Questions: Bipolar Version 2

depends on how you mean the question.

i'm not lonely in the sense that I like my own company, and people annoy me

but I am because not many people around me understand what it's like, so it leaves me wondering if I even matter

have you got any goals for this year

Complete four units at university and stay stable.

Are you a person who writes lists for everything?

yes.

or sometimes, if i can't actually be bothered to write a list, i'll write keywords wwhich help to jog my memory

my house is full of sticky notes with 1 thing or another on them

question: do you rest during the day?, or can't you do that

can't do that.

24 hour active brain, you see.

question: have you ever suspected someone might have bipolar?, and if so did you do anything to bring it to their attention?

Yes and yes I did. My friend's Mum has Bipolar and my friend has depression now she has Bipolar.

Question: How do you know your diagnosis is right?

I have been trying to deny it for years, but after many hospitalizations I think I have accepted it.

Have you tried to deny your diagnosis?

nope.

the way I see it is that i've now got it, and that's that

I'm not going to make it go away by pretending it's not real.
on a related question, do you feel like an outcast or like you don't belong because of your diagnoses?

when I was first diagnosed, maybe. I knew so little about it and I felt like on another planet

now not so much
knowing what I know now (especially about celebrities being bipolar), I feel more normal for lack of a better term

question: how important is it for you to have your house clean and tidy?

anyone?

i'd answer this myself, but it feels a little bit like a 1 woman show at the moment... lol

It is important to me but I can't always manage it. However my mom helps and so things usually stay pretty good.

What is your best distraction?

Music, DVD's, Seeing my Nephew, Talking to friends..... I can't chose sorry!

Question: Do you get triggered easily ie sad songs/sad films/sad tv shows/sad books??

Only if I'm already unstable.

Do you do a certain type of therapy (DBT, CBT, etc) or just talk and go with it?

I'm not doing therapy right now but they usually base it in DBT.

Do you like garage sales?

When I go, but I rarely go. I liked when I lived in town and there were community wide sales that I could walk to. Now I live in the country and have to drive and it's just less fun.

Do you have seasonal allergies?

Yes, and other allergies.

Do you have plans for the weekend?

First thought: It's the weekend?????? So I guess not. Oh, going to Aldi's for some cheap groceries. Yahoo.

Have you ever had art therapy?

No never have had Drama Therapy for 3 1/2 years though. It's quite interesting

Question: How do you get motivated to do things when it's really difficult to do so ie getting out of bed/cleaning the bathroom or kitchen etc

I get my mom to tell me to "just do it!". She can be quite motivational.

What time do you go to bed and get up?

I would say go to bed at 10 PM, and up at 4 A.M

however, in my case, because I can't sleep most nights, 10 until 4 is like my little timeframe.. if I get 5 10 minits sleep in that time, great

if I don't, oh well

i'm 1 of those people who would rather be doing something than just laying their when you know you're not going to get any sleep.

yesterday for example watching touched by an angel by midnight, and watched it all the way through the night. just 1 big marathon of episodes

what has been the longest you have slept for in 1 go?, (without waking up)

When I was working, I had worked a lot of hours for several weeks. When I'd crashed, I'd slept over 30 hours. Went to sleep on a Friday night. Woke up early Sunday morning.

How long was your longest hospital stay?

15 days.

What is your shortest hospital stay?

shortest stay in a hospital: 5 hours.

I admitted myself, because I thought I was having a heart attack.

turns out I wasn't (which I thought all along really, I guess). it was just anxiety making me feel that way

felt so embarrassed for wasting the staff's time.

when you have been to hospital, have you ever had to deal with an annoying nurse/ other member of hospital staff?. how did you cope with them, and why were they annoying in the first place.

Yes! There was this nurse who hated me. She hated me because the first time I was IP she got in trouble for giving me my nighttime Seroquel at 6:30 PM when I needed anxiety meds and not telling me I was required to be at group at 8. So I took it and went to sleep and then she forced me to come to group and then demanded I tell the group why I was sobbing. I told the dr the next day that I wouldn't have taken the Seroquel had I known it was a choice and she was told not to do that. So then 2 stays later I had her again and she was always slightly rude. The last night after I'd been there 2 weeks and she was my nurse (and I was one of her max of 5 patients) nearly every night she told "Lisa" to go get someone for dinner. I just looked around as my name is NOT Lisa. She looked at me like I was absolutely stupid and repeated it slowly and I had to explain my name is not even close to Lisa. She knew and was just being annoying because she could be. Fortunately she's gone now and it's 1000% better without her.

Has a hospital staff member been especially kind to you?

I have had many. they usually take my situation seriously and are kind. I have a good sense of humour so that helps * when I'm manic ) the staff usually like me although they will admit my hyperactive state is annoying. I feel they can be honest with me because I'm easy going

have you ever had staff at a hospital get mad at you

plenty of times!

most of the time it's.. well I have other patients to see, you know, I don't have time for your stupid games or rants (which I always found offensive), because sometimes it just can't be helped

at other times they are more angry, like when I woke up everyone on the ward because of my manic state they were angry, or when I tried to discharge myself and they had to hold me just inside the building.

how much did you know about bipolar disorder before your diagnoses of it?