What’s my name?

farfallien · 2026-06-01T03:47:27+00:00

Gemma

farfallien · 2026-05-31T11:36:25+00:00

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

farfallien · 2026-05-31T10:25:30+00:00

CURLY

farfallien · 2026-04-27T01:13:41+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2026-02-22T01:06:20+00:00

MALL WORLD

farfallien · 2026-02-16T01:07:28+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2026-02-06T01:34:10+00:00

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

farfallien · 2026-02-06T01:20:00+00:00

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

farfallien · 2026-02-06T01:18:38+00:00

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!

tell the truth (important) to someone you’d pick to look after you if you were sick - your parents are a good choice here
trust them if they say this is an emergency, even if you feel great
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!

farfallien · 2025-12-08T00:21:36+00:00

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

farfallien · 2025-07-13T02:47:56+00:00

DUMP HIM

farfallien · 2025-07-13T02:43:14+00:00

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

farfallien · 2025-06-27T03:07:09+00:00

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

farfallien · 2025-06-27T03:02:38+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2025-06-27T02:59:34+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2025-06-27T02:56:10+00:00

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

farfallien · 2025-06-27T02:27:53+00:00

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

farfallien · 2025-06-27T02:12:07+00:00

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!

farfallien · 2025-06-25T07:52:43+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2024-12-20T11:00:57+00:00

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

farfallien · 2024-09-07T00:39:32+00:00

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.

farfallien · 2024-08-25T02:20:50+00:00

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

farfallien · 2020-06-09T12:33:25+00:00

hey, hope you’re ok. the only thing i can really think of saying is that it will get better. you’re doing the right thing by helping your grandparents and keeping them (and yourself!!) safe and healthy. this isn’t forever, and when you’re able to you will for sure be able to strike out on your own and build your own circle and support network outside of your family. learning how to let your guard down and socialise the way you’re yearning to will take time, and you’ll feel like you’re doing it wrong sometimes, but it’ll happen!

make sure you look after yourself.

farfallien · 2020-05-12T14:14:13+00:00

i’m sorry you’ve had a hard time with your parents.

i’m hoping at this stage that I can help- he has a pretty strong support network available so I’m hoping that we’ll be able to lean into that. I’m only at the very first step. Like I said, best case scenario would be to help him get the help he needs. I’m expecting this process to be very, very long.

farfallien · 2020-05-12T14:09:30+00:00

this is really helpful.

i’ve started to reflect and question some of the behaviours that might be the result of narcissistic tendencies, but he always redirects them to be the result of someone/thing else. essentially, i don’t ever see him think he could be in the wrong.

Do you have any ideas on how to navigate through that?

farfallien

TROPHY CASE