[Blue_Bird]

This isn't a major success story or anything but its my story.

Around 14 I was diagnosed with depression, I attempted suicide 2 times and was put on various antidepressants at different times. Things started getting better and were find for a few years. Once I was around 18 I began experiencing Bipolar symptoms and was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Type 1 and put on medication for that. By age 19, things started getting worse and worse. I started having psychotic symptoms all the time, not just when in a manic episode. I was paranoid the government was after me, people were poisoning me, and out to kill me.

I was hospitalized several times for this and suicidal thoughts and mania. I was diagnosed this past summer with Schizoaffective Bipolar Type and put on Invega Sustenna Monthly Injections. It was and is a godsend medication for me. I'm on several other medications as well but I haven't had any psychotic symptoms since starting Invega. This January will be 1 year since I was last hospitalized.

I had started college when I was 18 but completely screwed it up due to my symptoms. I received no credits as I only got about a week or two into classes. I am now able to focus 100 times better. I'm 20 years old now and will be starting college again taking online classes starting this January.

I feel like I've come a long way. I've still got a long way to go with accomplishing my goals and all but this is a great start. I'd thought I'd share, there is hope. Hang in there.

[Altered Moment]

That is a great story and I wish you the best with college.

I hope the Paxil works out BTW.

[Atypical_Disaster]

Thanks for sharing your story, and you're only 20? I thought you were older, you sound so mature!

I wish you the best of luck!

[Blue_Bird]

Thank you Zinco and Atypical!

That's wonderful Blue_Bird thanks for sharing. I'm glad that your meds are really working for you and that you're back in school. That's really inspiring for me because I would like to go back to school one of these days. I'm glad to see someone else with this diagnoses making it happen.

[worthit]

I'm doing well in that my dad had a heart attack 15 days ago and I was able to be there for him. I sat through waiting rooms and the ICU and took him on all his errands for prescriptions and food and it's very difficult for me to go into stores as it is. So that was high stress but I was able to do it thanks to texting people and my medications. He's doing better and has 2 stents in his heart now and its very slow going even though he's depressed and very frustrated I hope soon that he will be able to recover fully. He's 90 years old.

[AClearRetrospect]

I'm happy to hear you're doing better! I actually had my first episode in college. Best of luck!!!

[medicalfox]

Good luck in college (:

[avlady]

keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!

[jaynedough]

Hi Blue Bird,
Thank you so much for posting this. I hope things are going great!

[babsmalone]

You sound great, keep it up, stay motivated.

[Mama04]

Hello. This is my first post and i am so HAPPY to see this forum with the success stories.
Thank You Blue Bird for sharing your story! I am so happy for You.
Hope one day my son, who is 25, will have a happy story that I will be able to share.
Right now i am just trying to hang on to hope that eventually things will get better for him and he'll reclaim some of his young life back.
Thank you again for all those positve posts.
Best wishes to all.

Originally Posted by Mama04

Hello. This is my first post and i am so HAPPY to see this forum with the success stories.
Thank You Blue Bird for sharing your story! I am so happy for You.
Hope one day my son, who is 25, will have a happy story that I will be able to share.
Right now i am just trying to hang on to hope that eventually things will get better for him and he'll reclaim some of his young life back.
Thank you again for all those positve posts.
Best wishes to all.

Welcome to the forum!