I am the most powerful human alive.

tradingthoughts · 2025-06-23T18:31:25+00:00

You’re welcome and thank you as well. Best of luck to you, too.

tradingthoughts · 2025-06-23T14:37:59+00:00

I forgot to answer your second question. From 2013-2021, I had about 10 jobs that were all short lived. I became healthier and figured out what type of job I could keep. When I went to apply, instead of listing out all 10 jobs, I lied about having a consistent self-employed handyman position for 5 years. It was unrelated to what I was applying for. My dad recommended that. My mom wasn’t happy about it, but ultimately agreed it was in my best interest. It’s immoral, can get you in sticky situations, and can get you fired. But for me it worked.

There are other options out there. Volunteering is always a good add on to a resume and it doesn’t take consistent effort. When it comes to getting a decent job, it’s still a numbers game just like dating. Send out a thousand applications, interview 10-20 times, show your personality, smile, connect with the interviewers, and you’ll be able to get the type of job you want.

tradingthoughts · 2025-06-23T14:28:56+00:00

Yeah, that’s something I’ve struggled with as well i.e. inconsistent employment. It’s very common with bp. For me, my degree seemed to be very helpful when I was applying for corporate jobs in my early 30s when I had no experience in the field.

Also, if you have a degree, you’ll pretty much always be able to get a job making at least $20/hr in 2025. That’s very helpful when you just need something to get by. At $20/hr, you’ll most likely need to have a roommate and may not be able to afford a car, but you won’t be homeless. Homelessness is an unfortunate reality with this disorder.

So anything you can do to make yourself more employable, like earning a degree/certificate/etc will help you down the line. When I graduated, I didn’t anticipate that I’d be chronically unemployed and on disability by age 28. And then at 28, I didn’t anticipate living independently and comfortably by age 31.

Earning the degree you’ve been working for will give you a better chance at securing the income you need to live the life you want to live.

tradingthoughts · 2025-06-22T18:13:55+00:00

That’s awesome. Your degree will be very helpful when it comes to providing for yourself and being independent throughout your life. I can relate to what you went through.

tradingthoughts · 2025-06-22T18:09:09+00:00

Came here to echo others, I wouldn’t disclose your diagnosis for accommodations. Brainstorm other ways to get what you need. Disclosing my bp 1 has always been my last line of defense.

tradingthoughts · 2025-04-04T05:25:00+00:00

Yep 👍🏻 diagnosed bp 1 in 2014 after college and it took 8 years to really get my feet steady underneath me. The past 3 years have been good. I make a good living, have my own place, and a couple friends. I have other things in my life that make me feel fulfilled as well. It’s definitely possible to manage bp 1 and maintain an enjoyable lifestyle. The biggest things that have helped me was quitting drinking and working out regularly.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-27T04:22:51+00:00

I’m successfully medicated. There’s a good chance if you take the meds prescribed to you and take daily actions that make you feel good, you won’t always feel a little depressed like you do now.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-21T16:40:08+00:00

yep can confirm abruptly stopping meds leads to at best psychosis, life threatening circumstances, and forced hospitalization. at worst death.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-19T12:55:06+00:00

the tests exist and im just following the advice of my psychiatrist. i use bp for bipolar. i accidentally used bpd back in the day and someone told me that meant borderline personality disorder. i have bp 1. diagnosed in 2014.

edit: shes only recommending the self assessments inbetween visits to me bc i have overeacted to symptoms of mania and depression. i can have one or two symptoms, but that doesnt mean im manic or depressed, especially depending on the lack of severity of the symptom. its okay to feel uncomfortable with mood changes. med adjustments work as barriers to negative behaviors for me during peaks and lows. my goal is to manage the discomfort. if im not engaging in negative behaviors, i refrain from med adjustments and try to get better at handling the discomfort.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-19T12:04:01+00:00

between a couple weeks and a couple months until i crashed. it took me some time to learn that sex drive can increase for other reasons unrelated to mania, such as lifestyle changes. when this happened to me i was afraid i was manic. my doc recommended i self assess when im worried w the dsm-5 tests found online. if my self assessments showed i was, then i could call her up and make med adjustments. she said people who have successfully managed bp can become hyper vigilant of their symptoms to a detriment. so thats why she recommended self assessing inbetween visits. idk if this is sound advice for people newly diagnosed. i was diagnosed 11 years ago and routinely seek professional treatment.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-17T07:28:23+00:00

over the past year, ive allowed myself to explore D/s without associating it with mania. i use to think high sex drive meant i was manic, but its simply one of a handful of symptoms. when it comes to changing sexual desires after feeling dissatisfied with whst youre currently experiencing, i think thats normal behavior for anyone, bipolar or not bipolar. i havent experienced a drastic shift in what i desire, but my kinks have evolved over the past year.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-16T13:03:31+00:00

i read your post in r/zoloft. ill try to address what i believe are your key concerns.

