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I was thinking out of 6,000 or so FGers, I can't be the only one with experience in mental illnesses. Some of you guys know I am bipolar. Recently a former member pointed out that I was "nuts" because of it. That isn't shutting me up about it because the only way to break a stigma is to keep pushing your way through it and work on changing people's minds. Anyway, after being in a total fog the last two to three days and having a general crappy disposition for the last bunch of months, I find myself in a happy and contented mood. This would be all good of course, but I can't figure out if it's a "real" good mood or if it's a slight manic phase with a crash to follow. I'm in limbo with my medications- one isn't working and one may be working "too" well.

Is anyone else here afflicted with bipolar? Or depression? I'd like to know how you cope with it, especially the manic phases; if you have any tricks in dealing with it. I know this is a sensitive subject and I truly don't expect many if any at all, to answer, but I hope that somebody will. It would be nice to have a thread we all could come to when needed.



Thanks!



Red

well red if your nuts your in good company i totally cracked over chrimbo



chantelle,s gran died she is in that place not good at all

my son john was attacked and i had to him to hospital to get his face put back together



my other 20 year old son got dumped by his girlfriend of 6 years and was very upset



sue was not well imagine seeing your partner crying for 3 months solid



then the person that i most admire and has been the greatest insperation in my whole life was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and right on christmas i got terrible chest pains i could not sleep for weeks on end , believe me i was seeing things hearing things you name it i saw it :wah:

my head was splitting , it felt like i was walking on cotten wool my legs were jelly i was told 2 years ago that i was suffering from stress and that was giving me very high blood preasure but i thought only old people get that i'll diet and excercise i'll be fine but i never did and although i thought my mind is fine my body was not doing so great and it all went ping

i know know that i have post traumatic stress thingy and i have been suffering from anxiaty attacks big time but i thought i could handel it but i guess there is only so much any fat bald head can take .. sue told my family i would not take the tablets and they all went mad at me but i'm taking them now and to be honest i was wrong the doc was right i feel much better

Wendybird;511041 wrote: I suffer from depression as well Red. It is something that few people ever really want to talk about isn't it! lol



Some days I just try to make the best of it and other days I just curl into a ball and try to pretend nobody can see me. Last night I seemed to be fine but by about 8pm I was in a real deep funk. So I took myself off to bed and just curled up and cried. This morning I am tired (and look bloody awful! lol) but I need to do so much that I am just gonna try and get on with it.





Strange how you can be absolutely fine one minute then completely off the wall the next. I don't take meds as it has never been bad enough to warrant it.

You are right. It would be nice to have a thread to come and blow up in lol! Or cry in - whatever is required.

Sometimes I just want to scream.......................................:-5



This might be the place lol


and i thought thats coz your a woman:-6 :wah:



how are you wendybird its good to see you :-4

Hi Redglitter, I have been diagnosed as having moderate to severe depression, together with an anxiety disorder. I am lucky in the fact that I have very understanding people around me, namely my family and my friends and colleagues at work.

My friends and colleagues at work have been really supportive and have allways been sympathetic to my problems.

I have had some professional councelling which, allthough it hasn't 'Cured' my depression, it has certainly taught me methods which I can use to combat my illness and make me feel better. One thing It has certainly done is boost my confidence, which was severly lacking before I sought help.

It has been especially hard for me as my job involves dealing with people face to face and often involves conflict of some sort.

What I find particularly difficult is the constant swing in moods. I can be absolutely elated one moment and can sudenly have 'pangs' of sadness, for no apparent reason. I have tried meds (Fluoxetine), which did help, but I prefer to combat my condition through selfhelp and councelling. The good news is that It appears to be working.

One thing that I have found that helps is talking about it, I think people who have depression are very often afraid of how other people would act towards them or what poeple would think about them. I have been lucky in the fact that people these days seem to understand more about depresive illnesses than they did in the old days.

