teachers were really understanding of it, maybe more than others would be. Anyway, maybe there is a learning center or some accommodations your professors can make if you ask.

Hope that helps. I am trying to look at all the strengths I get from my bipolar: empathy, energy/super abilities when manic...

I have bp2 btw

I am diagnosed with Bipolar 2, OCD, and GAD. I was diagnosed around your age, and it took about 6 months to get stabilized due to the complications of (a.) finding the right psychiatrist (that wasn't a QUACK!) and (b.) getting my serotonin balanced from the worst-ever episode I've had of OCD (living hell). So, my diagnosis is a little more complicated than yours because I deal with the OCD and anxiety. But I can tell you what my life is like.

After my 6 month episode, I went back to finish college. I had to get special allowances from time to time from professors due to my "disability." E.g. I needed them to understand me making it late to class due to difficulty waking up from meds, or sometimes giving me more time to turn in papers. After college, I worked crappy jobs and hated it. But then I got more clarity on my career path. So I went back to school and got my Master's degree. I didn't need any special allowances and didn't even have to tell my professors about my "disability," but I did have to take Ritalin to help me focus the last couple semesters of my Master's Degree.

I now work part-time, but I make a good amount of money because I have my own business and I can charge a lot per hour (music lessons). I CAN work full-time, and I'm actually considering changing careers due to scheduling (working evenings) and stability of income (I lose students and it's really difficult not knowing how much money I will make from month to month). I struggle with worry a lot but that is my OCD (probably not something you will have to struggle with), but I stay mostly stable. My psychiatrist can't treat the OCD much because of my bipolar (antidepressants make me hypomanic). My moods do go up and down but they are mild shifts from mild depression to brief spurts of hypomania. I am "rapid cycling," so I can spend half the day normal and a couple hours hypomanic and maybe even a brief period of very mild depression. I still consider myself very stable because my behavior is very "normal," and I don't feel the need to tell people how I'm feeling.

My husband and I have been married for 4 years, and about 2 years ago, my husband and I decided not to have kids. So he got a vasectomy. I know that I could not handle being off meds to be pregnant, nor could I handle the stress of parenting. I'm very sensitive to stress, so I really can't lead a "normal" life compared to others my age (33).

I am generally a very happy person, though. I handle things pretty well, I'm optimistic, and I see my psychiatrist every month (sometimes more often if I feel the need for a med adjustment). I've started seeing a psychologist for therapy regarding my obsessive thoughts and worries.

Everybody's different, but that's my story.

All i can say is, don't worry. Whatever you want out of life, you can still have. Welcome!

Thank you all so so much for replying! I really appreciate it

Right now my English is shutting down I think..... I can't really concentrate on replying right now.
But I got to read every reply and I am very thankful!

I'll get back soon when my brain is awake again
(As you probably guessed from my first post, english is not my first language. I'm from Denmark, but usually almost fluent in english!)

I didn't notice at all, your English is great. But what is audiologopedics (sp?)? LOL.

I live a fairly normal life, so yes, it is definitely possible!

Like you, I struggled a lot in school. My symptoms first showed up when I was 11 years old, and I didn't seek help until I was 24 (which was after I graduated with my master's degree). As a result, my grades suffered a lot and I wasn't able to do as well as my classmates.

I was still able to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree despite all my struggles. I was successful because I had motivation and determination. Of course I had to work 5 times as hard as everyone else, but I still did it. In fact, in my last semester of grad school, I was working a part-time job (20 hours a week) and taking 3 classes (30 hours a week), and I managed to get an A in every class despite feeling heavily depressed and stressed out.

If you really want to do something, then do it. Don't let bipolar disorder hold you back. There are plenty of bipolar people like Carrie Fisher who've become successful Hollywood actors/actresses. You may have to work harder than the average person, but that doesn't mean you won't be successful at all. It's important to remember that.

Now personally, I would recommend trying to get stable before you make any big career decisions. If you've gotten worse with lithium, then maybe it's not the right drug for you. That's okay. There are plenty of other drugs out there that you can try.

In my own experience meds do not prevent me from having depression. They have levelled of the euphoria and hypomanic side of my illness. I've had to have my meds tweeked a few times to help with the depression over the years. Therapy meanwhile has helped to a degree with not so much staving off the depression as coping with it.

