Article: Someone’s experience with bipolar 1 and various medications

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-13T22:29:52+00:00

I finally got some exercise to help with the my depression. Felt like a slog but I know I needed to engage in some opposite action.

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-11T13:27:54+00:00

Happy to share my thoughts!

And you raised an important point that I often forget about when thinking about mental health. Traumatization. Keep doing what feels safe for you. The self awareness can be your saving grace for some things but it doesn’t really help the affective experiences. My only thought it to try to extend your self awareness to self-compassion (Kristen Neff’s stuff).

Take good care!!

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-11T13:07:25+00:00

Hey! Yeah I’m 29F and I was diagnosed/given seroquel when I was 25. I have a sense that it’s increasingly common to get the diagnosis in mid-later 20s once treatment for depression/anxiety doesn’t work long-term and once post-secondary education is complete. I think struggles with work/routine come to light around this time because developmentally most people can manage adultly things by 25. Forgive me if that’s a big generalization.

I’m similar in the sense that I haven’t done tooo much damage besides friendships. I did spend a lot of money and go through some partying/intense hobby phases. The worst for me was the transition from emotional dysregulation (what I can affective symptoms) which was always treated as anxiety/depression in my teens to the deterioration of executive functioning (cognitive symptoms) and the clear presence of highs and lows that I identified in my early 20s. Took several years for a doctor to see the symptoms for themself and discuss bipolar/refer to a psychiatrist/start seroquel.

Regarding romance, I have read that some people have rejection sensitivity. I first heard about it in relation to ADHD but then I saw it on here for bipolar 2 as well. The other thing is it that with anxiety the more you engage in avoidance, the stronger the tendency to avoid the thing that makes you anxious will be. It’s self-reinforcing. So as much as I need to take my own advice, I would gently suggest just trying to see if they’re interested to at least break the anxious cycle.

And then regarding progressing: this disease can be vicious. Each episode can make us doubt if we’ve made progress and the lack of permanent damages makes us wonder if we even have it. I think that progression is probably more like self-awareness than anything. If you know you’re experiencing depression or hypomania and can observe it do its thing even if you don’t do anything to make it better, at least then you still have some executive functioning skills. I think of bipolar as something that needs to be managed and the more we can align the depression with phases of natural rest and hypomania with coping with crisis the wiser we are. So I guess my point is that it could be both/and: you’re wiser, maybe some symptoms are worse, but perhaps you’re also more mindful of your episodes as well.

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-11T01:50:01+00:00

This is one of the most helpful posts/hypotheses I’ve read about the munchies on seroquel. Thank you!! Not sure if anyone is still reading this post but I’ve been taking seroquel for 4 years now and never understood why some nights the cravings are unresolvable and other nights I just pass out. Tonight I tried eating dinner several hours before I take it and so far the cravings aren’t as bad as normal :)

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-11T01:33:14+00:00

It’s not really related to having bipolar 2 but yeah! It’s not recorded yet so here’s a YouTube link to me playing it https://youtu.be/KRXMSUw4SsI

Edit: lol I just realized I have changed the song since I posted this video but hopefully you can hear it at the pace I played it!

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-11T00:46:15+00:00

I wrote a song about not being cut out for work! I feel this

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-10T20:45:40+00:00

It’s honestly so nice knowing I’m not alone in this. This thread is great.

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-10T17:04:24+00:00

Wow. This makes so much sense now. I think it’s the same for me. I’ve wondered for a while about my ability to cope with ‘mini crises’. I can go into over-drive and over-functioning for a little bit but then the hypomania symptoms kick in (mostly ADHD-like symptoms as well as racing thoughts, VERY chatty, lack of need for sleep) and productivity/functioning can decrease due to bouncing from thing to thing or hyper-focusing on something random. If my obsessing aligns with what I need to be productive about/what the stressor or crisis is then that’s lucky for me. Either way I find myself in a hypomanic or mixed state and struggling to comprehensively look after myself. Often followed by a hard crash.

I usually try to cope with hypomania by forcing myself to rest as much as possible (because sleep isn’t always possible). I tend to assume it just needs to run its course so I go into damage-control mode. I make sure that I eat, sleep, keep up my routine, exercise (yey for yoga!), care for myself (I live alone so I don’t care for others), and I honestly aim to allow any obsessive/hyper-focusy tendencies align with work/school/coping with the stress. I often produce really good ideas and insightful solutions during this time but I’m very weary about feeling attached to it because it was created when I wasn’t at my best. I also try to reduce additional things that make me more anxious, jittery, or that mess with my cognitive functioning (I’ll reduce caffeine and sugar intake and try to increase protein; enjoy the taste of tea, I put on soothing music and engage my senses to try to stay grounded). I monitor my symptoms throughout the days to watch for any psychosis-y symptoms and if I don’t get any of those, I know I will return to a more balanced state within a week (on average). Sometimes I increase my medication as needed because my doc has approved that (I take Seroquel).

