Questions Bipolar Version #9

yum chinese!. me wants!. I too havon't had a chinese in ages

Sleep schedule. Too much, too little. It usually ends up the same way.

If you're ordering takeout, what's your go to meal?

Now in Czech Republic, I guess as for "take out" it is usually some kind of Czech food or food that Czechs sometimes offer. Examples may be goulash or some nice chicken cutlet with mushroom sauce. Sometimes we go to the hypermarket food court and like their grill options. Grilled tuna with grilled veggies is a favorite. When I lived in New Jersey, I guess pizza or other Italian favorites.

If you could change anything about mental healthcare, what would it be?

I’m not in need of it currently but from my understanding there’s no iop or php in this area. I’d like that to be available. I’m quite sure it is needed too. The clinic I go to have vacancies for pdoc for years. They just in the last year acquired 2 more so they are fully staffed at 3 pdoc and I think 7-8 therapists. But ip is two small units one 40 miles west and the other 50 miles east and as they are small people are usually shipped off out of state. So, a ip unit here would be nice too. And more resources for pure MI, not ties to duel diagnosis. Hmm it seems the longer I type the more I find to change. I’ll stop now!

What’s the one most useful thing that helped you with your symptoms? Doesn’t have to be traditional

It was a meditation exercise where you did deep breathing and focused your thoughts solely on the deep breathing. I couldn't ever completely clear my thoughts (Who could?), but I found myself able to guide and focus them. Bipolar, as you can guess, messes with my ability to do just that. It's become a signpost of sorts. If I haven't been able bring my thoughts to center in any meaningful way or send any intrusive thoughts on their way for a significant amount of time, I know something's off.

Has society's perception of the mentally ill changed for the better (or worse). Can you give a short example?

I think both. We are no longer locked away for our entire adult lives and buried in unmarked graves at state facilities. But people still have a lot of preconceived notions and biases that make thing working while hiding this big secret difficult to impossible.

Do you have an irrational fear?

Concentrating on the word "irrational", I'd say no. I suppose a fear that I have that many don't is driving on fast highways. Given that that is actually far more dangerous than most other regular activities, I don't see it as irrational. I very rarely drive on highways. When I have, I've been very nervous. I am, however, not afraid to be a car passenger on highways. Other than that, I'm not afraid of things like bugs, ghosts or heights, etc.

Have you ever had a serious confrontation with a stranger?

No I can’t say that I have. Now that we no longer wear masks, I’m back to smiling at random people. Most smile back. In my neighborhood people in cars, on bikes or walking their dogs, smile and wave. Some might be neighbors but I don’t know them so they’re strangers to me.

Do you smile at random strangers?

Complete strangers, no. But I'll definitely smile and wave to acquaintances, people I pass by on the regular, that sort of thing.

Where was the last place you felt content?

Right now, in clean sheets and under my weighted blanket, home after 10 days away.The only thing that would make me more content would be for my kitty to join me in bed.

Do you go to a state or county fair in the summer?

Will probably go to the county fair. I like to get funnel cake and a snow cone. I wish though they made smaller sizes of stuff. Everything is so big so you can only get one or two things. The funnel cake is the size of a large plate. It’s easily 6 servings! There’s a bbq place and their servings are huge. they could have much smaller servings at a fraction of the price then I’d buy more. But it’s nice to see the animals.

Do you like seeing the animals at a fair?

I was thinking of funnel cake the day before yesterday. I suspected it was of Pennsylvania Dutch origin, which it is. I also read that there is something similar in Germany and I think Sweden.

I like fairs, and don't mind seeing animals there as long as they look well treated. I think fairs in my native New Jersey and in Czech Republic are slightly different than ones in some other places of the US. In New Jersey, very popular annual ones in places I lived were "Communiversity", more of an arts fair, "Shad Fest", and "Rutgers Day". None of these had many (or any) animals, unless you count the shad in the river at Shad Fest. They often would have funnel cake or local grease truck foods. In Czech Republic, there are rides, clowns, live music, amusements, food and of course beer. Often operated by traveling gypsies. Typical food there would be hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream, and maybe a treat called "trdelník", which sort of looks like the pastry shell of a cream horn, but with cinnamon and sugar or nuts on the exterior. Never anything like a "prettiest pig" competition.

Are you a city or country type?

I lived in both and both have their charms. More to do in the city obviously, but when you want peace and quiet... I think where I went to college would be a perfect setting for me. Relatively large town (20,000), quite rural, but just over an hour from a large city (500,000). Get myself a place on the outskirts and I'll be set!

Are you bilingual (or multilingual)? If not, what language would you like to learn?

ASL and English. I have tried many times to learn Latin but a classroom setting doesn’t work for me. I’d love to afford a Latin tutor to tutor me in the pronunciations and declinations ( I think that’s what they were called), it’s been decades now. I’d like to read cuneiform and Aramaic as well.

Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language?

Yeah. I've made attempts to learn French and Spanish but I have trouble sticking to it when I do try.

Say the zombie apocalypse happened. How would you fare?

Terrible, I’d be amongst the first dead. But on a second thought that might be better, than fighting the horrid! Or maybe worse yet I’d be the zombiefied chasing others?

After a couple of no sleep nights do you feel like a zombie or are you still raring to go?

Depends on my mood but generally my pdoc has me change meds after 3 mights without sleep or maybe a week with limited sleep (at the maximum). That doesn't mean I'll sleep but with clozaril it generally does.

What is your go-to healthy snack?

Granola or muesli for me. Always been a breakfast food kind of person!

If you were on vacation, would you be a "day on the beach" or a "day at the museum" kind of person?

Oh, easy peasy, a day at the museum! Any museum. On my bucket list is spending a month in DC just to go to the Smithsonian museum’s everyday

Would you rather spend Saturday night home with a good book or out with people?

Out with people

How much do you value your own space?