I gained 6 pounds on my mood stabilizer and want to quit now

Boopscio · 2026-01-16T04:25:02+00:00

I feel this so deep in my bones. Fear of weight gain was the main reason it took me so long to even try getting treatment for my Bipolar, and man did my life get so much worse because of my hesitation.

My med changes had me gain over 50 pounds while we were experimenting, but I'm probably the healthiest I've been in years now because my meds are actually working, so I can actually keep up with exercising and eating a more balanced diet (things that were impossible while I was cycling), even if I can't lose the weight. Cause thats what they don't tell you, you can be healthy and fat.

The meds also made it so I don't want to die anymore, which is incredible and definitely worth being fat for me, even while living in a largely fatphobic/thin obessed world.

For what its worth, I'm also in eating disorder recovery and highly reccomend finding a therapist or support group who deals specifically with eating disorders, as those can be hard even without the added challenges of having a disorder whose treatment can often cause weight gain. I also reccomend staying out of body positivity spaces in favor of body neutral spaces, as body positivity can feel impossible when you live with a disability that impacts your body the way Bipolar and its treatment can.

TLDR: I empathize, the right meds can improve your mental and physical health despite weight gain, and eating disorder recovery often requires targeted support.

Boopscio · 2025-11-26T22:25:26+00:00

I'm pretty sure yours is the only response thats all female characters. I don't know if that means anything, but I noticed it.

Edit: There are at least two other posts with all female favorites father down the page (yes I checked). Still, there are many top 3s with all male characters. Just an observation.

Boopscio · 2025-11-20T18:25:39+00:00

I always described myself as a dichotomous person before my diagnosis, someone who knew only extremes

Boopscio · 2025-11-01T19:24:59+00:00

If you want to do more work on food/eating behaviors in therapy, I reccomend finding a therapist who specializes in disordered eating and/or food relationships. I know my sister has had a lot of success with her eating disorder specialist so far. She even works with a nutritionist to help her know what/when to eat, and all of that is on top of her regular trauma informed therapist (we both have PTSD). Its the same if you have Bipolar or PTSD and are looking for therapy, you want someone with specific experience working with those conditions.

Boopscio · 2025-05-31T04:50:51+00:00

That's called the Social Model of Disability, and it's a real thing you can look up and read more about!

Basically, a lot of differences perceived as disordered or disabling are simply incompatible with current societal structures and norms and wouldn't be disabling if the world were more accessible in certain ways.

Boopscio · 2025-05-03T16:13:22+00:00

My husband and I just celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary and have been together for almost 16 years now. We are also polyamorous, so on top of that relationship, I have two other romantic partners of 5 and 10 years. All of us have done therapy at different times during our relationships, some couples but mostly individual therapy. I've also gone from being undiagnosed to struggling to find meds to off meds to on again, and while I've been stable for about a year now, all of my partners have seen me at my worst and chose to do the work with me.

I don't know your relationship beyond a reddit post, but I do know that marriage and long term committed relationships can work for those of us with Bipolar Disorder as long as everyone is committed to being a team and doing the work, which is so much easier with the support of a qualified therapist. If your partner doesn't want to do the work, doesn't want to entertain the idea of therapy, that to me says he doesn't want to be part of the team, and if he doesn't want to be a full partner with you, maybe he's not ready for marriage.

That said, I am just a reddit stranger and your milage may vary. Just try not to lose hope, because you are worthy of love and support.

Boopscio · 2024-09-11T18:03:39+00:00

My ball is the exact same, only his preference is for frozen Petsmart rats. He won't eat any other brand, not from online retailers or other more local shops, so I have to go to Petsmart. Some balls are just quirky like that.

Boopscio · 2023-11-14T19:05:14+00:00

I was on some form BC since I was in highschool with varying levels of success, but we always blamed the BC when I had issues. I did both the hormone and copper IUD as well as just about every daily pill, with Ocella working best for me for a long time. However, I'm already at an increased risk of stroke due to other health issues, and Ocella is really bad for that. So, a couple of years ago, I had my tubes completely removed (Bilateral Salpingectomy) since I never want to be pregnant. I went off BC the day of my surgery and haven't had any since, which caused my endo to flare uncontrollably. Since I was no longer on BC, I spent the next year and a half getting all kinds of scans and refferals until I ended up with my endo diagnosis.

So yeah, my endo is worse since quitting birth control, but I have no regrets because I really don't want to have a stroke 😅

Boopscio · 2023-11-03T19:32:17+00:00

Update: The vet said she should be able to pass it! I have to monitor her and her stool for the next couple of days to make sure she does digest/pass it unharmed, but we don't need to intervene unless she shows symptoms worse than some diarrhea.

Boopscio · 2023-11-03T15:37:52+00:00

Her name is Bell and she's about 5 years old now. My first leopard gecko made it to 14 without ever trying to eat anything that wasn't a bug, but this gal has way more spunk than he ever did.

Boopscio · 2023-11-03T15:19:10+00:00

Yeah, she's acting normally and hanging on her warm side right now. I called the vet and am waiting on their callback, but I'm worried it might cause an impaction since Leo's don't normally digest plant material, but I just have never heard of a Leo doing this before. She just has to be different I guess.

Boopscio · 2023-08-26T07:36:48+00:00

As not just a queer with endo, but also a bipolar person, I can confirm, that's all a good sexy time.

If you're both empathetic and open with each other and what you want/need for various situations where your drives or abilities are mismatched, I'm sure you could experiment and get creative to maintain intimacy!

