Bipolar Questions Version 5

Dark brown (well, gray, but, just... NO). It's also been deep burgundy and various shades of purple.

Do you like wearing nail polish?

No, but I paint my toes in the summer because they look better to me that way.

If you could offer one piece of advice to someone who is newly diagnosed with BP, what would it be?

Stay with one medication at a time for as long as possible, the cocktails can really mess you up.

Who do you feel more relaxed talking with, your GP, your Pdoc or your Pharmacist?

My GP. He was there when I completely broke down a few years back. I could call and get seen the same day. He’s very kind and caring and never rushed me out and started the process for me to get the help I needed.

Who’s been the biggest inspiration for you?

A: My DH is quite inspiring. He was orphaned as a teenager and brought himself up, finished uni with no support etc. He is remarkably long suffering, patient and resilient beyond belief.

Q: what is your favourite meal?

That's tough. I like many dishes, but gourmet cuisine is likely my favorite. If I picked something between gourmet and comfort food, I'd choose Grapefruit Chicken. I like it with boiled parsley potatoes and steamed green beans. With a nice dry white wine.

Q: What coping skill do you find most helpful? And for what?

I find playing with my kids most helpful. It grounds me instantly and keeps me focused in the moment. It helps when I'm overwhelmed or when I have intrusive thoughts.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

My favorite flavor of ice cream is definitely stracciatella. I find the idea of putting pieces of chocolate to ice cream really awesome.

What kind of music do you listen to when you're driving a car?

I don't own any CDs and I don't know how to download music to a memory stick for free, so I'm stuck with local radio.

Do you have an item of clothing you love so much, you'd be a bit sad if it was lost or ruined?

nothing that comes to mind.

the way I see it: clothes are clothes

do you like your hair long or short?

For me, at my age, I like it to be about medium-length. It's more of a bob length, a bit longer than my chin level, but not quite shoulder length. When I was maybe 15 years younger, I had it longer, but back then my hair wasn't quite as curly as it is now. My hair cut has to take into consideration my curly hair. I can't make it look like a straight hair style. That would be a losing battle. I'd never want it to be too short. Pixie cuts would not be an option.

Q: What particular thing about your appearance do you place most emphasis on? For example, you hair, nails, makeup, skin, etc.

I just make sure I'm clean and hopefully presentable before I leave the house.

Do you sometimes have angry outbursts over something that is, in hindsight, trivial?

Yes. I'm usually very chill, but I can be pushed into an angry outburst when the conditions are right.

What's your favorite football (American football) team?

PATS!!

what medicine do you wish you tried at the very beginning of your recovery, as opposed to finding it later?

Seroquel XR (quentiapine ER) and Tegretol XR (carbamazepine ER). Actually, I'm not sure Seroquel XR was even available back then. If it was, it would have only been available in brand name. I had to take brand name for a few years before it finally became available as generic. Regular Seroquel was available back then, but I much prefer the extended release.

Q: What is a positive lesson you've learned during the course of your bipolar disorder recovery process?

I have learned a lot about humility, grace and mercy. I've experienced each since my episode last year. I started with being humble and open to doing whatever it took to be stable. The rest just began to fall into place from there.

Who motivates you the most to stay healthy?

My grandma. She's dead, but I know she would want me to live the best life I possibly can.

Do you have any comorbid disorders?

not diagnosed but largely being "treated" for, if able to.

what was the craziest thing u did while manic?

Crazy comes in various forms, but I think a few things along the lines of what you're looking for are:

* Regularly flashing my husband in the grocery store (mostly just the top, but once the bottom). Actually, I think I once flashed him (the top) even when stable. I can be a wild child.

* Suddenly quitting my job in Taiwan (losing a lot of money) to travel all by myself, in my mid 20s, around Hong Kong and Thailand. Sleeping with a couple guys just two days apart. I would also often put on a pretty wild show in terms of dancing, sometimes dancing until the establishments closed at 3 am. Hours of dancing and being stared at.

* I once made out with an Italian guy on the grassy divider between directions of a multi-lane highway in Taichung, Taiwan.

* I almost jumped off of the Bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi. Thailand. Not to hurt myself deliberately, but because I was so manic that I took a joke seriously. It wasn't extremely high, but would have been a seriously bad idea. It could have killed me.

There's a lot of so-called "crazy" behavior when manic that is not so funny, especially when you're psychotic. For example, I thought God was coming to kill me. I called 911 screaming and screaming (saying nothing). Then I ran out of the house, locking myself out. Six cops showed up thinking there was a murder happening. When they came to me, I just screamed and screamed. My husband actually showed up soon after. The cops told him I was having an "episode". They knew what was happening. They were actually pretty nice and comforting, considering.

Q: Do you think of yourself as being a confident person, for the most part, when stable?

No, not at all

What's a song you can currently relate to?

yay just reached 1000 posts

I wanted to bump this thread back to page 1. I am not completely sure how I'd answer about a song I currently relate to. Maybe U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name", but that is actually a bit of a triggering song for me. I rarely listen to it anymore. Long story.

Q: Have you ever experienced a "love at first sight"?

no, never.

Q: Do you care if your "psychiatrist" is an actual doctor vs a nurse practitioner?

No. They're all incompetent idiots that can't help me I couldn't give a fukc which I have.

Do you regret the things you did when you were manic and feel guilty about them?

Many, many, but not all. As for guilt, I do feel it, but I try not to let it destroy me. I am fairly good at letting some things slide off my back. A few things, however, still cause hurt on occasion.

Q: What is the most delicious thing you ate either recently or ever?

hot, spicy, chicken wings

seriously did they fall from heaven or something

opposite: most disgusting thing you've ever eaten?