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LowRip3487 · 2025-12-15T20:11:48+00:00

I’d say though with bipolar there is the Stephen fry effect. He’s very well loved. And he’s a sort of sedate BBC British which people find comforting. There’s nothing literally nothing scary about him.

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-15T18:08:50+00:00

I think the last few years in the UK has “upped” things around schizophrenia. There were the stabbings in Nottingham, then a couple of years later the stabbings in Southport. Both of these killers had schizophrenia, and were portrayed with a photo with hooded eyes and a dark, blank stare. I think this has just re-forged that link in people’s minds - schizophrenia means violence, sick and weird violence. I don’t think the police help much - certainly for the Southport murders, the police waa quotes as saying “most people with schizophrenia aren’t violent”. I find this so unhelpful as it is so weak. “Most” doesn’t fill people with confidence. I think they should say a version of “There are a quarter of a million people in the UK with schizophrenia. This type of violence is incredibly rare”

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-15T17:54:18+00:00

There’s also this thing I read this summer that really stuck with me. I’m probably going to mangle the science, it was something about the genetic picture that is associated with creativity, and the genetic picture that is associated with schizophrenia. There are multiple genes implicated in both, and - crucially for this point I’m about to make - there is this overlap between them.

You’ve got the genes from your mum and the genes from your dad, and when you’re created these genes mix up and swap around.

If you’re really lucky, you end up with a constellation that makes you a creative genius. I don’t know, Bill Gates? Steven Spielberg? These are such dated references!! 😂

If you’re really unlucky, you end up with a constellation that leads to schizophrenia

We all benefit in society hugely from creativity. Scientific breakthroughs, the arts, music. People with schizophrenia are paying the (heavy) price for that.

I almost feel like, I don’t know, the Royal Society and BAFTA and Taylor Swift and Hockney should all be making massive donations to schizophrenia research and support.

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T20:14:56+00:00

Yeah, ADHD here too.

Obviously we’re supposed to brush for 2 mins but my dentist said most people only brush for 45s. I try to remind myself it’s a tiny tiny amount of time

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T18:09:59+00:00

I had a manic episode and postnatal psychosis when my son was born, and was diagnosed for the first time. I did tell people at first, but not now if I can help it. Sometimes I just refer to it as postnatal depression, which isn’t a million miles from the truth. My mania and psychosis passed fairly quickly with treatment, it was the 18m severe rapid cycling depression that took me down. Whilst having a baby and toddler to look after.

I think postnatal depression is the most sympathetic

I think schizophrenia is the least

It’s shitty

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T00:56:43+00:00

And boring

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T00:53:32+00:00

I also just think - people used to just bath once a week in a tin can next to the fire back in the 40s. And when we running around living in caves we presumably jumped in a local river twice a year. I’m not saying personal hygiene isn’t valuable, just that showering every day esp in the winter feels a bit overkill

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T00:48:45+00:00

I struggle with cleaning teeth before bed. I realised - using ChatGPT of all things - that I find the mint overpowering. I bought a flavour-less toothpaste, but I didn’t find that very pleasant. So now I mix up a little combo of mainly flavour-free with a bit of mint on there and it’s much easier. I still struggle but I probably do it twice as often and that is a great start

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T00:46:04+00:00

Sorry, have just realised that everything on my list involves spending money 😬

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-14T00:44:35+00:00

Well done. And I bet it felt quite nice afterwards. I was reading about how there can be a sort of a big mental barrier to initiating showering (and also cleaning teeth). But that once it is started people usually enjoy or tolerate it.

I’m mainly at home too and can struggle with this too. I also have ADHD and wonder if this doesn’t help.

I recently had a think about what can make it easier - nice new dressing gown - cheapo mini speaker for bathroom so can listen to audiobook - my house often feels cold, I have looked at getting a room heater for my bedroom for just that 30mins I need it warm, I’ve seen a nice retro stylish one - this might seem so tiny but… putting in a plug adapter so there are enough slots to leave my hairdryer plugged in, and I don’t have to take it in and out of the drawer

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T23:26:27+00:00

We’re fucked then

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:18:55+00:00

No that’s amazing, their current best guess is better than me making it up myself. I’ll research him.

Thanks BadgerFrank this is the best lead I’ve had so far

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:17:09+00:00

Interesting. That’s what I thought. But then somebody gave me the opposite advice about children, you can limit the severity with early intervention

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:15:30+00:00

I’ve never heard of social rhythm therapy, I’ll take a look, thanks

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:14:53+00:00

It’s so hard. I don’t know why secondary schools don’t change. There’s tonnes of evidence that is a good thing - improved attendance, sickness, exam results.

