Questions: Bipolar version

Emsam is my favorite.

Have you ever tried Metformin for weight control with APs?

I like lexapro

I used to use it as part of my username on various websites (no, i really did!!

right so i know that's a little off topic... back to your skeduled programming

no i've not done that

name a reason you are greatful for bipolar

It gave a name to what I was experiencing when I went so many years hating and wondering why I was the way I was.
It makes me work extra hard to maintain my sanity.
I have much more empathy for people than I have had before.

Has life become worse or "easier" since receiving your diagnosis?

In some ways. I'm on the right med cocktail now so that's made some things "easier"

Do you take an antidepressant as part of your cocktail?

No they send me manic unfortunately so when I'm depressed I just need to ride it out.

Question: How can you tell of your in a mixed episode? I can never tell

For me it's a binary switch someone is playing with. Manic/depressed/manic/depressed. I notice it.

After a manic episode it becomes very extreme, but I used to be in a mixed state of changeable, uncontrollable severity for a few years. I didn't realise it wasn't normal. It was a bit like a binary dissociation, two rather isolated networks of association, minds. One painfully empty, just time you lost and a life that was constantly forgotten, and the other a highly meaningful mess of things that just controlled my actions and determined my being.

Do you sometimes experience a sudden and sometimes a gradual type of depression, and if so, what happens, what do you do and what not, before each, there maybe being a pattern?

I have a very sudden mixed state that came on after weaning off Pristiq(so maybe that was the cause of it being so sudden). I went from hypomanic, happy and productive to dark, suicidal, crying uncontrollably but still with racing thought and energy and insomnia. This happened almost overnight. It was frightening.
My pure depressions tend to come on gradually, like the one I am in now. It is less traumatic. Before being depressed I was stable but had been only for a month as I had been mixed before that. I guess it is all part of the cycle.

Are you an ocean, mountain or plains type of person?

suppose i'd have to say ocean, i've an obsession with atlantis the lost city, and an obsession with the greek god of the sea

how important to you is healthy eating?

Very although my ability to do it consistently varies with my symptoms. Hopefully I'll be able to combine healthy eating with metformin and get some weight loss soon.

How much do you pay out of pocket for meds each month?

Between 20 and a hundred depending

How much did you sleep last night?

I didn't.

do you have a bucket list?

I do. Havent been able to do any one it.

Do you play sports or hobby to stay balanced

what's on it?

(now i want to know, hah!)

I don't like sport. i'll maybe watchh it sometimes- but never play

nicest compliment ever given to you?

Ironically, the nicest compliments ever given to me were actually for my son. I've had neighbors say how sweet and polite my son is. That's the best compliment for me to hear as a mother.

Do you exercise? If yes, what do you do? Does your pdoc push for you to exercise?

I lift and run! My doctor is THRILLED that I exercise. He trusts me more because of it too. He knows that I'm working for my own wellness. As a result I take less meds.

Do you have a furry companion? Have you ever had them registered as "an emotional support animal"? (My boss did this so she can have her dog at work and never be turned down to rent an apartment)

I love to play golf. Lots of courses here

I have a cat that is so sweet and affectionate. She is not registered as "an emotional support animal", because she doesn't leave the house. I know several people with dogs that are "emotional support animals"

Is there a history of mental illness in your family?

no.

but wierdly enough, my aunt's boyfriend had bipolar disorder as well.

do you like going for walks?

If I force myself to take a walk then I enjoy it but it's often hard for me to get motivated enough to leave the house

Are you unable to work because of your MI?

yes.

what is the first thing you do when you get up in the morrning

Make coffee

Do you save all your old meds in case you have to go back on them again?

I always keep old meds, old letters from therapists, old notes, you just never know when you're going to need any of it so it's best to keep it all.
worst decision ever made?

Going off my medication to get pregnant was the worst decision I've ever made.

Do you feel like you have a soul mate?
If so, do you feel like bipolar ruined your chances to fine that soul mate?

they do say that everyone has at least 1 person, but not me.

last thing you got really excited about

having bief burgers in buns (fun fact: when I actually went to make them, we didn't have any buns!), so got excited over nothing.

closest contact?. (this could be a friend, a therapist, etc)