Im on my cell and it's kind of a pain to quote and delete a bunch of stuff but I'll answer a few questions.

My current med cocktail is the best I've been on but still had moments of depression and hypomania. However the hypomania was caused by stimulants but when I got off them, I felt a lot more stable.

I suppose you can live a "normal" life if you're on the right meds and taking care of yourself with therapy and full compliance.

When it comes to jobs and school, take care of yourself and follow good sleep hygiene. My last job, I worked ten hour shifts with no breaks and slept little. I became unstable and lost my job. It's very important that you find ways to manage stress.

I would say to take school slow until you find the right meds and are stable. Don't make any career decisions just yet.

Be careful of antidepressants because they can make you hypo/manic very easily. Wellbutrin made me dysphoric but I had good luck on lexapro (but horrible sexual dysfunction so I stopped taking it. I rather be depressed than unable to have sex lol)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello again!
Just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions and give some personal thoughts and advices! It really means a lot to me I'm so happy I found this forum!

Status right now is, that I am on a pretty high dose of lithium (1350 mg / 0.9 blood level) and I'm slowly increasing the dose of lamotrigine (50 mg/day as of yesterday). I've stopped taking lyrica for anxiety (175 mg/day). My pdoc also wants me to quit seroquel (25-75 mg/night) but I have a hard time living without.....

Unfortunaly I have had to take some time off work. I simply couldn't function well enough to work. I was also getting so behind with my language course, so my teacher and I agreed that I needed to take the class another time.
Even though it sounds like a bad thing, it's really been the best decisions I've taken in a long time. Now I can finally breathe!

I've actually gotten better in the last two weeks. Although I have a weird cycle now.... I feel good (not hypo good, just normal good/stable) for about 3-4 days. Then I hit the bottom and then slowly builds up from depressed to normal in about 3 days. It is so so nice to feel like myself again - but it hits me hard when I go down so fast. Yesterday I was mildly depressed and today just woke up feeling awful. I cancelled my appointment at my dietitian and I haven't moved much... I just lay on the couch.
It seems that it really doesn't take much to get my mood down..... Last week it was an argument on Friday that made me feel down and depressed until Monday. This week my Uncle wasn't that nice to me and said some unpleasant things about me and my illness.

Well, we'll see how it goes!
Thank you once again!!

Almost forgot...
THANKS!!!!
Audiologopedics is a course you can take at the University of Copenhagen here in Denmark - I don't think it is that common. It takes 5 years (BA 3 years, master 2 years) to graduate as a master. It is the study of speech, hearing, spelling and reading disorders. So after graduating you'll be able to help and work with a lot of different people in different ages and so.

1). I was diagnosed with BiPolar type I in August 2014. I returned to work in November 2014. I did not find the right combination of meds until August 2015, and I've made gradual changes to my meds for the past year. My highs and lows are nowhere as extreme as they used to be. I anticipate remaining stable for years to come by taking my medicine as prescribed, going on my psychiatrist visits, and remaining vigilant on identifying any warning signs that my medicine isn't working.

2). My daughter was born in September 2010. In order for me to recover from bipolar, I had to let go of my marriage- it was a very unhealthy relationship. My friends consider me to a great Mom to Anna, and I am hopeful that one day, the right relationship will come along. If you saw me out in public or at work, you would not suspect that I have bipolar. I have friends who were shocked when I told them.

While you would need to take precautions if you plan on having a child, it is still very much possible to be bipolar and have a happy family. I have a great career as well.

3). When it comes to brain activity fears, you are not alone. During my first year of being medicated, I felt like my response time was lagging. I had the worst time concentrating. I was fortunate enough where I could afford to be on auto-pilot for my job because I had seven years of experience. When you start taking medication, your body goes through a huge adjustment. I remember being very harsh on myself. When I asked other people if they noticed a difference, they did not notice it to the degree that I did- and they pointed out that I had a huge medical crisis and it takes a while to adjust. It really took me about a year and a half to feel as though I could concentrate for long periods of time.

4). While I work extra hours for my job, I have to go to bed at the same time every night to feel normal. While I will stay up later on occasion when I don't have work the next day, I follow a very strict sleep routine. For me, getting enough sleep is crucial to remaining stable.

