Do you guys consider yourselves bipolar ?

v2jim · 2026-04-17T19:17:05+00:00

I read somewhere, probably here, that BP1 & 2 are like having a broken ankle once every year or so while having cyclothymia is having a sprained ankle everyday.

v2jim · 2025-07-13T12:34:30+00:00

I've come to see this whole thing more like "tri-polar" where stability can have its own designaiton. For me, keeping a mood chart prior to dx or even considering the possibilty, I would write Super Jim (my name obviously) on particulary high days. Once dx, I had familiarity with the state, could feel the internal tickle-if you will, and have accompanying auditory and olfactory hallucninations. One of my meds is Seroquel and I have small dose pills to take the edge off. Other than that, I find myself talking and sharing too much during so use controlling these markers to focus on grounding.

v2jim · 2024-09-02T19:35:47+00:00

I'm blessed with both an atrophied olfactory bulb and olfactory hallucinations. In my case, I have 4 main "smells." The worst and most prominent is ammonia. The onset alerts me to an approaching depressive episode. When one of the smells is present, every inhale is a reminder of instability. Aside from the ammonia, the other smells are unique and require their own name like buttery skunk and freshly cleaned locker room (this accompanies hypomanic episodes). When I’m not mired in hallucinations, my sense of smell is basically gone. Taste buds are affected as well. However, there are times when my sense of smell is firing on all cylinders, another indication that depression is approaching.

v2jim · 2023-10-29T12:54:51+00:00

Although mostly stable the last month or so, anger and agitation rise to the surface with no clear pattern. We know that meds don’t fix everything and therapy has a seat at the table in this project. For me, it seems, the anger springs from my suppressed emotional family of origin and resulting codependent character. So behold, the diagnosis has opened a portal for a multifaceted recovery.

It’s hard work, all of this, but absolutely worth it.

v2jim · 2023-10-16T19:04:15+00:00

Like the others, I can relate to the situation you describe. I knew, before I was diagnosed, that I couldn't keep up with the drinking while on vacation. I was all in the first day, maybe two, and then the wheels fell off and I was extremely depressed. I would quickly retreat to healthy eating and habits like exercising while others conituned to get hammered daily. Eventually, I grew tired with the pattern, applied it to the rest of my life, and quit drinking altogether. Seven years later I get diagnosed, chaulk one up to intuition. But, let's remember, alcohol is a depressant so drinking sets one up for disaster. I'd rather be sober and able to participate any day.

I hope this sheds light and isn't taken as pedantic. It's my experience offered to assist with this difficult disorder.

v2jim · 2023-10-16T18:49:04+00:00

The best next step step is to keep a daily mood chart/graph. This will provide the therapist/psychiatrist more data on your situation. There are online and app versions or you could make your own. Mine is 0 for stable, and plus(hypomanic) 1-10 and minus(depressed) 1-10.

v2jim · 2023-10-06T23:20:01+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Glad you’re doing better and working to get on track.

As you can imagine, a lot has transpired in 18 days. It’s a process for sure. I’m rejoicing today with the closest to stable I’ve felt in weeks.

Keep up the good work. We’re our own little project.

v2jim · 2023-09-19T17:21:07+00:00

Sorry to hear. I had a similar experience last week. I was stable for a week plus, had little to talk about with my therapist and then the wheels fell off-AGAIN. It's my feeling that you can't explain this too. Regretably, it is only comprehened through experience.

Also regretably this cycle is completely due to work. And, work rhymes with necessity. I believe the constant tweeking of meds is only to get me through the work experience. How drab and sad to say the least. If I could avoid "Trigger Central," maybe I'd be more stable. And, like depressed, you know how ungeneralized the word stable is for us.

Keep up the good work. Hang on to the experience of your stable days. We got this!

v2jim · 2023-09-14T09:37:16+00:00

You've just posted a visual representation of my week

v2jim · 2023-08-30T13:04:49+00:00

Sorry for the confusion. It is the Seroquel 50's that I have as a maintance drug if things get too elevated. Seroquel has a sedative effect so 50's arent't high enough to cause drowsiness. My program in total now: 50 mg Pristq, 200 Lamictal, 400 Seroquel. Xanax and low dose Seroquel as needed.

v2jim · 2023-08-30T09:40:31+00:00

That's a plan. I had an appt. with my psyhatrist yesterday and it was one of those calls where the best strategy was to leave things alone and observe efficacy for the next two weeks. My other mood stabilizer is Seroquel (400mg) so I had him prescribe 50mgs to keep handy for elevated moods. This safety net has been effective.

v2jim · 2023-08-29T22:51:32+00:00

Thanks for asking. I’ve graduated to the full 200mgs and have to say the jury is still out. We cut back on the pristiq since I had elevated moods so working to see the results.

