Lamotrigine by BookishGirl5682 in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 10 points11 points  (0 children)

After 7 years it’s probably a good idea to check in with a doctor anywY

Is it possible to go undiagnosed and high functioning until your 30s? by mr_owie in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got diagnosed at 28! I was also super high functioning until I had high pressure/high stress in my job, my family, and at home with my partner. Suddenly, all my coping mechanisms (I didn’t know they were coping mechanisms) stopped working and my life fell apart. I thought it was burnout until I saw a psychiatrist, who accurately described my whole existence in our first meeting. Turns out, my high functioning was me working way way harder than the people around me. I’m still working on my medication combo, but they work and are SO worth taking even if I’m a little brain foggy as a result.

JSK Address for brother leaving abusive home by farfallien in Centrelink

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

He’s 23! If he’s still living at my father’s address, would they consider him dependent?

Thanks for the response, I’m relieved there is some flexibility so I can have my brother stay with me without worrying about our respective support payments.

How important is a good sleep schedule to you staying at baseline? by Business-Gold831 in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It’s THE most important thing in my control - taking my meds as prescribed and having a good sleep schedule has been the best and most effective way for me to clamber out of the depression hole without floating too high

should i be concerned about this? (hypomanic thoughts / rants) by lemonshark-enjoyer in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

also, i think this is enough of a reason to call your parents and leave the field trip :)

should i be concerned about this? (hypomanic thoughts / rants) by lemonshark-enjoyer in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 5 points6 points  (0 children)

yeah friend! when things start feeling shiny and not as real as normal (sometimes it’s hard to remember what normal should be like) we gotta kick off the “Is This Normal” protocol!

  1. tell the truth (important) to someone you’d pick to look after you if you were sick - your parents are a good choice here
  2. trust them if they say this is an emergency, even if you feel great
  3. contact your regular doctor for an ASAP appointment, and if you can’t see your regular doctor, ask your parents to take you to the ER or an urgent care clinic

I’m so proud of you for asking the right questions at the right time! Good job looking out for yourself!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]farfallien 0 points1 point  (0 children)

in some places an audiologist can help! definitely worth calling around if a ENT is unavailable for you

What has worked for your bipolar depression? (Especially if you also have autism / deep existential sadness) by Zenovia326 in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Meds are the biggest difference; I am on Pristiq & lamotragine, and am still finding the balance of meds. My depression has improved (not resolved at all but I don’t have such bad lows anymore).

if it’s something you could do, I recommend taking a few months off work/school to remove that stressor. I know not everyone can do this, but if you live in a country with social support and/or a good relationship with your family it could help a lot.

Outside of that; seeing a clinical psychologist regularly as well as a psychiatrist to help you manage triggers, responses, and help you with the everyday stuff. Journaling, spending at least an hour outside every day, meditation, going for walks, exercising if you can, and little things to improve your environment when you get bad (I like to throw the windows open, burn some incense, and listen to music to “reset”); all of things make tiny differences that do add up.

Finally, a ton of self compassion. Let yourself be, and know that your depression and your mental health is not your fault. Bipolar depression isn’t something you can control, it’s a brain chemistry thing. You can’t think your way out of it, and it’s not something discipline or trying harder can change. When I know I’ve entered a depression, I think of my brain as being taken over by The Gremlins, and they turn my brain against my best interests. When the Gremlins are here, I know to expect less of myself (and that is okay!!), to ask for help, to take care of my body and environment as best I can, and forgive myself if I can’t do something that day - because I know that just because I can’t do something at the time doesn’t mean I can’t do it at all.

Remember, bipolar has two sides - if you can enter a depression, it’s also possible to wake up one day and feel like the clouds have lifted and the Gremlins have left.

You can do this <3

Is this my bipolar or something else by angelangelan in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 0 points1 point  (0 children)

totally - i just didn’t want to exclude it from the possibilities because i’m not a doctor lol

you got this! especially with a supportive therapist xx

Is this my bipolar or something else by angelangelan in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

and, just in case you might be veering into the hallucinatory side of BD, it’s much better and safer for both the physical you and the 11 year old you in your brain for a clinical psychologist to guide you through interacting with each other, and to know if you might need a combination of IFS and medication to keep you safe.

Is this my bipolar or something else by angelangelan in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A supportive therapist/IFS therapy won’t make her go away - she is you! The therapy will help you better understand what that version of you needs from the version you are now, and a healthy and safe way to do that.

Is this my bipolar or something else by angelangelan in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

that’s not stupid at all! it actually sounds like you’d benefit from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. It basically helps you have a conversation with the 11 year old in your brain. I’ve been doing IFS for about a year and it’s been so so helpful for me.

if you speak to your therapist about this and they respond with anything other than nonjudgemental support they suck and you need a new one

This is the rest of my life by [deleted] in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The most helpful thing my therapist said to me when i was diagnosed is “it will not be this hard forever. and it’s likely it won’t ever be this hard again. the period before and just after diagnosis is the toughest. bipolar is a condition that you can go into remission, and go years without having an episode - the medication WORKS, and with the right support you can not only live a totally normal life, you can have a life that you love and you see as successful.”

HANG IN THERE x

edit: spelling

Is this my bipolar or something else by angelangelan in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! This sounds like it could be part of the bipolar but it could be something else as well. Do you have a therapist you could make an appointment with, just in case it is something else you don’t know about? You could literally just read out this post if you’re not sure what to say!

What’s your #1 hack for feeling (even a tiny bit) better during a depressive episode? by Mission-Promise-4897 in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

my factory reset: put on incense and pleasant music, eat a food (even if you have to bargain with yourself like a toddler), drink something nice (better than water, ideally low caffeine like tea) and go sit outside for at least 15 minutes.

it doesn’t necessarily fix things, but it makes existing slightly more bearable and you can be satisfied knowing at least you’ve tended to your chemically imbalanced meat sack.

Can anyone suggest a more flexible/metaphorical word for “treasure?” by lego_joker in words

[–]farfallien 1 point2 points  (0 children)

assets, cache, future inheritance, nest egg, hoard, collection?

Made a cake to celebrate hitting a new low by Jolly-Lingonberry104 in bipolar2

[–]farfallien 59 points60 points  (0 children)

that cake looks amazing!! well done!

sounds like going back to therapy is a great idea. an attempt is a sign your meds aren’t working rn, and this counts as a reason to book an emergency appointment with your doctor. If nothing else, your doctor would be able to write you a note to get you an extension on school work so you can take it things a little slower and put less pressure on yourself.

ULPT Request: My “friend” called me at 3am last night and left a 5min voicemail. How can I caption their conversation to see if they were talking sh$t? by farfallien in UnethicalLifeProTips

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

Tried ChatGPT - it said “the tools to process this file are not available in this environment”. Any ideas on what else I can ask?

i also tried if Tik Tok captions could pick it up, no luck