Bipolar Questions Version 4

No. I won't be home for the holidays.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Donuts, especially vanilla cream filled donuts.

Do have regular nervous habits or tics?

clicking my hands is one, I do it all the time

I also tend to itch even if I've no reason too
smell everything around me (I can tell a lot about how the situation is going to go just by smelling the air). I don't know why, but I can
hold a hard object to my face and gently move it up and down (nothing sharp or dangerous, just stuff around the room)

spray bottles of perfume- or other sprays just because I can (and I worry quite a bit about smell), not so much me, but the surroundings

say one word over, and over and over again while I try to figure out what I want to say

change the subject

tap my hand on my knees

fiddle with door handles

tap my toes on the floor

never knew I had so many.. I apparently doo- and I'm pretty sure their's others.

how sensitive are you (in terms of being offended)

Very. Overly.

Q: What movie could you watch over and over?

the lion king (it never gets old)

steuart little, the newest rocky, and the muppet's christmas carol
I remember when rocky came out I watched it 6 times in one week

what is the worst peace of advice ever given to you

I was seeing a new pdoc before i was diagnosed bp. I was excited to finally get my feelings out to somone- someone to give me some direction but all she said was "What do you want ME to do about it?"

Do you remember what it was like prediagnosis without bipolar or do you thunk you were always this way?

Yes, I remember. (It hit full on and for sure at 20).

How many T's have you had?

9.

mainly because of my family's attitude- scared most of them away

name something you would love to do, but know you'll never be able to because of MI or another reason

Thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail. Hard to pick up my scripts and do blood work while spending 6 months walking from Mexico to Canada.

What's your favorite weather conditions?

i would love to have got really well educated - like college degrees in things like psychology, art, english etc. i have started three degrees in the last ten years but dropped out each time because i can't cope.

is there anyone you have met/become friends with because of your mental illness that you are really grateful to have in your life.

Slightly hazy but not overcast. Fall weather, +10 C.

What is your greatest hope?

my son is happy and healthy

What calms you?

Getting lost in reading an article or watching a film or posting here.

If you could do one thing over again, what would it be?

I’d reach out for help earlier.

What do you value the most?

I answered below at the same time as the above poster, so I'll answer both.

I wish I had accepted treatment for my bipolar disorder when first diagnosed, which was about one year before I was hospitalized the first time. It would have also been good if I had emphasized my alcohol abuse more at that time. It's hard to know, but if I did the above I might still be working and things could be significantly better.

I value my husband the most.

Is there something (or someone) that entered your life because of bipolar disorder that is very positive?

a few things... creative writing, journalling, this forum, medication, therapy, bipolar UK (a great charity), I'd even go as far to say indipendence

though it broke my heart to be disowned by my own family, it's also good I am away from them- it is healthy for me and I know that

question:

do you think people with mental illness (not just bipolar), are generally kinder and more understanding than someone without MI?

I do think so, yes.

and I think so because we know what it's like to experience stigma and we wouldn't want to do that to anyone and put anyone through it
what is your go to comfort item (food or otherwise)

I've mentioned donuts here before, but my non food favorite comforts, besides hubby, are my alpaca blanket on my downstairs sofa with a fire burning in my fireplace. That takes stress away beautifully and makes me fall into a delightful sleep. A long time ago I wrote about this at Curled up in my favorite alpaca blanket – Bird Flight

Do you get outside as much as you should?

No. Well to do errands and go to work but to simply be outside to enjoy the fresh air etc I’d have to say no.

Q. What’s the kindest thing you’ve ever done?

I used to have a lovely paterned zebra blanket covering my whole room floor. it was lovely

now I have a pussycat one, which I use sometimes if I want to

no I don't get outside like I should- still it is enough for me personally

how would you describe your 2018 in just 1 word

2018 in just one word: tough

My son moved back in with me, got a job, and will soon be moving out. I find these transitions difficult.

What is your favourite time of day in the winter?

One question was accidentally skipped, probably because two posters answered simultaneously. I'll answer the skipped question. Next poster, please answer the question posed by the poster just before me.

When my husband and I were still dating (unmarried), we went to NYC for a day. My then boyfriend (future hubby) had his car towed away because we didn't notice a street cleaning sign. The penalty was pretty steep. The next day I gave him money to pay for 50% of the penalty. He mentions that a lot as being a gesture that he really appreciated.

I really don’t have any particular time of day I like in the winter. If anything I’d say I do like when the sun is shining brightly as winter can be gloomy or sometimes a raging blizzard is so magnificent to Walt how and be cozy inside.

Q. Looking back what would you tell yourself as a teenager? (I guess I’m assuming most of us are over 18 here)

probably just that life is hard, a lot harder than you might think. just be prepared for it

question: do you often tell people you're okay when you're really not just because you know that person doesn't really care?

yes. a lot of the time.

what have you learned about yourself since your diagnoses