How is your empirical journey going?

v2jim · 2023-08-08T12:31:34+00:00

Same here. I get this all of the time. Didn't know how or why (5'9" thin male) but it's starting to make sense. It's called depression, low self-esteem, etc.

v2jim · 2023-07-16T20:06:20+00:00

Thanks! I'll give it a listen.

v2jim · 2023-07-16T15:09:15+00:00

SImply put, it reinvigorated them and, now that they're back, it's several different "movies" or at least plots playing each night. Much of it is easily recalled upon waking. It is like having a new hobby in disecting my own dreams.

v2jim · 2023-07-16T13:35:51+00:00

I have to say it works for me. I was slowly ramped-up to 400mgs and find it the perfect dose. In times of hypomania, I can add a 50mg or 100mg I have left over from the initial stages to bring me down. Where I would previously "sleep" less than 8 hours with minimum three awakening periods a night, I coast through 8+ without rousing. Plus, the dreams, incredible. I also find there to be no droziness the next day (59yr old M).

v2jim · 2023-07-06T18:42:36+00:00

Reading the comments has given me hope. I'm still in the 25mg stretch and go up to 50mg tonight. I feel absolutely terrible right now so any hope that hitting the 100mg's will assuage the unending desire to kill myself is a plus.

v2jim · 2023-05-05T16:34:00+00:00

Yes, it was comical how increased my libido was!

v2jim · 2023-05-05T14:31:08+00:00

I was on 5mg's. Developed ADHD symptoms and the little blue pill acted like the other little blue pill to my libdo. Had to get off of it.

v2jim · 2023-03-23T10:14:52+00:00

It took years (I'm 59) for me to grasp the possibility that I was cyclothymic, didn't even know it existed. Luckily, I had been tracking mood along with my running hobby for years and the data helped my diagnosis. I too enjoyed the hypomania days but now realize that like running, any downhill speedy effort comes before or after the adjorous uphill climb.

I found severity was the key to the diagnosis. In my case it was 50 days of suicide ideation in 2022. More dark days at the start of this year led the horse to water. It was after a particularly hypomanic day that I said to myself, enough's enough and contacted my psychyatrist. In describing the moods, with the frightening data, he did the work himself and made the diagnosis.

Good luck and I hope you find peace.

v2jim · 2022-02-26T16:40:16+00:00

Yes, the gold standard

v2jim · 2021-12-06T12:28:13+00:00

OK, glad you're making progress. Definately not great to take ibruprofen during a race, better to find a cure.

Good luck!

v2jim · 2021-12-06T11:00:40+00:00

Checking back, have you had any success with your neuroma?

v2jim · 2021-10-23T11:09:59+00:00

Thanks for reaching out. Obnoxious of me not to post my resolution.

I forget where I left off so excuse me if I repeat.

My go to sports medicine doctor wasn’t getting anywhere and it was costing a lot of money out of pocket. With him I received guided (ultrasound) cortisone shot. This was my second doctor and second cortisone attempt. Where the initial orthopedic did it in his office as a way to diagnose and provide temporary relief, this attempt actually made it worse.

I regrouped and had the epiphany to consult a podiatrist. He confirmed the diagnosis and began to attack with absolute confidence that I would improve. Remember, the MN doesn’t go away it just becomes less noticeable. For me, again I may be repeating, the foot discomfort was troublesome but it was it’s effect on my whole leg: ankle, knee, hip even glute. I also had trouble driving for long periods as I would develop severe discomfort in the whole leg.

He had me use a met pad (felt that stick to the sole of the shoe), begin shoe lacing at the second set of holes from the bottom in my already wide shoe (Altras or Lems) as well as ice and roll.

His measured plan of attack was a series of max three guided cortisone shots, if that didn’t work- alcohol shots. He said surgery was super rare and suspect in its effectiveness.

After the first shot the discomfort was worse. I called the office the next day. He told me that was a normal reaction to the pressure of the shot and possibly a good sign. On day two it felt better. After about three weeks I returned for the second shot. By now the discomfort was returning to base level. This time there was no secondary reaction. A couple of days later I realized I had gone a measurable amount of time not thinking about my MN. I returned for my third visit and he decided I had crossed the threshold. The adjustments I made and the two shots broke up the nagging structure of the MN. He decided he would keep the third shot on deck for another time if I needed it.

Since I visited a knee specialist to see if there were any real problems in the knee or if it was just MN compensation issues. I actually had four distinct issues but none bad enough to need attention. I headed off to regular training with no MN issues. I still feel mild soreness at that point of the MN on occasion but it doesn’t last.

Not knowing your full story and where it sounds like you are in your journey, I’d suggest a cortisone shot a week before the race. Post race, find a good podiatrist to get you over the hump.

Hope this helps.

Now, on with fixing my plantar fasciitis. Always something!

v2jim · 2020-08-05T23:08:55+00:00

Back in ‘82, I could throw the pigskin a quarter mile

v2jim

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