Bipolar check-in #67

I saw the new Dr. Strange and also the new Jurassic World: Dominion movies, they were good, I enjoyed them, I'm not very critical of movies though so I know others may have different opinions on them. I tend to enjoy most movies I watch, or can find something to enjoy in them, unless they're absolutely horrible for some reason which is rarely ever, maybe because I tend to mostly watch stuff I know I'll enjoy. But yeah, they're worth seeing I think. I also plan on seeing the new Avatar when it comes out in December, it looks cool. I haven't seen the first one in a long time though so I'll have to re-watch that before I go see that one. I hope you get your car back soon so you can see some movies

Oh, I forgot about that one, it’s been getting good reviews. I’m not particularly a fan of Elvis tho. That was my middle sister’s favorite, I was a harder rock fan. Funny I don’t know my oldest sisters favorite music. I know she liked earth angel, and a few others like that but I can’t recall her having a favorite. I’ll have to ask her. I know she likes jazz and early pop.

I saw the previews for the Elvis movie while at the movie theater, it looks good, I kind of forgot about it too. I probably will wait till it's on DVD/Blu-ray to see it though because I don't have anyone I know that's interested in going to see it at the theater and I don't want to go alone

In the famous words of my mother “ I have
lead in my a$& “

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I saw the jurassic park movie and enjoyed it. I want to see the top gun movie. have to ask hubby to go with me when he gets home from his guitar conference in Indianapolis. He leaves me tomorrow after lunch. he gets back on saturday.. I will miss him. he is my rock and I don't have plans to see anyone or do any thing fun with. Maybe go out to eat with my friend katherine from hong kong.
hugs to those that need them
(((((((HUGS)))))))
bizi

just a quick update. I'm almost completely off of the Zoloft. (the last phasing out bit was a bit vague, but I think I can be done now or after one more dose)
sadly, i don't have much else to report, is why i don't typically post in this thread. I guess i did reconnect with an old friend, so that's something.
about a month away from my next psychiatrist visit. I really don't know what to talk about yet.

edit: the weaning off the Zoloft was to stop gaining weight. I've actually lost weight, but i've been watching my diet and exercising. Still, i think it helped.

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Originally Posted by Nammu Oh, I forgot about that one, it’s been getting good reviews. I’m not particularly a fan of Elvis tho. That was my middle sister’s favorite, I was a harder rock fan. Funny I don’t know my oldest sisters favorite music. I know she liked earth angel, and a few others like that but I can’t recall her having a favorite. I’ll have to ask her. I know she likes jazz and early pop.

Yes, Elvis was definitely my sisters' generation, but of course I was entirely aware of his influence on music while I was growing up. I was 14 when he died, I was with friends when the news came over the car radio. It was a hot-as-hell August day. I think his was the first celebrity death that I was actually aware of and shocked by. But it was Michael Jackson who was really my generation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by giddykitty just a quick update. I'm almost completely off of the Zoloft. (the last phasing out bit was a bit vague, but I think I can be done now or after one more dose) sadly, i don't have much else to report, is why i don't typically post in this thread. I guess i did reconnect with an old friend, so that's something. about a month away from my next psychiatrist visit. I really don't know what to talk about yet. edit: the weaning off the Zoloft was to stop gaining weight. I've actually lost weight, but i've been watching my diet and exercising. Still, i think it helped.

Hi, giddykitty! That's a big accomplishment. What dose of Zoloft were you on & how long did it take for you to wean off?

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Originally Posted by Blue_Bird I saw the previews for the Elvis movie while at the movie theater, it looks good, I kind of forgot about it too. I probably will wait till it's on DVD/Blu-ray to see it though because I don't have anyone I know that's interested in going to see it at the theater and I don't want to go alone

Haha, I love going to movies alone. I get there almost an hour early and just relax until the movie starts. And now there are those big recliner chairs, I love them.

Semi-productive day. I spent almost all of it searching for my keys. House keys, car keys, back shed keys all on one Took the place apart looking for them and when I found them... let's just say I'm sure I have a poltergeist! I have an old school roll top desk that I set my keys on. It fell to the desk proper, shifted to the right, somehow found its way into a plastic bag that then got shoved to the way back! In short, glad I found them!

