Questions: Bipolar version

I haven't but I'll skip my question for someone else to answer.

I have never been Hospitalized under the Mental Health Act (so far as I know)

How is your mood today?

My mood is good today!
How have you been sleeping

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Really well. I'm surprised because ever since my last hospitalization I've been taking 1200 mg of gabapentin at night for sleep. My pharmacy screwed up and I was about to run out so I have only been taking 400 mg. And not only has this fixed the extreme constipation I've had since the hospital I'm still sleeping! So hopefully my pdoc is ok with this (she will be but I can't ask b/c she's on vacation).

Do you ever change meds without permission? (I really don't usually although it worked out this time).

Sometimes I adjust my own Seroquel dose if during certain times I notice it being too sedating or if I need more of a mood stabilizing effect when mania starts becoming more problematic. Lately, I'm not as sleepy on the Seroquel as before, which I'm happy about.

Which coping skills have you found to be the most helpful?

The best coping skill for me is positive self talk.

What PRNs do you use?

gabapentin, klonopin, vistaril, valium

Do you/have you/would you use(d) benzos?

In the past I've been on Xanax and Klonopin. I'm currently taking Restoril.

What was your initial reaction to your diagnosis?

Relief. I was so glad to know what was WRONG with me and that it definitely was bipolar as I suspected.

Do you have any really weird med side effects (clozaril makes my sweat sting for example)?

Nope

Ever been involuntarily hospitalized?

No hospital for me. In the last fifty seven years.

Who handles your financial affairs.

I do myself, even though I am not good at it.

Do you have problems with spending too much money?

Only when hypo/manic. Otherwise I am very frugal with money.

What's the craziest thing you have bought while manic?

2 kittens, tons of cat stuff and a TV. (I was eventually glad for all but my timing and judgment was questionable). I get mixed so fast I don't have th spendy stories many people do.

So I'll continue the question: what's the craziest thing you've bought while manic?

A 700 dollar mountain bike that I haven't used in a year. But I like mountain biking.

Hat do you do when your anxious/panic attack other than take meds?

Mindful grounding technics, touching something, feeling it, noticing the texture, warm or coldness.

I like the question about crazy things you bought, so, what was the craziest thing you bought while manic?

It's a tie between giving (not loaning) $60,000 over the span of one year to my brother. He had become a drug addict and I had no clue. He'd sobered up from alcohol and we'd spend hours together drinking Diet Coke and talking, usually all night. I was hypomanic or manic for a long time. He was buying drugs and I just thought he was bad with money.

OR...door number two:

$2,500 worth of Beanie Babies. Used ones. Why? Because the money went to a charity for the homeless. I never have collected them. They barely fit in my car there were so many lol *facepalm*

What's the most you spent in one year during a manic spending spree?

tins apon tins of cat food, dog food, bird food, hamster food, rabbit food, fish food, if it was eaten by a pet i had it in my house at that time

no pets here though so that's what made it pretty weird

anyway back to the questions.. i'd say around the 30 thousand mark (all on crap i didn't even need)

did you suspect a bipolar diagnoses before being diagnosed

I had no idea what bipolar even was. I suffered for years wanting to know what was wrong with me and why no one could tell me why I am the way I am. It was a sense of relief being able to put a name to it and being correctly medicated so I could become "normal."

Do you think your illness was triggered by a specific event?

bearing in mind that my childhood was so messed up, probably

but which particular event.. i have no idea

it was so nice to grow up in a stable, loving.... urm, i mean it was so nice to grow up in a simulated prison.

how long has your longest friendship been before your illness has made it hard to stay close

My longest friendship is twenty years. Her and I have known each other since eighth grade. Although we haven't been in constant contact the entire time, we still have found our ways to keep in touch. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding 11 years ago. And I had dinner with her a couple of weeks ago. A have another friend who I've been in touch over the past 11 years. She also has bipolar disorder and we know that anytime one of us need the other, it's only a phone call or text away and it's like the distance fades and we are still living in the same city. Plus we both understand the ups and downs, (pun intended) of the disorder and relate on that level.

Can you remember the very first med you have tried that got you started on this journey?

Depokote

What's the best med you've been on?

Trileptal

How long have you had your diagnosis?

15 years. But I refused to accept it until 2 years ago. I had convinced myself that it was "just" MDD until my current pdoc helped me connect the dots and admit to myself that I'd been hypo-manic repeatedly over the last decade and a half

What's the worst side effect you've experienced from medication?

Being stoned on benzos was the worst thing ever. I even drooled while I was on those suckers. Never again.

What's the longest period that you have been stable?