[hopealwayz]

Things are going so much better since my bipolar diagnosis. I feel like it all makes sense to me now and I have the answers that I’ve been searching for.

I know I still have a long way to go but I just wanted to check in to say that I finally feel hope.

[hopealwayz]

I was switched to a different med and have been learning new ways of handling things and also have a support system of others who have been in my situation and learned how to live a great life.

[LonesomeTonight]

I'm glad to hear that, Hope!

[hopealwayz]

Thanks, LT! My recent med change has helped me so much. I am so thankful that I didn’t give up when I felt like it.

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

Great to hear you're doing better, I always hope that you keep trying and don't give up whenever you post about struggling and it makes me happy to hear that your effort seems to help! Remember that people on this forum are here to talk if you need or want to, whether it's in good or bad times!

[downandlonely]

So glad @hopealwayz

A good diagnosis is important so you can get the right treatment plan. Sounds like you're on the right track.

[hopealwayz]

I am thankful for everyone on here for the support. It helped me to not feel alone.

I completely agree that an accurate diagnosis is the key to getting on the right track. I am bipolar 1 and only recently diagnosed. It is good to know exactly what was happening to me. I was absolutely terrified that I was going crazy. However, I didn’t really reveal my manic episodes to my doctor until I started taking a new antidepressant in March and it sent me spiraling into such extreme mania that my doctor figured it out.

[downandlonely]

I hear that often happens with bipolar 1. People are diagnosed with depression and then the anti-depressants make them manic. I'm glad you finally got the right diagnosis.

[hopealwayz]

The antidepressants that I’ve been taking for the last several years were actually making me worse. Now I’m on the correct medication that specifically is for bipolar depression but also prevents mania. So it treats the whole spectrum of bipolar.

It is great to not constantly have to struggle with trying to manage the episodes.

[ArtieTheSequal]

Hope, I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you for the update!

[divine1966]

I am glad you are doing better! What meds are you on now? They completely switched your meds as they were wrong? It’s good to know

[hopealwayz]

I was taken off of Effexor XR and switched over to Vraylar for Bipolar. In March, when I started taking Effexor XR again, it sent me into extreme mania. My other meds are the same. I take meds for ADHD and anxiety too. I also take Seroquel in the evenings.

I’ve always had problems with SSRIs and SNRIs and no one figured it out until my psychiatrist saw it actually happening. So now I know what has been going on and now I have a better plan.

[ArtleyWilkins]

Glad to hear the med changes are working. Keep on them. Consistency with meds is vital with bipolar disorder; you can't run out of meds because of money or decide to stop taking them on a whim - it will create havoc with stability (and is a common problem for people dealing with bipolar disorder, so just remember to talk to your pdoc before you make any rash decisions about meds).

Use this time of stability to work on other issues in therapy that crop up for you regularly as a pattern. Learning the internal skills to cope in healthy ways with stressors is incredibly vital to long-term functioning with bipolar disorder, so take advantage of times of stability to prepare to the times that may be less stable (they will happen).

Work with your therapist on a plan of action for when/if you become episodic. Having that plan ahead of time is really important because catching those changes early on, before they spiral out of control, can make the difference between an episode that is relatively short in duration and not terribly disruptive to your life and an episode that can go on for weeks or months and possibly end up with serious disruption such as hospitalization.

Work with your therapist on really understanding YOUR symptomatology: it looks different for each person who deals with bipolar disorder. Mood tracking can be quite helpful for awhile as you "learn" your patterns; it also is a way of sort of holding yourself accountable/responsible for self-knowledge. Accurate, open, honest reporting of any mood changes, sleep variations, activity changes, thinking changes, is vital in becoming proactive in living with bipolar disorder in a way that will keep you able to function vs being reactive and less able to function.

It's a learning curve for awhile, but one can learn to live with and function with bipolar disorder quite well if you take care to be consistent and proactive. Best of luck to you.

[hopealwayz]

Originally Posted by ArtleyWilkins

Glad to hear the med changes are working. Keep on them. Consistency with meds is vital with bipolar disorder; you can't run out of meds because of money or decide to stop taking them on a whim - it will create havoc with stability (and is a common problem for people dealing with bipolar disorder, so just remember to talk to your pdoc before you make any rash decisions about meds).

Use this time of stability to work on other issues in therapy that crop up for you regularly as a pattern. Learning the internal skills to cope in healthy ways with stressors is incredibly vital to long-term functioning with bipolar disorder, so take advantage of times of stability to prepare to the times that may be less stable (they will happen).

Work with your therapist on a plan of action for when/if you become episodic. Having that plan ahead of time is really important because catching those changes early on, before they spiral out of control, can make the difference between an episode that is relatively short in duration and not terribly disruptive to your life and an episode that can go on for weeks or months and possibly end up with serious disruption such as hospitalization.

Work with your therapist on really understanding YOUR symptomatology: it looks different for each person who deals with bipolar disorder. Mood tracking can be quite helpful for awhile as you "learn" your patterns; it also is a way of sort of holding yourself accountable/responsible for self-knowledge. Accurate, open, honest reporting of any mood changes, sleep variations, activity changes, thinking changes, is vital in becoming proactive in living with bipolar disorder in a way that will keep you able to function vs being reactive and less able to function.

It's a learning curve for awhile, but one can learn to live with and function with bipolar disorder quite well if you take care to be consistent and proactive. Best of luck to you.

That is excellent information. I have been in constant pursuit of all the knowledge that I can find and I am trying to remain constantly self-aware.

I have a lot to learn.

I have to remain especially aware now because this covid pandemic has my anxiety off the charts.

[hopealwayz]

I am going to work hard to still focus on my life goals and I want to be successful.