Phone interview seemed to go well! They said I scored high on their pre-assessment scores and I seemed to get on well with the interviewer. My resume is a bit sparse, so I hope either that won't be an issue or they'll take a chance on me based off of our interactions!

Therapist visit went all right too! Yesterday's mood shift seemed to subside after a good night's sleep and I'm (somewhat) back to center. I told him about it and he said (essentially) keep an eye on it. If it becomes a trend or you don't come back to center, we'll talk again. Fair enough.

One good thing about spending all day searching my house: I found some stuff! One was a book I thought I'd lost involving spies and the Spanish Armada. The other was an unused, unopened cartridge of printer ink. I haven't used my printer in a long while, so if the ink already in there is dry, I don't have to worry about buying a new cartridge! Saves me spending $5 on copies at the library!

My husband has had some kind of respiratory "bug" for a while. It seemed to be getting better, but now it's worse than even before. He needs to go to the doctor now. I don't think it's covid, but who knows. I have no symptoms. He was going to join me for my pdoc visit this morning, but now not. I checked on the CDC website to see if even I should, and it said it's OK if I'm fully vaccinated, which I am even with the booster. We'll see. This is sort of an emergency appointment. Perhaps I should wear a mask? I know my pdoc is fully vaccinated, even with two boosters, but maybe not other patients waiting in the waiting room for other doctors. Hubby and I will take a break from our house visits until he feels better..

In addition to above, there is a soon to be possible nightmare in regards to my father. He may be coming home after a few years at an assisted living facility. That would affect my brother and sister most, obviously.

I hope your husband feels better soon.

I’m not happy. I’m trying to be. I look for the small pleasures in life and am trying to find things to look forward to. It’s work each day to do the things I need to do to care for myself and try to avoid the pit of depression waiting on me. I don’t even feel like floating today although today is overcast, comfortable and cloudy. I guess it will take time to heal but I’m tired in a lot of ways. Here’s to better times ahead.

Thanks, Jennifer. We now think he might have bronchitis. We'll see. He has a GP appointment tomorrow to get a blood draw, but also told him to get an at-home covid test kit and test himself beforehand.

You just need some time to process and grieve, Jennifer. It's understandable what you're going though. Hugs

My psychiatrist removed 50 mg of my 550 mg Seroquel XR (Quetiapine XR or in Czech Republic, it's called "Kventiax Prolong"), but then added 200 mg of regular instant release. All to take at night. I haven't been on this much Seroquel for a while, especially the instant release. I'm a little concerned that the instant release will cause more side effects than I get from the XR (Prolong). I told him that I've had sleep issues for over a week and the mood issues.

Since Hubby wasn't feeling well I saw my psychiatrist and went to the pharmacy (lekarna) alone, the latter of which I've done once before. The pharmacist got so nervous, likely because of my language difficulties. I was nervous, too, and started to sweat. Our Czech verbal exchange was more than I'm used to and was unnecessary, in my view, as all she needed to do was scan the bar codes, get the meds, ring them up and take my money. She was trying to tell me how much and when to take of each of my meds. I Google translated "I know, I've taken all of these medications for years" and said other things I had to answer, during the course. She seemed shocked by the amount of medications I was getting filled. My psychiatrist gave me enough for three months (all of my meds) again, and unlike in the US, they are in push through packets sold in boxes. In total, there were 15 boxes that filled an entire plastic grocery bag, while in the US there would be 6 small to large bottles. She must think I'm a most extreme mental case. Just kidding. Or maybe not. Anyway, she apparently made a mistake with my order and only realized by the time we got home. She called apologizing profusely and absolutely insisted she come to our house tonight to rectify it. Oh my! Luckily for her (and me), Hubby will be here to talk to her.

I feel like I can't handle yet another day of 100+ degrees. Technically, the temperature drops down at night to mid-60's, but my apartment stays stuffy, despite all windows wide open and fans on. Constant headache and bleck feeling. My bedroom is so warm I couldn't be in bed anymore. I'm holding an ice pack on pulse points, which feels so good. Tomorrow is supposed to drop into the lower 90's - finally.