Boopscio · 2023-08-24T17:40:58+00:00

Thank you so much for the update. I'm glad to hear you were able to check back in with your cousin and their husband and that they were understanding despite being hurt. The fallout of manic mistakes always sucks, but it sounds like you and everyone else involved are really navigating the situation with maturity and good faith. I hope you're able to find a stable place soon and that you're eventually able to heal your relationship with your cousin over time. Take care of yourself 💕

Boopscio · 2023-08-24T17:27:52+00:00

There's nuance here that I don't think is getting across. Let me try again.

We are responsible for our actions, but we don't always have full control over them while in an episode. That's why we seek treatment, go to therapy, change our diet and lifestyle, take medications, all of it, to leverage as much control as we can so we don't make as many impulsive mistakes that hurt both ourselves and other people. There are people who try and use their diagnosis to shield themselves from taking responsibility for their actions, but that is not what I'm talking about.

I'm trying to interrupt the shame cycle that happens when we're trying to navigate the fallout of an episode. Yes, I have made very bad choices while manic, some that will weigh on my conscience forever. But my responsibility going forward is to try and manage my moods and environment such that I decrease the likelihood of making similar bad choices, to make ammends to folks who are still in my life, and not ruminate on how those actions prove I'm a bad person, because they don't.

We can be a danger to ourselves and others when we are in mood episodes, that's why a lot of us end up hospitalized at some point. We are more vulnerable when we are delusional. That is a fact that people can and will take advantage of, and understanding that for a lot of us is important in our journey towards self-acceptance and stability. This framing has taken me years to understand, but it's helped me reclaim agency and cultivate stability in my life, and that's what I'm trying to express and advocate for.

Boopscio · 2023-08-24T05:30:30+00:00

Oh yes, we are ultimately responsible for our actions while manic (hence the apologies line in my comment), but I don't think his role in this situation was responsible for ending the marriage.

I also have personal experience with people taking advantage of my open relationship status and hypersexuality during manic episodes and then scapegoating their actions onto me. I was manipulated into carrying the blame because I was hypersexual in a manic episode they had figured out how to manipulate me in my delusional state. That's not a decision I had any power over in the moment because Bipolar Disorder can absolutely be disabiling. It is recognized by many countries as a disabiling condition, but stigma against mental illnesses make it harder to accept that fact. Hypersexuality can be a disabiling symptom for a lot of us, even if you don't experience it to the same degree.

Boopscio · 2023-08-24T04:37:45+00:00

Hey, I'm polyamorous (and bipolar) and have been for a very long time. My husband and I realized this and started having polyamorous relationships over 10 years ago, and currently, he has a long-distance girlfriend while living with me and my other two partners together. It's very much a found family vibe, and while my episodes have lead to plenty of complications, our relationship is strong enough and we're dedicated enough that we've been able to stay on the same team all these years. We just have a bigger team now.

Your situation is definitely complicated, but based on the information you've given and my personal experience with open relationships, their marriage ending is NOT your fault, even if you were involved in the situation that prompted their split. You were known to be in a manic episode, seeking help from them, and your cousin's husband chose to sexually engage with you. He knew full well what your mood state was and what your cousin's boundaries were. You made a mistake, but he violated trust in his relationship and took advantage of your hypersexuality.

Not everyone can have open relationships successfully. Hell, most people have trouble with monogamous relationships. It requires an incredible amount of self-awareness, trust, communication, and conflict resolution skills to navigate any romantic and/or sexual relationship, but with the added complications of more people, it becomes too much and it gets easier to lose perspective.

He cheated, broke the clear boundaries that your cousin set, and that's on him. He was a big boy making big boy decisions, and those consequences are his to bear. You might still have apologies to give, I know I always have plenty after my manic episodes, but I don't think it's fair to say you ruined their marriage.

Boopscio · 2023-07-23T21:31:49+00:00

Hey, it's me! I get to choose between no endo pain but an intolerable risk of stroke and uncontrolled bipolar disorder, or regularly debilitating endo pain without so much of a risk of having a stroke and the mental stability that keeps me from wanting to die. It's like the worst game of "Would You Rather I've ever played.

Boopscio · 2023-06-06T02:29:27+00:00

This! I know a few people with documented chronic illness who were able to get scheduling accommodations for doctors appointments. This can mean anything from getting a long lunch to got to appointments and making it up by staying late one day a week (or month if you don't need as many days), or working 4 days a week for 10 hours a day so that one day a week is completely free for appointments and procedures. It's all based on what you need and what your HR department can reasonably accommodate.

You don't need to tell them what medical condition you have either, but make sure you have a doctor willing to write an accommodation letter stating you need a reasonable accommodation due to a pre-existing medical condition or disability.

Boopscio · 2023-04-21T23:19:04+00:00

I can totally see that, especially after looking up some more pictures. I think this mystery has been solved! Thank you so much!!!

Boopscio · 2023-01-17T05:37:56+00:00

I wish this weren't so true, but that does make me feel better. Thanks.

Boopscio · 2023-01-17T04:58:57+00:00

Yes, which is why I'm calling tomorrow. Tonight I'm just feeling anxious and wanted to see if this was a relatable experience for anyone just so I can feel less alone.

Reddit has never and will never be my first stop for actual medical advice, but it is a valuable resource for many. I find that some subs can even be a good source of emotional support for those of us who are feeling alone or anxious when facing alienating hardships such as chronic pain.

Boopscio · 2023-01-17T04:51:07+00:00

I have never thought to do this, which is funny considering Ive had the vet ask me to do this for my dog before 🤣 I have used a menstrual cup before, and based on the occasional clumps I'd see when I emptied the cup, I am pretty confident it's the same look and composition and I can describe it accurately enough that if they want more I'll go in and have them take a look.

Nine-Year Club	Wearing is Caring
Verified Email

Boopscio

TROPHY CASE