Questions bipolar version #10

Yes I have. More than once.

Same question.

Yes. More than once too @raspberrytorte. I have delusions of grandeur or persecution or religious ideation sometimes. Life is fun, righ?!

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought that you love love love?

I guess our new property in Czech Republic. Though I wish there wasn't a language difficulty for me (Hubby speaks Czech), otherwise we renovated the place to exactly our preferences.

What is the oldest thing you own?

Hmm that would be a toss up between my grandmas chair or the chiming clock. I think it’s the chair though.

Do you have days were you are not sure you slept well? Nights where it seemed to be micro sleeps all night instead of a good restorative sleep?

Yes! As a matter of fact, just last night. Even though I had my CPAP machine, I woke up at 4:30am and couldn't really go back to sleep and I've been really tired all day.

Has sleep always been an issue for you?

Yes. I thought it was normal for kids to wait for their parents to go the sleep then read all night. Only twice in my life has sleep not been an issue, when I was a teenager I needed sleep and when I had pneumonia. Amazing!

Do you think sleep issues are a part of bipolar

During episodes, yes. As for outside of episodes, not necessarily. Not that a person's own particular case can't be a factor, during stability. Or, sleep issues could be from something else. Plenty of people without bipolar disorder also have chronic sleep issues. In my own case, my sleep is perfectly normal during stability, unless I'm having anxiety or stress issues. During depressions, I lean towards hypersomnia. During hypomania and mania, insomnia, or at least reduced sleep. Usually during the manic side I don't mind the insomnia at all.

What is a symptom of your depressions or hypomanias/manias that is less typical?

I am not sure I know of any less typical symptoms. Most of my symptoms are really common.

Are eating issues a part of your bipolar as well?

No, no eating issues. Just weight gain from my AP

Do you think celebrities with bipolar help or hurt the stigma

Good question. Depends on the celebrity. Unfortunately some tend to get called out when caught in the act doing the wrong thing. Then the good old bipolar diagnosis returns. Gives us a bad wrap.

Have you ever gotten a speeding fine?

No speeding tickets. A few parking fines though.

What's the best advice you've ever received in relation to your mental illness and who or what was the source?

If you take seroquel you’ll have to exercise on your bike like you’re sweating or don’t bother at all. You’ll need to see the sweat drip from your body. - Old pdoc. I no longer take it since I can’t exercise like that. And I didn’t like the weight gain.

What’s the worst med you’ve been on, for you personally?

You can think of yourself as a mentality ill patient and go from one episode to the next or you can see yourself as warrior and live your life between episodes. It was a powerful message to stop giving in to the bipolar and seeing myself as helpless and to start living for the stable periods.

Who, some wise inpatient pdoc who saw that I had too many hospitalizations. He advised me not to fear my episodes but work on dealing with coping skills instead of panic whenever I went up or down. And he was right. Often I could ride out episodes. Using coping skills and emergency meds.

Same question

Prolixin!

Same question.

Lexapro. It ruined my life. (Probably because I drank with it, which wasn't helpful)

What medication has been a miracle drug for you?

Abilify. It stopped - for the most part - delusions of paranoia.

Do you trust your psychiatrist?

I do. He took the time to build up a rapport with me, which was much appreciated. It feels more like a back and forth rather than "proclamations from on high," which, again, I very much appreciated.

Another thing which definitely helped was that his particular job title (psychiatric nurse practitioner) allows him to be both psychiatrist and therapist, so if there was a significant mental health issue coming, he was uniquely suited to help head it off before things got bad.

How many mental health professionals (therapists, psychiatrists, counselors etc.) have you dealt with over the course of your illness?

13 I think. I've been blessed to have had my pdoc for 21 years and my therapist for 18 so that's reduced my numbers.

Same question

Oh, I’ve had so many pdocs I’ve lost count. Got a good one now but wow some of them were real wacko. I moved a lot which accounted for some of the switches but a lot of time it was me saying adios. The vast majority over medicated me, and had me on ADs which were horrible for me. But to be fair I didn’t catch on to that either. There were a few good one but they all worked inpatient and didn’t do outside office hours. I also often went off all my meds and just quit pdocs.

Therapist I’ve been lucky with and only had 6 the moving is obviously when I had to end it. Often they agreed I was over medicated but thought I needed something. Once going though a mania the t said I needed a med and I finally found a pdoc to take my insurance he oddly put me on a AD, to be fair I told him no APs. I just got worse and my t agreed that ADs were not for me. I took that as I needed no meds. Then when I ended up in psych er I got a great pdoc who prescribed what I’m on now, minis the lamictal which I went off of as I was too flat on it.

No t now and a pretty good pdoc.

Same question ( it’s a good one)

A lot. Most bad. Many therapists. Also most bad. Luckily now I have a great therapist and pdoc (though I think the pdoc has me on too many meds, but I'm taking matters into my own hands. Luckily he's a great guy and quite open to my suggestions. My next appointment with him isn't until April 2nd I believe. I plan on being off a few meds by then. I don't think he'll be too frustrated with me).

Same question.