There's a great big, full tree outside of my living room window and a huge limb of the tree broke. Yikes, and poor tree . It's because of the drought.

Beth, you don't have AC? Or you just don't choose to use it at night? That is just horrible those temperatures. You may recall that when I was in France, it was up to 104 F for two of the days. It was beyond anything I'd experienced since maybe a couple times in NJ some time in the 1980s. But back then I was obviously much younger and not on psych meds.

Do try to stay as cool as possible. The heat can be dangerous. I fear with global warming that more people will die in the future from heat. Many houses in Europe (and around the world) don't have AC. In the house we live in now there is a special AC unit in a bedroom upstairs. Hubby has a strong fan that blows it towards his office. Downstairs we have a weird thing that I'd never seen before here. You can see it here.

I really don’t mean this in a “my country is better than yours” type way but how do people in America live like that? Not knowing if someone has a gun or if they’re gonna get shot at school or going shopping or pretty much anywhere for any reason. Especially someone who already has anxiety. I couldn’t live like that… I’d never be able to leave my house.

You are in my thoughts!

I was asked to use a mask (positive test taken at home) and to sit and wait in my car. I came in a taxi. When the secretary heard that I was asked to place myself as far away for the other patients as possible. I had to move a around in the waiting room as new patients placed themself near to me. The doctor used a mask and so they did in the laboratory. They opened the doors with the mask hidden behind their back (to not scare others I think). As soon as the door was shut, they put it on.

Jennifer, grief is so. There are days when one can't stop crying, others when one feels angry and so on. Grief and depression can seem alike, but they are not.

You cannot avoid grief. It never fades totaly away, but it becomes more easy to live with as time goes. I have come to the conclusion that if I start crying in grief, I can set a daily limit for that at one hour as an example. That puts borders around the crying time and finds a way out to do somehing.

We are of course all different. What works for me do not have to work for you. I just wanted to mention it in case you have day when you can use it.

Repressed grief can hit back later. Don't try to be clever because of your mother. That is not the best in the long run. You both have to deal with the grief of each other.

Thinking on you!

I went for my blood test yesterday. And the level was ok. I feel alot better though. My stomach med is really helping. Plus I've heard it can help with anxiety and mine has been relativly low besides the guy at the store yesterday. I went out again later in the day because I wanted to and I had no issues. So I do believe I'm imagining a lot of things. I've also slept good for 4 nights in a row. And my sleep was a huge issue for me. The stomach meds helps with my sleep. Its also been helping me out with my hunger so I've lost a couple pounds. I'm not sure though what the plan is. Like do I just stay on this forever and not get an actual diagnosis of anything? My doctor didn't say I had to follow up with him at all. I'm actually looking forward to my giant family BBQ so this new med must really be helping me out since nothing else has changed.

May be the Americans have to answer that. I think it has something to do with that when they fled Europe a long time ago, they were tired of rules, especially those from catholic countries (Poland, half of Germany and "the rest of the countries "down to" the Mediterranean Sea coast at the map, except Greece which is and was orthodox).

I don't say that "free guns for everybody" is a religious thing, but that all were fleeing from something. In the Northern protestant countries people were poor. Their masters (the farmers that owned land) could do whatever they wanted with them. They could be beaten if they did not work hard enough. Some fled because of wanting an adventure, though.

I think that freedom from authorities are very important for many Americans. They want the freedom to chose. While others have come to the conclusion that: "Past is past. We live in a modern society now and don't need those weapons".

Just a few thoughts, but may be an the Americans have to answer your question more fully. I think it has to do with different traditions. Where I live in Europe people have to have a license to own a gun. Those who misuse the license or don't have the weapon in a locked closet when not in use can lose their license.

Just as the weapon lobby in the USA feel they are right, we feel that we are right as well. Of course one needs a license to own a weapon! We are talking about two different thought-groups, two different reference groups ... What is normal for the one group, is not seen as normal for the other group.