Career wise- I find that I do better with structured activities that limit uncertainty. For example, I do not think that I could mentally handle having a commission-only job. However, I know a lot of non-bipolar people that share my thoughts regarding taking a commission based job.

Regardless if your bipolar or not- being in tune and finding a career that is meaningful is crucial for a positive sense of self.

I can't really answer your questions from my own experience because I don't have BP-II.

Just one thing that bothered me while reading one post—not yours, about how motivation and determination are what matters in being successful at college (seemingly implied, not necessarily what was meant): it is just not true. It's the second time I read it and I don't think there is any malevolent intent, but those that haven't succeeded could very well have been extremely, extremely motivated and determined and still fail, as those with BP-I or "worse" know all too well.

It doesn't really matter much and is true here, given the context (and of course it might be all that matters), but it really implies something that is rather the opposite for those with BP-I and it could be for those diagnosed with BP-II, as one might be misdiagnosed. That's not uncommon. So you'll never know for sure.

However, this is one thing that separates BP-I (and things more psychotic) from BP-II, so it's interesting to mention because you asked whether you could function normally when not depressed.

Technically, and so practically likely as well in many cases, the answer is yes, absolutely, per se, by definition.

I think many Scandinavian universities have great, rather obscure sometimes, but very interesting, fields of study.

About the audiologopedics, do you yourself have a learning disorder? I'm a linguist, by training, doing research into (among other things) dyslexia and psychotic/mood disorders, and very interested in anything to do with it (obviously). If not, why your interest?

It's great you wanna do that. Really admirable.

I would wait one more year though. As mentioned by others, taking it slowly might be best. BP takes cautionary thinking. Also when stable or depressed.

It's nice to see another 20-something student here!! I've taken a lot of tumbles from being a straight-A student in high school, too, so you aren't alone there.

-When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows?
Personally I've still had quite a few ups and downs, but they've been less severe as I stay on my medications. I slipped up and didn't take them for a while, though, and that screwed me up bad. Stay on the cocktail as best as you can when you find it!

- Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family?
I think so, yeah! I know of many folks who have BPII and lead "normal" lives, though of course they'll still have their ups and downs, too; bipolar disorder seems to be a life-long deal, y'know? But it does really depend on the person, treatments, situation, etc.

- Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? Right now I have problems reading, spelling, concentration and so on.
After depression, I find it usually takes a while to get back on track. Problems with concentration and the like will go away in time, but it all really depends on the person.

Hopefully these helped a little! I'm not too far along out of college so I can't say I have all of the answers, haha.

Like life you know has some explanation - BP Everyone is a bit different in their comments/experiences. I went thru major denial at first.

And yes, you can have a full life with family and friends... Mine has been pretty good.. excluding couple of bad years. Good luck to you.

- When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows?

Everyone is different. Personally I tend to have long periods of stability, although my normal ups and downs are a little more extreme than most. I've had one depressive relapse on meds, which was treated with a simple med tweak, and another relapse when I quit meds, after two years with no episodes.

- Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family?

Absolutely. I wouldn't exactly consider my life 'normal', I think it's better than that. I have done a lot more things, and had more adventures than most (some fuelled by mania, some not).

- Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? Right now I have problems reading, spelling, concentration and so on.

Some people will have residual symptoms, others won't. I do go back to "normal" when not depressed. It is worth checking though about med side effects, particularly as lithium can cause the symptoms you've described.

- Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on?

As others have said sleep is important. People with bipolar work in every field you can imagine, but a lot of it is getting to know yourself, and how much stress you can manage, how much disrupted routines impact you etc.


As for what you personally should do, are you in therapy? Medication is only a part of the treatment, and a therapist can help you work through options so you can decide what's best for you at the moment. My one piece of advice is to keep doing something if you're able to. Whether it's work, study, volunteering etc. It can feel impossible, but having nothing to do and sitting around at home all the time often exacerbates depression.

Not to plug my blog but I have been journaling about being bipolar and the things that I face while manic or depressed. Fell free to check it out. Dapperbrute.tumblr.com/tagged/blog

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For me it's a series of extreme moods that ends with my mind splintering into a million pieces...

Stability is possible for many people, as is success in many areas of life.

Best of luck.