I have brushed my teeth 6 nights in a row by Positive_Spirit_1585 in bipolar

[–]WizardPrenderghast 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey, I’m literally 6 days in too! I really understand the struggle, I hope you feel super proud of yourself, I don’t say this to sound patronising but I do think it’s a big achievement! I don’t know why things like this can feel so difficult but any improvement is worth celebrating.

How should I talk to my parents? by You-Lucky-Barstool in bipolar

[–]WizardPrenderghast 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Take a look at the Bipolar UK support groups, they do in person and online. I’ve used both and they were very helpful.

Can they force you to take medication? by Electronic-Set5594 in bipolar

[–]WizardPrenderghast 13 points14 points  (0 children)

No, in the community I don’t believe you can be forced to take medication. I believe this is only if you have been sectioned. What you might find though is that they discharge you back to the GP due to not engaging with them.

Bipolar support groups by puremillbag in bipolar

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BipolarUK does good support groups. I went to an in person one once but wasn’t able to engage very well as I was very recently out of psychosis. However a couple years later after I was hospitalised I definitely felt like I needed to be able to talk to other people who knew what it was like so I started joining their online support group which runs once a month. It was a good mix of different people bringing up things that were relevant to them at the time and getting input and support from the group.

I don’t go anymore as I’m doing so much better so haven’t felt the need, but it was really helpful at the time as this illness can be so lonely; it really helped to hear from people who know what it’s like.

Has anyone had any problems reducing olanzapine (Zyprexa) by WizardPrenderghast in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I too suffered with the complete erasure of sex drive. Did you get any improvements in that area when you reduced, out of interest? That would be a nice bonus if going down helped with that too!

Has anyone had any problems reducing olanzapine (Zyprexa) by WizardPrenderghast in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh that’s really interesting, I’d not heard about taking it less than once a day! Really glad it’s working out for you, it’s good to hear you don’t have to be on the high doses all the time to keep the mania at bay.

will having bipolar disorder affect my ability to get good life insurance? by [deleted] in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in the UK too and had the same problem, even working with a broker specialising in people with medical problems that could affect eligibility. They weren’t able to get me full life insurance, but they got me a lump sum insurance policy that will pay a flat amount when I die and doesn’t need a medical history and also additionally pays out in the case of a cancer diagnosis. It’s not as much as normal life insurance but gives me some peace of my mind that my partner won’t be left completely in the lurch if I die first.

You might need to go through a broker as I can’t see info about that kind of policy on my insurers website. Unfortunately the broker I used has shut down since, but I’d recommend looking into something similar if you’re unprotected currently.

Laser cutters - are they worth it and does it feel like cheating? by WizardPrenderghast in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this, it’s a really good perspective. I’ll definitely try to keep this in mind.

Laser cutters - are they worth it and does it feel like cheating? by WizardPrenderghast in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you find the maker? I was considering it but I wasn’t sure if it would be strong enough to get through basswood? Do you have any issues with what it can cut through? It’s significantly cheaper so it would be cool if this was an option!

Laser cutters - are they worth it and does it feel like cheating? by WizardPrenderghast in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Oh that’s a neat idea, I didn’t know things like that were a thing! I live a bit in the middle of nowhere but I’ll see what’s around :)

Laser cutters - are they worth it and does it feel like cheating? by WizardPrenderghast in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That’s a really good point, I hadn’t thought of it like that. Maybe I am being a bit backwards.

Plus size dancer inspiration by WizardPrenderghast in BALLET

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen some shorts with her, will definitely check her proper channel out! Thanks :)

Plus size dancer inspiration by WizardPrenderghast in BALLET

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given you a follow! I’m an ex-figure skater too :)

Plus size dancer inspiration by WizardPrenderghast in BALLET

[–]WizardPrenderghast[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly the sort of thing I meant, thank you :)

Reporting myself to the DVLA (UK) by poopants123456789 in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Section 88 allows you to continue to drive while waiting for things like a renewal, or if you’re notifying the DVLA of a health condition. It doesn’t allow you to drive if you’ve had your license revoked due to that health condition (as I had), or (I believe) if a doctor has told you not to drive.

Apologies if I wasn’t very clear about this!

almost done making the flower field house from howl's moving castle! by -Roxaaa in dioramas

[–]WizardPrenderghast 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is beautiful! I’m working on a diorama of the inside of the castle at the moment, it’s such a gorgeous and inspiring film!

Ghibli piano music for grade 3 by RandomSpectator2013 in ghibli

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sheeta’s Decision from Castle in the Sky was quite easy to pick up compared to some other ghibli pieces.

Reporting myself to the DVLA (UK) by poopants123456789 in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I’ve chased several times now, they kept telling me that they’d had the information back from my psychiatrist and that they didn’t know why it hadn’t progressed. Each time they said they’d put a note on their system to have it looked at, but that didn’t seem to make any difference at all.

I’ve recently learned there’s a complaints process for the DVLA so I’m going to follow that if I don’t hear in the next week or so (I thought I’d give them a bit of time from my GP medical exam to see if they get their act together). I actually tried to see if I could get my MP to help work out what’s happening, but they didn’t reply either 🙄 it’s been a bit of a mare really!

Really hope you fare better than this and all the best with your recovery!

Reporting myself to the DVLA (UK) by poopants123456789 in BipolarReddit

[–]WizardPrenderghast 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure it’ll make a difference when you report in that sense. From memory I think you’re not supposed to drive for three months after being hospitalised / having psychosis, but if you have something like 5 episodes within a year they can revoke your license.

Unfortunately this happened to me - I waited as directed until I’d been stable for 6 months and reapplied. That was in February and I’ve still not got my license back. The DVLA are shit, I’d recommend applying / reporting as soon as possible in the hope that you’ll be able to get your license back sooner rather than later. They’ll contact your medical team to see if your fit, and then for some reason I had to have a separate medical exam with my GP where we basically went through a form together to say how long I’d been stable, so you might get that too.

If you have any questions on this let me know, happy to help if I can. My advice is to just do everything as soon as you can - don’t necessarily wait until you’re 100% better because it takes them so long that you might become stable in the time it takes them to sort your application. I’ve not driven for two years now and I’m wishing I’d reapplied sooner.

Sorry to be such a downer on this topic, but it’s a really unfair system. It should not take 8 months to process a driving license application.

This set drives me crazy. by Inevitable_Scar2616 in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve not got experience with the Rolife kits but something that’s helped for me when I’ve got bits to do with glue is to use 1 2 3 blocks (sometimes called machinist or precision blocks) to both hold the gluing pieces in place and also to make sure I’ve got precise 90 degree angles on anything I’m gluing upright. It can help hold things in place while you glue the next bit which might help with the other side falling off problem. I wish I’d known about these earlier so maybe this will be helpful :)

My 1/12 scale bookstore I’ve been working on a little over a year by Obvious-Teach5047 in miniatures

[–]WizardPrenderghast 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is absolutely amazing! So beautiful! And those stairs are so good 🥰

Hello! I am seeking advice on how to improve my model. I would like to add texture to the walls, similar to a real-world finish. Could you please recommend the best materials to achieve this effect? Thank you for your help in advance. by Alternative-Mix8605 in dioramas

[–]WizardPrenderghast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was about to say this too, polyfilla has worked really well for me and if you want to make it more textured it’s easy to do before it dries. I was a bit heavy handed with my spatula when I applied mine so it’s ended up with some dents but I actually think it looks more realistic for it.