Dealing with bipolar and horrible jetlag

72 yr. old female, bp2, hypomania with no depression. oct. 1-17 took 3 flights (15+ hours) to get to barcelona for 3 days before boarding a cruise ship for 12 days; (never felt i adjusted to new time zone going to barcelona) returning home, with missing the last of 3 flights back, waiting to see if we could get a later flight (with every possible stressor oozing from my mind and body) we eventually made it home after 21 hrs. of travel; it's now been almost 12 days since we've returned home and i cannot get over this horrible jet lag; i've researched compulsively about jet leg and having bipolar disorder, and most of my info. has been that it will take much longer to re-adjust, and that women, older women, and women with psychiatric disorders will take the longest to recover from jet lag; sleep interrupted, feel like i'm totally disoriented most of the time, and no matter how much rest and exercise and doing what i can to maintain regular lifestyle, isn't working. looking for input from anyone who can offer input, experience, or even hope that this will end.

TRNRMOM, I'm glad you're home. Please do everything you can to baby yourself now. Have you considered calling your psychiatrist? Or even your GP?

I'm in my 40s, and international travel is way too stressful for me. The last time I was full blown manic (and even with psychosis) was last May during a trip to Portugal. It was seriously way more than I could handle. And the airports were the absolute worst! London Heathrow on the way home was a nightmare! My international airport in the US was so extremely horrible that I'd call it hell on earth! If I wasn't an American, I'd vow to never visit the United States ever again!

I used to often get manic (or at least hypomanic) when traveling to Europe, and I traveled there a lot since my husband is also a citizen of a European Union country. The stress often brought out the fury aspects of mania. More than once (before my diagnosis) strangers would comment. I'd also often injure myself from recklessness. My worst jet lags were coming home from Asia. I think that coming home, you lack the energy from excitement you have heading to vacations/destinations. The stress energy finally crashes.

My husband and I are east coast US citizens. The only vacation I can kind of handle is our annual trip to Florida. Same time zone and we fly from a small local airport and there is obviously no customs and immigration, and the airport screenings aren't that bad. We mostly sit on the beach, take occasional local car trips, I cook (we always stay in a hotel with a kitchen), and nap when we want.

we used to do cruises w/customers when hubby was working and in our 40's, and they weren't nearly as long in duration; these 17 days of int'l travel were a very expensive lesson that i can no longer even consider (or want to consider) long hours of travel, be it in the u.s. or internationally. i never realized how vulnerable and fragile i've become (emotionally) as i am good physical health and work out regularly at our health club right across the street from our home, but hubby will have to get a travel buddy in the future. by the way, he has normal brain chemistry and is also struggling with jet lag even after 12 days of being home, but i guess those of us with additional emotional/psychological issues are set up to fail. thx. for your reply and i'm so sorry you also went thru some terrible times.

I am sorry you are going through this.

I've gotten very jetlagged just traveling coast to coast in the U.S. I've had to take time out (on each coast) in order to start to feel okay again.

I just cannot imagine what it would be like traveling internationally. Although I have hoped to do so, I think it's not possible anymore.

Please take exceptional care of yourself. I hope you recover soon!


WC