Best regards,

Gary

hey wopster you dont think our choice of soccer teams could have anything to do with our depressed states do you



i know being a spurs fan dont help none :wah: :wah: :wah:





no really it dont

I suffer from bouts of depression also. Although I must say I think there are valid reasons for the depression. Anxiety attacks are something I experienced when I was young and after years, Ive had a few lately. But again, I think circumstances trigger them. A couple of days ago, I experienced something I would label as manic. It wasnt being elated. It was being on a marathon of trying to accomplish 10 different things in the course of a day. But running from one task to another like a lunatic and not being able to stop.

jimbo;511062 wrote: hey wopster you dont think our choice of soccer teams could have anything to do with our depressed states do you



i know being a spurs fan dont help none :wah: :wah: :wah:





no really it dont


Quite possibly mate, quite possibly :wah:

I suffer with depression .

Great thread, RG

All you guys have been so honest -- it touches my heart.

Some of you already know that I've been on Lexapro for over four years now. I feel very 'even keel' with it. I tried to stop it one time, at my MDs recommendation; she thought that the only way to know if I needed it long-term was to wean myself off of it slowly and see how I felt.

At the end of two weeks, I felt isolated. I found I held onto negative feelings much longer. I felt sad.

Back on the medication I went! I have no intention of stopping, either. I look at any psychological medication exactly as I would any physical medication, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

If you can make your body and mind healthier, why on earth wouldn't you do it?

Some of you also know that I started a new part-time job (in addition to working with the hubby as his legal assistant). I work in a mental health office: we have six psychiatrists and several psychologists, social workers and mental health counselers. I think you would all be *amazed* at just how many folks suffer with mental conditions. We simply cannot keep up with the new patient requests.

The good thing about that (and don't I always see the silver lining? ) is that more and more people are seeking help to feel better.

And that's a good thing. :-6

As many of you know i have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from my experience in hospital, today i had an appt with a Head Dr, as i'm going through a litigation case he recommended that i have no treatment so that i could get a greater payment from the courts!!!!! Anyone who has lived with feelings of dispair, panic attacks, sweats, nightmares (to name a few) would have had the same response, being i went beserk. Anyway he proceded to tell me my appt time was up (liar) and that he'll write to my Dr and I with a report on our meeting. I think i shall be receiving an appt very shortly, with one of his partners!!! I will let you all know what treatment is recommended. :-6

I think I am tri-polar. Happy , sad , dumbass. Happy, sad, dumbass. Its the cross I must bear.

YZGI;511262 wrote: I think I am tri-polar. Happy , sad , dumbass. Happy, sad, dumbass. Its the cross I must bear.


i was about to post i saw a bear on the way to work it was nice and friendly but on the way home it tried to bite my head off it was a bi polar bear



but i'm not gonna bother now

jimbo;511277 wrote: i was about to post i saw a bear on the way to work it was nice and friendly but on the way home it tried to bite my head off it was a bi polar bear



but i'm not gonna bother now


I didn't know you could get Bi-sexual polar bears. Hmmmmm.....

Sorry about that last post. I was in my dumbass stage.

I have anxiety & depression. Not a cool thing. I can manage it with medication therapy, but sometimes I do go into the "why bother" mode. It can be hard.

Sometimes I naturally tend to isolate myself so much that it is hard for me to seek out any help. I think that is why I like coming here. It feeds my need for interaction, but I do not have the face to face contact that is sometimes difficult for me.

Marie5656;511305 wrote: Sometimes I naturally tend to isolate myself so much that it is hard for me to seek out any help. I think that is why I like coming here. It feeds my need for interaction, but I do not have the face to face contact that is sometimes difficult for me.


That makes perfect sense, Marie

It allows you to stay 'connected' without having to physically share space with someone.

My theory is that half of the world is on antidepressants, and half of the other half *should* be. :rolleyes:

woppy71;511299 wrote: I didn't know you could get Bi-sexual polar bears. Hmmmmm.....


that joke was a bit grizzly buddy :wah: in fact it was pooh :wah: :wah:



i wish every one found me as funny as i do

jimbo;511321 wrote: i wish every one found me as funny as i do


I find you funny

And lovely

And delightful :-4

jimbo;511321 wrote: that joke was a bit grizzly buddy :wah: in fact it was pooh :wah: :wah:



i wish every one found me as funny as i do


Well, you gotta laugh a little, I find it helps me a lot. Genuine, proper laughter has an uplifting effect.

cherandbuster;511319 wrote: That makes perfect sense, Marie



It allows you to stay 'connected' without having to physically share space with someone.



