Bipolar Questions Version 5

At this precise point in my life, the answer is no. I have left or been separated from such people, for the most part. I guess my father is a person that I've been avoiding, nowadays. It's not that I don't need or want him in my life. I do. But he is not good for me. Really, I wish I had my mother, whom we lost about 14 years ago. This may sound strange, but my psychiatrist has compensated for these losses, to a degree. In the last 12+ years, I have seen my psychiatrist more than my father, even though my dad normally lives only 35 mins away. My psychiatrist listens to me, unlike my dad, gives advice/guidance, and is more sympathetic.

Q: Have you ever felt particularly close to any past or present doctor or therapist?

i've been through 10, 8 of them in quick succession (so no)

question:

when you were a child, how did you see your life turning out? (what were your thoughts and goals.)

I wanted to be a surgeon and work in sports medicine. I always thought I would live alone with no children. I just couldn't picture myself married or in a relationship. I was (and still am) an awkward girl. Luckily my husband appreciated my quirks and loves me for who I am. Now I could never imagine myself alone.

What is your favorite game to play?

I like hangman, even though I usually don't get the word

also snakes and ladders and monopoly.
question: do you lie a lot to avoid situations?

No. I believe in honesty and integrity.

Q: Do you ever mislead your tdoc or pdoc about how you are really doing?

I've been told I "over-present" , in other words, I say I'm fine when I'm really not.

If you find something that makes you feel better, out of desperation to rid yourself of depression, do you tend to overdue it ...say, for example, if exercise lifts your mood a bit, and then you may start to workout twice a day or more, to the point of injuring yourself.

I've done that with music before

I may have a great playlist with lots of varying types of music, but 4 hours of sitting their listening to stuff back to back?

I've got sick of my own music collection loads of times, hense why I need to keep it fresh and updated constantly.

question: how do you say goodbye? (good bye, see you, cheerrio) what ever.

I ask because a friend of mine came up with a new one.. byzie bye, and that's the one I use all the time now.

I say 'later' a lot in informal situations. I also say 'see ya'. I suppose most often I am saying good bye to a family member and I just say 'love you'. I like those to be the last words I use.

What is your favorite show to stream on Netflix or Amazon? I need something new to watch.

I can't help you their since I don't use streaming services

I tend to just wait until something I like is on tv over here or is on dvd

I hear big little lies is good (actually I did watch season 1 and enjoyed it), but not season 2 yet

currently I'm watching a tv series based on the book catch22 (along with a few other comedies). I'm like you though: need to find something bingeworthy, closest I've come this month is school of rock, but that's only on once a night

do you make a big thing about your birthday? (celebration, cake, friends) or is it just another day to you.

I don't. I'm not really into birthdays, unless they are very significant ones. However, my husband is into both of our birthdays. He always gives me nice presents, flowers, and beautiful cards. Sometimes he writes a poem or reflection, in or separately from the card. I know that I have to try a bit for his birthdays, because if I don't he'd be sad. Honestly, I'd be happy just going out to dinner and getting flowers.

Q: What was your favorite gift ever (any holiday/occasion)?

my alexa I got for christmas

it's so cool and I'm sure it's one of those things I'll be using for years to come

what is something that you want in your life (friendship, family, etc) that you don't currently have for what ever reason

I’d like a consistently active social life; not one at the whims of my moods.

Q. Does change cause you stress?

Oh yes, even good change is stressful.

Do you find the grocery store overwhelming?

I do so I use Walmart’s online grocery and curbside service. It works nicely.

Q. How are you with crowds?

I've often wondered how that would be, too.

I'm not exactly a social butterfly (never have been), but I think it would be sort of cool to actually not have to worry about the moodswings (and it would probably mean I made friends easier)

change doesn't really cause me stress

anxiety: maybe (depending on what the situation is), but not stress

change can be good sometimes.

what do you know about yourself now, which you might not have known had it not been for the bipolar diagnoses?

I am a lot stronger than I thought. I went through a very intense and very scary time and I survived. I picked myself up and fought hard to rebuild my life. I had been through difficult times before, but I had never experienced my world shattering. Now I know I can handle that although I pray it never happens again.

Do you like thunderstorms?

yes.

they are refreshing, plus: the lightning is pretty!.
does getting older scare you in any way?

Not that much, at least not for myself. I guess the only scary part is that the older you get, the more death of loved ones. It's very difficult!

Q: What was the happiest event of your life so far?

my mother leaving the country, because it meant she wouldn't abuse me anymore

I remember the very first thing I did when she left. turn on the tv nice and loud and watch the lion king.

as much as I still think about the abuse (and still get the odd death threat by email), it's the only thing I can really think of

happy and my life don't really go together in a sentence.

it's been 50 years since they put someone on the moon. is going to the moon something you'd want to do (providing you had the money and the means?.)

No. The idea of being in space terrifies me. Looking at pictures is nice though.

Do you try to have a consistent bedtime?

A: I take my meds at the same time and try to fall asleep about 3 hours later. If I fall asleep before 11-11:30 I won't sleep through the night. Often I don't fall asleep until 1 AM or so. It's not very good as a rou tine but it's what I've got.

Q: Are you craving any food/beverage right now?

I've been craving watermelon lately. Luckily it is in season. I just ate some.

Are you a religious or spiritual person?

No.

Do you like to binge-watch tv series?

No, but I did go through a brief period when I watched several episodes of "Cops" in a row for days. I have also seen some movies many many times. I don't even have a guess how often I've seen "Pride and Prejudice", both the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version and the Keira Knightly version.

Q: Is there anything you've ever done in an obsessive/compulsive way regardless of whether you qualify for an OCD diagnosis? Even just temporarily.

Stalked my drama therapist I was devastated when she left my city and had to stop the group. No-one will ever be as good as her she was the best.

Question: How does anxiety present in you?