Bipolar Questions Version 4

Yes, that is how I was diagnosed.

Q: Do you get any exercise?

Most days I just go for a walk around town or through the woods, but on days I can I go hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing/kayaking, mountain biking, or skiing. I want to try SUP some time. I have also been known to dance a lot.

What's your favorite band and favorite song by them?

I've always been a fan of the band U2, but I like many bands, mostly ones from the 1970s to 1990s. My favorite U2 song is "Where the Streets Have No Name". I also love classical music and jazz. Really, my favorite piece of music is Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Beethoven was beyond wonderful. I also particularly like some of the music of Leos Janacek, such as his series "On an Overgrown Path". That's one of the most beautiful pieces of music, in my opinion.

Describe something you experienced when euphoric hypomanic or manic.

On my way to IP I felt that I stopped time. I told my husband I needed some air so he stopped on the side of the highway. It was cold and late and windy. The stars were shining so brightly and the cold wind was whirling my hair around above me and it was just like this little piece of perfect space and time.

Eventually he got out of the car to make me get back in but it was amazing while it lasted. When those moments happen at night now I still get a lot joy out of them and stop to really take it in but dont feel like I have stopped time.

How hard was it to accept your diagnosis/have you?

I accepted the diagnosis readily as I was thrilled to finally have an answer that fitted my years of symptoms. On the other hand I still find severe episodes very hard to accept. They really confront me with the dark side of Bipolar, and scare me to be honest.

Have you ever had ‘friends’ reject your Bipolar diagnosis only to hit you with diagnosis’s that they think fits better?

Not my friends, per se, but my husband, yes. I actually don't have many friends unless you count H, my 2 sisters, my good friend from college living in the U.S. Northeast. My husband rejected all my diagnoses for years, even the time the pdoc decided I was bipolar type I and had me make an appointment for both H and me, so she could tell us about BPI, what to what expect as far as prognosis, how it is lifelong, that I'll likely always need meds, things he should watch for like lack of sleep that may be a precursor to mania.

He left, brushing her completely off on the car ride home.

However, around a year ago, he finally admitted to me, yes, he believes bipolar exists (he wouldn't even acknowledge that before) and yes, he believes I have bipolar I and the panic disorder and PTSD but he doesn't want to acknowledge the eating disorder. I suppose if I had anorexia, restricting type, it would be easy to see, but since mine is anorexia, purging type (and purging through exercise at that), he just sees a healthy person exercising to stay fit and help with stress. So I guess I'm almost there with him.

What is the first significant news story you remember hearing about or seeing on the news/TV?

I'm going to show my young age here; but the first truly significant new story I remember was 9/11. I was seven at the time and I just remember the TV's at school showing the coverage and teachers talking about how terrible it was.

Do you trust your mental health providers?

An emphatic yes!

Do you, or have you ever, played a musical instrument?

I don't now. As a kid I played piano, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, saxophone, trombone ,french horn, trumpet and xylophone. I was good at picking up instruments so I learned a new one every summer pretty much. I took flute lessons one summer but never officially played it.

Have you ever held something back from your therapist because it wasn't worth the difficulty of dealing with it?

Yes, I have!

Q: Do you remember 8 track tapes (as opposed to cassette tapes)?

Yes. One of our cars as a kid had them.

Do you think everything in your life is automatically therapy material?

Absolutely not!

With how many psychiatrists have you partnered?

One in grad school who died. I met his replacement once; she suggested I might be bipolar and I ran. One HORRIBLE one who thought healthcare professionals couldn't be bipolar (really, she said that) and another I saw once who threatened to call the police to pink slip me but I fought back and won. Several in the clinical trial I did. All those were in 5 years and I've seen my wonderful, amazing pdoc for 15 years now.

Do you ever hug your therapist or pdoc?

So far, only when we are terminating and at the very last appt.

Have you ever given a pdoc/therapist a gift?

I made my therapist a little vial of broken shells and added a note that said "thank you for helping me see beauty in what is broken" and then wrapped it up and shoved it at him awkwardly on my way out the door at Christmas. I made m pdoc a card when she had cancer that hung on her wall for a while.

Do you ever do phone sessions?

Not as a rule. If there is something emergent, that truly cannot wait, my pdoc/therapist will spend time w/me on the phone; yet, never a planned phone session.

Q: Have you ever benefitted from NAMI?

I took peer to peer and went to a few small group meetings with people from my class but it was too far away to drive to the meetings in the city. The class was on a day my therapist worked so I was there anyway but group was a day he didn't work. Also the group did a lot of social things I couldn't afford. I wish it was closer. I think it could help.

Do you have dental issues from meds/dry mouth/etc and do you blame yourself for it?

I do have dental issues from meds/dry mouth from meds.
I have had a lot of dental work done this year and have more to complete in 2019.

How many hours do you sleep per night?

It depends. On what I do not know. Tonight is a bad night but I may sleep late. I'd been sleeping 14 hours per night but the last few months sleep has been weird.

Do you sleep with one sheet or two?

I sleep with 2 sheets.

Have you ever been to the zoo?

Sure. I know I've been to the Philadelphia zoo at least a couple times, a zoo in New York City's Central Park, and one in Poland near Poznan. I've also seen animals in the safari adventure section of Great Adventure and saw parrots galore at the wonderful Parrot Jungle in Miami, FL. I don't like if animals are poorly kept, but don't mind zoos if they have a nice space.

Do you enjoy any kind of rituals each day? I don't necessarily mean OCD type.

no I don't think so.

I mean I have my rooteens but that's just rooteen. nothing really special- dressing, eating, washing, etc

question:

if your closest friend had to give you a reffrence for a job, what do you think they would say- and based on that, do you think you'd get the job?

I think mine would give me a good reference, but as she is a veterinarian, and I am not, I don't think it would be of much use.

What was your favorite toy as a child?

Dolls.

What household job would you never have to do again if it magically were done perfectly forever?

Oh my goodness...all of them. I’m a bit of a neat and clean freak and am constantly cleaning and straightening. It’d be nice to give it a rest.

Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert and have you always been that way?