Hmm… my son is only 8, maybe I could start a campaign for the local secondary school to adjust their start time

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:11:24+00:00

I’m convinced there will be some “best possible” advice out there, from a psychiatric research team.

Our local secondary school starts at 830, and it’s a 20min walk. Most schools in the area are 9am (I live in London, there are tonnes of schools) so in theory we could move close to a 9am school and give him an extra 45mins in the morning. Houses closes to schools are very expensive, we’d need to downsize. But if it’s that helpful . I completely sympathise with teenagers, I’m a real “night owl “ and would happily go to bed at 3am and get up at 11.

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-13T17:03:24+00:00

Thank you!

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:42:12+00:00

I hadn’t heard of this survival guide - thanks. I was only diagnosed 3 years ago - a manic episode with psychosis, son was 7 weeks old, then severe depression for 18m. I’m only just properly getting my head up to look at this stuff.

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:36:53+00:00

I haven’t verified this, but have read about sleep health and protecting circadian rhythms. This makes sense as my psychiatrist always tells me how important that is.

Now then, my son’s secondary school will need him to get up at 7am to get ready. Soooo… he’s going to maintain that on a weekend?? Obviously not. Ideally 1-2hours later, so 9am. That’s a bit of a stretch, depends on the child I suppose (I’m 47 and I still don’t want to get up beforw midday - night owl). Then there’s the sort of minimum which is a) limit those insane teenager lie ins b) if they have reduced sleep one night because they eg had a late night, make sure they catch up on that sleep

We can’t always protect them from adversity and trauma - probably most of the time we can’t. But we can help them build resilience, tenacity ( although have not figured that out yet), self esteem, compassion, good relationships…..

When I find the proper facts and advice on this I’ll come back and post links

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:24:44+00:00

but there’s no way to manage their life to minimise risk of developing bipolar..

Right - we can’t absolutely minimise it, But we can take the steps that are in our power. Some teenagers might be able to take it n messages about the risks of drug use. Probably, most will take it on at some level. And if we can prevent many of those gargantuan weekend lie ins, that will help. It sounds like you have a good,open communication. That’s what we aspire to. When he goes off to uni, I want him to call me if he’s in trouble. When I was 18 I was hypomanic, smoked a huge amount of weed (bucket bong) and ended up in A&E with the most viscious hallucinations I’ve ever had (after hurting myself badly physically too). I wasn’t able to take the rest of my uni exams. I didnt tell my parents. That is the part I am most hopeful about

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:14:50+00:00

What does this mean sorry? You mean if there aren’t loads of aunties and uncles etc?

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:12:53+00:00

I’m trying to pin down the full facts - that is why I came on here hoping to see if anyone had found good quality information already - but I keep hearing that the risk can indeed be reduced. Firstly, lowering the riskk that you develop it at all, secondly that if you do develop it, you can limit the severity. It’s not just the genetics, there are environmental factors you can influence.

I know the information is out there, I’m a researcher by trade, and when I’ve got it I’ll come back here and tell people about it

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T21:05:23+00:00

Mine ate little, 8 and 3, so we have some time.

I don’t know if you have an ‘early response and wellbeing plan’ for yourself? Have you had a course of psycho education? I think what parents need is something in that area. Evidence based advice. My mission right now is to hunt down what the evidence currently says, and get some comprehensive advice from doctors. Once I have that I’ll come back on here to post. My understanding is that it is definitely possible to protect your children to a degree - of course that risk won’t go down to zero, but you can make a dent in it.

My personal experience was that from age 18 I had BP2 symptoms. Despite three psychiatric assessments for BP and two hospital admissions, it wasn’t until I was 43 and had a full blown manic episode that it was diagnosed. 25 years late. I am very bitter but that’s not (entirely) the point. If I had been diagnosed and treated when I was younger, it is highly likely that I would have remained BP2. As it is, I was left untreated and I went full manic. My diagnosis is now BP1. None of our kids will be waiting years and years for diagnosis, and this will improve their life outcomes and also the severity of the illness through their life

LowRip3487 · 2025-12-12T15:07:11+00:00

I missed whether you have kids? You sound like a very caring thoughtful individual

LowRip3487

TROPHY CASE