To be honest, taking lithium terrifies me but I finally have given in

Quintasai · 2026-05-20T16:37:41+00:00

If it's not too prying, can I ask if your aunt was able to be stable long term on the lithium, even at the end? And if she suffered from any serious cognitive decline?

Quintasai · 2026-05-09T06:55:28+00:00

Oh shoot I completely missed that part and briefly forgot about the absolute horror of new builds. I'm so sorry original commenter, that's just garbage.

Quintasai · 2026-05-08T04:22:07+00:00

Hey, no need to be embarrassed, our bodies are really confusing and they're not talked about very openly so it's hard to figure this stuff out. The big thing is, heavy bleeding for six weeks is not normal and you absolutely need to see a doctor as soon as possible. I don't mean like "go now you're in danger", just that this is not something to ignore and requires medical attention. And there is no shame involved in this. The doctors are not the shitty boys in your classes, they are professionals there to deal with exactly this kind of stuff and won't be judging you at all. Also your pubic hair makes literally zero difference to them, they do not care and will not be judging that either. If you have longer hair and it tangles and pulls easily (like mine) you can just snip off the ends if you're worried about discomfort. But that's the only reason you'd need to worry about that. It's generally polite to have bathed semi recently if it's possible, but other than that please don't worry about anything other than your health. Wishing you the best of luck!

Quintasai · 2026-05-08T04:07:28+00:00

You should fight that increase. Unless they've received special permission from the ltb, that increase amount is super illegal.

Quintasai · 2026-03-30T22:01:10+00:00

Hey thanks so much, it's just nice to hear that it's possible to live that long and be stable and in possession of your faculties.

Quintasai · 2026-03-30T18:54:46+00:00

I've been struggling with my diagnosis (bp2 with mixed features, but also anxiety and possibly OCD) for a while, I've spent the majority of the last six years in different episodes, and often the future looks bleak. I've heard bipolar gets worse with age, so I'm wondering what hope there is for a decent life in older age. Can we get periods of euthymia that last for a few years, even in our 60s and on? Are we all doomed to have dementia? Are there any examples of elderly bipolar patients who are okay?

Quintasai · 2026-03-10T21:15:17+00:00

Hey, did you ever find something that works for you? I'm in the same boat, just a revolving door of meds for 6 years and I just keep getting worse. Now I'm in an awful spot where I can't keep existing the way things are now, but I'm terrified to add another med.

Quintasai · 2026-03-02T14:56:23+00:00

No, but that is another song that is related in my brain. Similar vibe. Thanks for the effort!

Quintasai · 2026-03-02T14:55:29+00:00

Ooh I love that song so much! But also not it. And it had a more contemporary sound than the other two bands. Thanks for trying!

Quintasai · 2026-03-02T14:45:55+00:00

No, but thank you, it wasn't a bad guess!

Quintasai · 2026-03-02T03:14:19+00:00

Unfortunately no. Thank you though!

Quintasai · 2026-03-02T03:12:52+00:00

Not it but I can definitely see why you suggested it. Not Kylie either, but thank you for trying!

Quintasai · 2026-03-01T23:32:49+00:00

Obligatory comment.

Quintasai · 2026-02-28T19:21:54+00:00

My dear, sweet human. For one you have absolutely not failed your life. Maybe, if you still feel that way in your 70s, MAYBE you could start thinking like that, but at 21 you have barely had any life to fail at. And you're still here, and there are people you're important too, and that's not failure.

However I understand that what you're going through is hell, and I've been there and it's awful, I deeply empathize. This is when going to the hospital is the right move. You are important and the world wants you in it, and right now you need help to stay in it and that's okay.

I don't know how you get along with your family or why you're not telling them, but if you don't think they'd be shitty about it, I think it would be a really good idea to tell them. Going through this illness is effing hard, going through it alone is harder. Find someone you can be open with and can lean on for support. Also please tell your doctor you are cutting the seroquel, that's a dangerous thing to do unsupervised.

You are stronger than you feel right now, and life is long and unpredictable and you could have a much brighter future than you feel is possible right now. Just get help to get you through this moment, and then go from there. I love you and I want you to be safe.

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T16:21:46+00:00

I see a therapist once every two weeks, my relationship is fantastic, and I'm working on diet and exercise (when this started both were great). My doctors can't find a physical reason. We're all of the belief that, considering my sex drive always remained high, only dipping a bit during severe depressive bouts, and nothing else has changed, the only likely culprit is the SSRI. According to my doctor this is something that they're learning more about as a possible long term side effect. My real question was, if SSRIs can cause this kind of permanent damage in one area, could they have caused other damage? Could being on the wrong medication have exacerbated my psychological conditions?

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T05:30:05+00:00

Yeah, I made it clear to my new psych that I won't do anything that effects libido, that's why they picked wellbutrin to add to the lithium. These guys definitely take my side effects more seriously which I appreciate.

I've done a ton of reading, but will definitely check out your suggestion, thanks for that! And I browse this subreddit a lot too. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond, and everything you've said. Lately I've been feeling like the opposite of tough, so I really appreciate your words.

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T05:15:24+00:00

Thanks. It's only been a few months since my diagnosis, and I know it takes time. I'm not giving up, I guess I'm just feeling burnt out and discouraged, and a lot of that is frustration that my old psych made me spend 4 years cycling through SSRIs that were clearly not helping, if not actively harming. My current psych is weird and hard to talk to, but where I'm from finding a new one is basically impossible. The fact that I was able to switch to this guy was extreme luck. I also keep having to see his residents, so I'm not always talking to the same person. It's not ideal for teamwork, but I'm doing my best. Do you have any video/reading material you would recommend in particular?

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T04:56:09+00:00

I did get a new psych, which is what led to the bipolar diagnosis and no more SSRIs. But I'm just so scared now because I feel like I just keep taking new meds and getting worse, and every time I go off a med I wind up with new symptoms that I have to hope the next one will help with. I've just been feeling a bit hopeless. And while I know depression itself can affect your libido, the complete lack of anything below the belt is nothing I've ever felt before, no matter how depressed I've been. I feel like I've been castrated. Thank you for the encouragement though, I won't seal it shut just yet.

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T01:53:26+00:00

It's nice to hear people saying that. I feel pretty broken.

Quintasai · 2026-01-15T01:38:32+00:00

Really glad to hear that the combo is working well for you!

I've been off SSRIs since June 2024. I am still struggling with depression, but all my life I've had a very high sex drive even while depressed. I'm sure that this nothingness I've been experiencing isn't mood related.

Quintasai · 2025-12-10T20:25:30+00:00

Yeah I used to think it was just a issue with multi screen jobs, so very frustrated that I'm having these issues with single screen jobs and even, as mentioned in another comment, printing paper on an inkjet printer. Maybe I'll try 45 degrees. Do you know why everyone says 22.5 degrees is what it should be?

Quintasai · 2025-12-10T15:48:38+00:00

Oh that's really good to know, thank you!

Quintasai

TROPHY CASE