Questions Bipolar Version 3

NEW THREAD FOR THIS TOPIC.

Last question: How does a mixed episode feel to you?

Answer: It feels like standing naked in Times Square during a tornado with all my nerves exposed so I feel everything so intensely as well as experiencing all sensations intensely. It's horrible.

New question: Does your bipolar isolate you?

Running around FRANTICALLY for hours and hours non-stop looking for a razor blade to end it all.

Yes cause I have no one in my family that has a mental health illness. My family and friends try to understand but they just can't

Question: Are you looking forward to Autumn and if so what's the best thing about it?

Yes. I love fall weather, changing leaves, the county fair.....my meds cause heat insensitivity to I'm stuck inside much of the summer. Fall is freedom.

Do you get SAD and when does it usually hit for you?

Well the sun or lack of it certainly has a huge effect on me. Fall/winter.

Q. When on a train etc do you have to face the way you're travelling? (I ask cause I'm on a train right now and thought I chose a forward facing seat but we just started moving and I'm going backwards. Crap now I have to feel embarrassed and get up cause I can't deal with this!!!)

Ive actually only been on a train two times in my life, years ago. It didn't matter to me what direction i was going in though.

Q: do you have trouble focusing/concentrating? How do you cope with it esp regarding work and school?

The beauty of the leaves changing colors and the smell.
Do you have a spouse?

Two questions have been posed.
Yes I have a spouse.
And yes I can have great difficulty focusing/concentrating at work or even just carrying on a social conversation. Usually I plough through then don't remember half of what I said or I'll leave and go home.

Q. Do big cities and crowds scare or excite you?

Agoraphobia and claustrophobia! Cities and crowds are excruciating to me; to be avoided at all costs.

Welcome to our new players. To keep our game moving please answer the last question posted and then ask a new question. Thanks and have fun! (Please try to keep the questions related to bipolar/mental illness so that this qualifies to stay on the bipolar board).

Does watching the news trigger you?

Sometimes it does depends what it is to be honest. I mostly don't read the newspapers or watch the news for that reason.

Question: What's the best advice you have been given re bipolar?

Take it one day at a time and be present in the moment.
Q: Have you ever smoked?

to take 1 day at a time, and not rush in to planning days/ weeks ahead.

question: what has been your worst thought? (in what ever state you had it)

There are 2 question posed.
I will answer both.

I did smoke for 2 years in my 20's.

My worst thoughts were feeling suicidal.

Question:

If you live with anxiety, which med or non-med approach works best for you?


WC

No, I'm pretty disinterested right now.

Do you no longer take certain meds because of the $$$$$?

WildcatVet, welcome to the thread. When you play please answer the question most recently posted and then post your own question. Thanks!

Answering 2 to catch us up:
Answer: Which med or non-med helps with anxiety? I think a combination of meds and lifestyle changes help me. I often need reminded to use the lifestyle changes/techniques though when anxiety gets really bad.

Answer: Do you no longer take certain meds because of the $$? Not now although there are meds I couldn't try because of the cost which led to my being on the meds I currently take (older, cheaper ones).

Question: How many times a month do you have to go to the pharmacy?

Never at the moment as I stopped all my BP meds until psych appt. (pharmacy has called asking if I need refills but it was meds I had stopped)

Q. Does your pharmacy call you to remind you when your meds are getting low?

no, i have to keep track myself. have you ever been inpatient? If so, how many times?

5 times over 8 years.

Do you know what you are going to talk to your therapist about before you get to therapy?

I've only ever seen a therapist twice and both before BP Dx so was seeing them for specific life issues, so yes I knew what I wanted to discuss. Now I'm supposed to be calling to set up meeting with new therapist which I've yet to do and no clue where to start.

Q. What qualification does your therapist have?

My therapist is also my pdoc. He is a Board Certified M.D., PhD.
He was a real journalist in his first career.

Have you ever "fired" a pdoc or a therapist? How many?

No I love my pdoc. My therapist is okay but not bad enough to fire.
Q: What does stable feel like for you?

Having a day (days) go by and realize I haven't been mood monitoring because there was nothing to monitor. Nice surprise.

Q. Any ideas # of folks with BP that get tattoos? Do you have one/many?

Watching those commercials where they show all of the unwanted pets in kennels, hurting and in such pain rips my hearts to shreds and is a huge trigger

Cymbalta in the AM or PM?

Never taken it.

Q. Same ques as before:
Any idea % of BP folks that get tattoos and do you have any?