Questions bipolar version #10

Depends on the humidity. At a low humidity it might be 76 or higher especially if the wind is blowing. But at high humidity the temperatures could be as low as 73-4. I cannot tolerate high humidity. Today it’s 82 and high humidity so yeah, the AC is on.

Do your meds make it hard for you to tolerate heat!

Not my current meds. When I was on Haldol it made it harder to tolerate though.

What's your favorite book?

2 series, both children's books (and I do love other adult books)...The Laura Ingalls Wilder books and The Anne of Green Gables books

Are you afraid of snakes?

Yes, even the types that wouldn't potentially do harm, like garden snakes. I'm not afraid of most other things, though, including insects and spiders. My dad was bitten by a copperhead snake in his youth and hospitalized as a result. Perhaps that was a factor.

What is your main hobby?

I have a few that I've lost touch with over the years. I like to read (most anything and everything) and, if I can get back into something resembling decent shape, I'd like to take up hiking again. I used to do ten, fifteen, twenty mile treks, some over the day, some overnight.

Same question: What is your main hobby?

I admittedly don't really have a hobby. It's kind of sad. My husband keeps on trying to get me to take up cooking, but I LOATHE cooking. I think he just wants me to eat healthier. 😆

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I'll let you know when I figure it out!

Do you know enough about a family ancestor (or ancestors) to tell their story?

I'd say so. I think I could say a great deal (with stories) about my parents and my paternal grandparents. Also my maternal great grandmother. As for a long ago ancestor, there is some bit written about one who first settled in New Jersey in the late 1600s, from England, buying land for a farm plantation. That farm is now a local rural history museum named after him and a later owner.

Do you do more snacking during the day or evening? What are your go-to snacks?

I'd have to say apples 🍎. I'm trying to cut down on my evening snacking since I've gained weight.

Are you depressed 😔?

No, stressed 😩

Do you do summertime activities, like go to festivals, fairs, and swimming?

When I can. I've done a bit of all three, though music festivals have been my favorite in recent years.

Have you ever been unable to afford your meds and gone without?

Luckily, no, but early on in my bipolar disorder treatment my monthly med co-pays were quite steep. Probably around $500 or so per month. At that time, many of the meds we all know well were still not yet available in generic forms. Later down the line they began to be, and/or I was prescribed ones that had been, or found coupons that helped more. I'll also say that early in my treatment I was still on the payroll at my last job. Either at times full-time, or part-time with private short/long-term disability or full private disability. Those payments were nearly my full-time pay. I had excellent benefits. When I went on SSDI, the income obviously went down, but luckily also the copay amounts. This was all in the US.

I now live in Czech Republic. I still take many generic forms, but also medical/drug costs are much cheaper than in the US. They are throughout most of Europe. I think my monthly medication co-pays are max the equivalent of $10 for all of my meds combined, which includes a couple name brand forms.

What do you spend most on each month? Housing, food, medical care and meds, other?

I'm not really sure; it varies per month. This last 2 years medical probably with all my breast lump issues and tests/procedures/surgery. I include insurances in there too.

Do you miss your therapist when they are on vacation or take it in stride?

Sometimes, but it depends on the therapist. Right now I don't have one, but always had in the past. Who I used to miss most was my old long-time psychiatrist in the US. He would take long vacations, especially in the summer. I was rather dependent on him for many of the years. Also a bit of transference love When I stopped seeing him I really grieved.

What is a funny situation, or other story, you experienced with a past therapist or psychiatrist?

Funny in retrospect, but not particularly helpful at the time: During my first IP visit, one of the psychiatrists on duty decided that I might be on the autism spectrum because... drum roll please... I hadn't gotten laid in a while. He took a conversation about romantic relationships (or in my case, lack thereof), extended it to sex and made it his smoking gun that I had autism. It's funny now, but, along with several other things about that IP visit, it delayed finding my bipolar diagnosis by two years.

Oh, and this same psychiatrists responded to an obvious joke about seeing "pink pixies and purple elephants" with a deadly serious "Are you seeing pink pixies and purple elephants?" Fun times.

I like this question! Let's keep it going!

What is a funny situation, or other story, you experienced with a past therapist or psychiatrist?

I blurted out to a therapist I had pushing twenty years ago now that, "I was dancing on the bar and I wasn't even naked!", when I'd meant to say drunk and not naked. Most embarrassing at the time, but funny now. She took me DEAD seriously! It was awful.

Let me think of a question...

What was the funnest vacation you've ever been on?

Any that I've been on with my nieces, so several to the Outer Banks, twice to South Carolina (one wasn't so great), once to Florida and once to the Dominican Republic.

Do you watch videos on YouTube for entertainment and what do you enjoy on there?

Sometimes I do. I watch all kinds of things. Yesterday I watched a video about ducks and their feathers/preening, scenes from the movie The French Connection and a documentary on its making, and a video on how to properly clean chanterelle mushrooms. I also often watch music videos. My most recent were songs from The Knack and Cheap Trick, and Beethoven's Grosse Fuge. I somehow got on a subcription notification list for videos made by a plastic surgeon who talks about celebrity plastic surgeries. I also binge watched videos from a show "Doctor Pimple Popper". The latter sounds gross, but I find it oddly entertaining. I also often get ones from someone who makes historic figures look like modern day people. Again, kind of fascinating.

Which room in your house or apartment do you spend most of the daytime in?

My new apartment is very small, there’s really only one room, it’s a combo living, kitchen area. The bedroom is tiny. So I spend most of my time in the recliner.

You are shedding more and more “stuff” as you get older and are more content with stability?

I have to keep my volume of items low because I live in a small apartment. So things either have their place or they go away. I like things not changing although I'm facing some change. I need a new bed and mattress. But first I have to pay for my dnetal crown.

Have you had a root canal or crown before?

I had two root canals (both of top front teeth), and it went very well. A relief during and after. The endodontist was really great. My husband has one or two crowns. The dentist that he went to for them was also skilled at making the procedure comfortable. My root canals were sort of a "Get one and get the second #% off." That was appreciated.

Do you consider yourself fast moving, slow moving, or somewhere in between?

Fits and starts, although that might be the bipolar disorder talking. For me, changes in physical energy tend to predict changes in mental energy. When I'm on the up and up, in both the general and manic sense, I've been told I look like I could charge through a brick wall and keep going!

So, I guess my answer is "depends on my mood."

Have you ever had a mental health issue that required intervention while you were far from home?

If you consider a 4-6 hour drive "far from home" then yes. I don't really go outside of New England.

If you had to choose between encountering a moose or a mama black bear, which would you choose?

Lol. Definitely the moose!

What's your favorite word?

"Chicken"! Not because of the meaning, but because I find it a hilarious sounding word and it feels funny on my mouth to say. They are also a most amusing looking animal. I even wrote about it at
So extremely bad…that it’s amazing!!! | My Journeys Beyond Bipolar Disorder

What was the longest amount of time you had the hiccups or sneezing fit?