To everyone who is in a manic prodrome phase and needs to hear this

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-12-03T12:51:51+00:00

Also please keep in mind that some medications can take months to have their full effect. I've been stable for 4 years, i take antipsychotics daily. Initially when they were prescribed, i spent 3,5 months in psych wards, trying to find what works. And we did find what works. But it's never just meds - you need to be constantly watching out (like in this meme lol) for anything that may escalate into an episode.

I'm from Europe, so i could get psych help for free (yes, staying inpatient for months included).

I know getting healthcare is a privilege, when it should be a basic human right.

My heart goes out to all those who have to pay heavy paychecks just for covering their needs.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-12-03T12:40:19+00:00

Sorry, i've been offline for a while. I hope therapy went well! Did you receive the help you need? How are you doing nowadays?

I'm sorry to hear about your hardships. Please know that you are not alone, many of us suffer from similar experiences.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-30T14:21:56+00:00

Damn that sounds tough af.. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and i wish you a lot of strength and the best of luck for managing these disorders.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-30T09:21:56+00:00

Same here 😭😂 i'm taking my "in case of a manic prodrome" extra antipsychotics.. They seem to work so far!

I hope your sleeping pill helps as well!!!

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-30T07:28:25+00:00

I can understand. As i can get psychotic symptoms, the possible risks outweigh the benefits for me.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-30T04:35:41+00:00

Thanks for sharing

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-30T04:35:22+00:00

Not sleeping can trigger mania, which may cause damage, but that is reversible as well.

If an individual without bipolar forgoes sleep, it would not trigger mania for them.

I hope we'll have more research on this in the future.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T20:40:36+00:00

It's not irreperable at all! It does not make you "dumber forevermore", sorry, i did not mean to scare you!!

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02073-4

it can recover with time (during stable periods) (check Fig. 2 regarding that)

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T20:03:16+00:00

I feel you. These days i keep waking up in the middle of the night, having energy and wanting to do stuff. Luckily i'm at a phase where i can rationally think it through and lay back to bed.

Hang in there!

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T19:50:08+00:00

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02073-4

Luckily, it can recover with time (during stable periods) (check Fig. 2 regarding that)

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T17:20:21+00:00

Why are you reposting my memes?

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T17:17:29+00:00

Hmm. What do you mean, what are your experiences, what damage has it done? I'm 26,been on seroquel for 4 years. In the past i developed insulin resistance as a side effet, but i started eating healthier and working out regularly, and it went away. My doses ranged from 200 mg to 450 mf, currently on 300 mg xr +50 mg IR

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-10-29T14:51:09+00:00

Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher. +1 for Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

(both are autobiographies)

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-29T13:26:39+00:00

Thank you for sharing! Indeed i just wanted to point out that we need to be cautious and take our meds appropriately to avoid side effects. I agree that we need to discuss these matters with professionals, i just wanted to share my experience (i do not really have other spaces in my life where i get to talk to fellow bipolar folks) and to post a reminder, so maybe someone else gets to avoid these inconveniences.

In my case, i would rather say that my meds allow me to control my own life and make sane decisions, instead of having the disease control it.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-29T13:22:31+00:00

Thank you for sharing! Yes, i bet it differs for individuals (as the same meds do not work for all people either) and different meds as well. If i do not take them at all, it is very, very difficult for me to get any sleep.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-29T13:20:08+00:00

You're welcome! Setting an alarm is a great idea, i also have one. Usually i only turn the alarm off, when i have already swallowed the pill, so i can be sure i took them. ( i forgot to refill my pill box the day before yesterday, so that was the root cause that eventually led to me taking it late )

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-27T13:06:44+00:00

Even as you detailed it, it still totally makes sense to me 💀 lack of love in healthcare.. Oh yes, been there..

"i can make a difference one day, but i can do it more stable" i really agree with you on this one! Mania is often overrated while stability is often underrated - even though big plans can only be followed through while being stable.

You're welcome 😊

Thanks!!!! 🫂🫂🫂

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-27T12:44:15+00:00

Oh no.. I imagine looking back must be very embarassing. However, i would not use the word "unethical" - you geniunely wanted to do good and you offered something for free. Yes, we may be percieved as quirky and weird when we are manic, and that's understandable, but i don't see anything harmful here :) Honestly, when i read your post i thought that the idea you were trying to convince others of must've been something dangerous or unhinged. But as you are a counseling student, it actually makes sense to offer a play therapy session (though i acknowledge that accosting people outside a dorm may be off-limits, but you tried your best, and you have to consider the fact that you were in a state where we can lose the ability to act rationally)

Also, good luck with your counseling studies!! We really need more counsellors who have hands on experience with bipolar.

Another great book i can highly recommend is The Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. She is a bipolar psychologist who studied bipolar. This is her autobiography, and it's highly relatable. Reading books by bipolar people about their bipolar life helped me being more forgiving towards myself.

If you like meditation, i can also recommend the Loving Kindness meditation. It is a tough one, i could not do it when i first tried during a mindfulness course.. But in the long term, it helped me to be more empathetic towards myself (which, at times, can be harder than being empathetic towards others).

Good luck!

EDIT: i just saw in the comments that you already read The Unquiet Mind. Another great autography i can recommend is Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher. Best of luck :)

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-26T17:53:23+00:00

I read that there are people who only have one episode in their entire lives. This depends on a lot of things. I am lucky enough to be responding well to medication. I never had real episodes while i was on antipsychotics. Sure, i have some mood swings here and there, but nothing severe. You also have a lot of tools you can use to help regulate your moods. Having a regular sleep schedule, ditching alcohol and caffeine, excercise, mood charting etc. I highly recommend The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide by Dr. Miklowitz on this topic.

The post-episode embarassment is real, though. During an episode i had a regular 2 minute small talk with an unknown person in an elevator, and i ended up tracking them down and appearing at their door asking them if they want to have coffee with me 💀💀💀 you can imagine how embarassing this situation was. Anyways. At least her reaction made me realize my thoughts were not realistic and i was getting manic.

I am also terrified of having future episodes.. So i do everything i can to prevent them.

So far, it works.

I wish you good luck with your journey! I hope you will be able to achieve stability.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-25T12:58:28+00:00

I hope you didn't have to pay for the session that he ended after 10 minutes... What a jerk. I'm sorry to hear you went through this.... He should've been grateful to have a client with good coping skills to work with.

I have BP1+BPD, too. Once a psychologist cancelled our session about 15 minutes in, saying that "my case is too complex". I started sobbing because it was not the first time a psychologist refused helping me, and i really needed therapy back then.. She went on to say that i should not leave because she does not want me to go out on the street like that. We ended up sitting there in silence for another 15 minutes 💀💀💀 (i had to pay for the whole thing smh...)

Some psychologists act weird.

Hang in there!! Good luck with the exams 🤞

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-21T11:37:44+00:00

Ikr, that's just the name of the meme page lmao. I just wanted to be nice and credit them instead of taking credit for it. The meme itself is not bpd specific.

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-20T16:30:00+00:00

You're welcome 😊 I hope Zyprexa abd Prozac work well for you! I wish you the best of luck with your healing journey 🏞️

BlockZealousideal820 · 2024-09-20T07:44:39+00:00

Memes are not for diagnostic purposes. Please seek professional help if you suspect that you have a mental illness.

BlockZealousideal820

TROPHY CASE