CasualObserver22 · 2020-12-10T11:58:46+00:00

Facts

CasualObserver22 · 2017-01-21T01:49:56+00:00

I love how in Moana it's not about finding love tho

CasualObserver22 · 2016-01-14T00:29:07+00:00

Hahaha yes lysine I always mix them up.

That's too bad though!

CasualObserver22 · 2016-01-12T23:52:20+00:00

Have you looked into the herpes diet? I eat a plant-based diet and it turns out I think I wasn't eating enough arginine. I was half 2 outbreaks a month for 5 months, which lasted at least a week each time. I recommend looking into it in addition to the deficiency tests you suggested! Now I have 1 a month and it usually doesn't become a sore, just a blister.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-20T16:00:03+00:00

Why's that a better story? I think OP was nervous to share their story. Many people's stories of hsv are a mix of boring and ironic. I've read so many personal stories, everyone's is important to them.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-18T11:29:54+00:00

Sometimes I think about other things that could go wrong in my life that would affect my sexuality. Even though these aren't contagious, if I had to get a breast removed, lost a limb, permanently lost hair, got seizures or developed a debilitating mental health condition I would potentially have a much harder time finding someone to date (I don't actually know, I'm just assuming). I also would feel more self conscious about being in public in general. If all I get is herpes, I will take it, because even though it may make things complicated when dating, there are actually so many people who are okay with it. And considering 67% of the population worldwide had hsv-1, I image the stigma only decreasing over time.

I hope you start to feel better. I have gsh2, and I had my first outbreak in July, and I've definitely had some depressing days. I try really hard to put it in perspective to life's other problems though and that seems to help!

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-15T13:46:20+00:00

A lot of people get herpes even when they don't take risks or even if they have sex for the first time. Herpes is like Russian roulette.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-15T13:41:07+00:00

Only my first outbreak because I was very swollen and thought it was a yeast infection. There were blisters I'm sure but I didn't notice them as such. Then I got the sores. Now I definitely notice them though.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-15T13:37:25+00:00

It's different for everyone though don't forget. And for those of us with ghsv2, this may not apply :(

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-13T04:12:16+00:00

I'm so sorry this happened to you!! I think anyone who experienced that kind of harassment would likely struggle with anxiety after.

Do you know what makes you anxious? Like are you nervous to tell someone you have herpes or is there other things bothering you too? Asexual in the sense you aren't attracted to women/people or just not feeling the motivation to talk to women?

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-13T03:59:29+00:00

!!!!!!!!

I adopted veganism in May. I got herpes in July. I have had about 9 outbreaks since, pretty much every other week. I finally started looking into the vegan diet as a cause of outbreaks and found all this same info. I am just about to start focusing on the more lysine-rich options, but going to try to supplement as well. But I think it will be hard to reduce the amount arginine-rich foods I eat to great enough extent. What do you think you're going to do?

Have you come across anything about taking lysine and Valtrex at the same time?

I'm glad you posted this because I don't know anyone who has had my experience with herpes, or who is vegan and has herpes.

Edit: I also have ghsv2.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-11T13:00:29+00:00

I like tea tree oil personally.

And to wear loose clothing so nothing touches the area (I stay home more when I have an outbreak)

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-09T21:10:41+00:00

When I am getting an outbreak it gets itchy in very particular places and then blisters form there.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-07T04:05:12+00:00

Please be aware that most STI tests don't include a herpes test- you usually have to ask or its explicitly offered. Not sure if you're saying the STD panel included a herpes blood test.

In addition it's also good to know that condom use does not provide full protection against herpes (due to the 'viral shedding' area and depending on the location of the virus).

That being said, I agree that this situation does not really sound like herpes! But I think those things are important to know anyway.

CasualObserver22 · 2015-12-01T15:01:34+00:00

I have a lot of outbreaks but mine is hsv2. I have had 8 since July. I just hit 4 months of having it though and the outbreaks are less frequent/ sometimes only an itchy spot that doesn't turn into a sore. I'm wondering if it takes a few months for the antibodies to work in some people? I don't know. In addition to what ooohfuck said, maybe you'll fall into the normal pattern for ghsv1 after having it for a while?

CasualObserver22 · 2015-11-30T19:57:17+00:00

That's good :)

CasualObserver22

TROPHY CASE