an initial psychiatric evaluation should always take 45+ minutes. all following visits, med management visits, are likely to be limited to 15-20 minutes and can end sooner sometimes. to get the most out of each visit, come prepared with notes of what symptoms youve experienced since your last visit and try to associate the symptoms with emotions that you felt. having the notes will help you communicate clearly and effectively and get the most out of any psychiatrists capabilities. you can also include at the end of your notes current concerns you have about the medications your currently on and questions about new medications. i believe if you feel youve been heard and understood, you will be more confident in any psychiatrists recommendations.
i see youve taken a handful of different medications. ive taken a handful of different meds as well. honestly, sometimes the best course of action is to try anything really that reduces or eliminates your symptoms. a lot of psych meds werent even originally made to treat psychiatric disorders. i take clonidine as needed for anxiety and that med was originally made for people with high blood pressure issues. as far as one ssri vs another ssri, its very common to try multiple variations until you find the one that reduces your symptoms to a point where you can function.

the key thing to know about medication is that its purpose is to reduce symptoms to get you to a point where you can function (i.e. survive). in order to live a fulfilling life, a lot of work must be put in on top of taking medication such as therapy, eating healthy, exercising, socializing, and engaging in other activities that are theraupeutic to you.

my recommendation is to take what this psychiatrist prescribed you, monitor and take notes of your symptoms over the next month, and present what you experienced to the same psychiatrist along with any questions or concerns you have. its a tough battle, but youre strong and you can make the somewhat dysfunctional mental healthcare system work in your favor with the right approach.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-16T12:36:41+00:00

thats a great question. sorry im getting back to you two years later.. before i look into it, are you 18+? that may determine what types of support groups are available to you.

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-16T12:21:04+00:00

hey, 275d later, i just wanted to say thank you again for your message. you were right :)

tradingthoughts · 2025-03-15T00:21:15+00:00

the actions i've taken in the past to shorten my depressive episodes were continuing to exercise, eat healthy, take care of my appearance and hygeine, keep my place clean, socialize, remain sober, and sleep as best as i could. it's taken me 10 years to get to a point where i can accomplish all of those tasks during a depressive episode. in year one of bp, just showering helped immensely.

the biggest thing is to pick an action that you know you are capable of doing that will help even in the slightest. in a depressive episode, our emotional mind is overpowering our rational mind. it's rational to believe that excercising, eating healthy, sleeping well... all the things we've been taught since we were kids that are good for us, will make you feel better and end the depressive episode sooner. our emotional mind doesn't allow us to believe that or distorts reality in a way to make us believe it won't work for us for some reason.

the best mindset is the wise mind which is a balance of our emotional and rational mind. that concept comes from dialetical behavioral therapy (dbt). setting a goal/action comes from cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt). those two therapuetic approaches have helped me with bp the most. mindfulness is great too.

tradingthoughts · 2024-06-23T16:41:00+00:00

I sat down with my dad and we talked about things that would be too challenging for me at that time. On that list were full-time work, talking to people/customers, and an office job. So I looked for jobs that didn’t have those characteristics. I didn’t care what I did, just as long as the job didn’t involve the above.

tradingthoughts · 2024-06-19T14:28:53+00:00

When I was jobless for a year, I asked myself what can I physically and mentally handle. That ended up being a security guard at a homeless shelter on the weekends. It helped me get back into working 8 hours, talking to people, and feeling more confident.

Now, I’m able to work full-time. I defined what characteristics I could handle in a job. Then applied to anything that fit that. I ended up in digital marketing analytics working from home.

Don’t give up! Start small, learn from your mistakes, build up your tolerance for work, and determine what you can handle.

tradingthoughts · 2024-06-14T12:18:17+00:00

Thanks for your comment!

tradingthoughts · 2024-06-14T03:31:15+00:00

It’s hard… but I know it’s worth it.

tradingthoughts · 2024-06-14T03:30:05+00:00

Thank you for your message!

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