My theory is that half of the world is on antidepressants, and half of the other half *should* be.


lovely cher wise as always :-6 :guitarist :-4

woppy71;511327 wrote: Well, you gotta laugh a little, I find it helps me a lot. Genuine, proper laughter has an uplifting effect.


Hiya Woppy

That is such a true statement

I fnd that I can 'choose' how I want to look at something

And if I can see the positivity, the glass half-full, the humor of the situation . . .

Then why not do that?

Laughing is a heck of a lot better than crying :-6

woppy71;511327 wrote: Well, you gotta laugh a little, I find it helps me a lot. Genuine, proper laughter has an uplifting effect.


your damn right buddy i remember playing a word game on f g you had me crying with laughter .... made me feel loads better .... my grandad used to say any one can make someone cry only a genius or a fool can make them laugh you sir are a genius while i on the other hand am more than happy to be a laughing fool :wah: :wah: :wah: :wah:

cherandbuster;511332 wrote: Hiya Woppy



That is such a true statement



I fnd that I can 'choose' how I want to look at something



And if I can see the positivity, the glass half-full, the humor of the situation . . .



Then why not do that?



Laughing is a heck of a lot better than crying :-6


I find in my life that the glass always tends to be half full. Unless of course it is an adult beverage, then it is always half empty.

YZGI;511339 wrote: I find in my life that the glass always tends to be half full. Unless of course it is an adult beverage, then it is always half empty.


YZGI

I bet it's not long before that adult beverage is completely empty :p

cherandbuster;511341 wrote: YZGI



I bet it's not long before that adult beverage is completely empty :p
Only for a short time.:wah:

YZGI;511339 wrote: I find in my life that the glass always tends to be half full. Unless of course it is an adult beverage, then it is always half empty.


Always looking at things from a engineer's perspective (can't break the habit)



The Glass is really not "Half full, or Half empty!



It's just "twice as big as it needs to be"!!!:wah: :p :rolleyes:

cars;511357 wrote: It's just "twice as big as it needs to be"!!!:wah:




Leave it to our friend Cars

To give us another perspective :-6

I have these little escape hatches, I go to in my mind when pressure, or despair become unbearable, One is...." I dont care, I dont care about ANYTHING' I dont care that I am not a success... I dont care that I screwed up my business opportunity. I dont care that I owe a lot of money. I dont care that I will never have an adorable little home ( with a little studio) to call my own. ( Because Ive run out of time) The I dont care mode, sedates me for a few days. #2 I lose myself completely in my fantasy I call... " The running away mode. First, ( This is mentally) I have a contents of home sale. I take the cash and buy a plane ticket to.... Greece, France, England Italy... etc..... I leave with only one small bag. Everything I own is in this bag. I rent a small furnished room.... put my meager belongings on a table. Go downstairs, land a job in a bustling pub, or an outdoor cafe on rocks overlooking the ocean. My needs are small, my life is simple. I am content. PS

I can also have insignifigant meaningless sex.... whenever I want to. Because no one knows me.. and because at this point in my life, I can do exactly what I feel like and not have to answer to anyone. This "MEDICATION" usually lasts for a couple of days... until I realize I am too old for this fantasy. Then I slide down, down, down, again.

weeder;511554 wrote: I have these little escape hatches, I go to in my mind when pressure, or despair become unbearable, One is...." I dont care, I dont care about ANYTHING' I dont care that I am not a success... I dont care that I screwed up my business opportunity. I dont care that I owe a lot of money. I dont care that I will never have an adorable little home ( with a little studio) to call my own. ( Because Ive run out of time) The I dont care mode, sedates me for a few days. #2 I lose myself completely in my fantasy I call... " The running away mode. First, ( This is mentally) I have a contents of home sale. I take the cash and buy a plane ticket to.... Greece, France, England Italy... etc..... I leave with only one small bag. Everything I own is in this bag. I rent a small furnished room.... put my meager belongings on a table. Go downstairs, land a job in a bustling pub, or an outdoor cafe on rocks overlooking the ocean. My needs are small, my life is simple. I am content. PS

can also have insignifigant meaningless sex.... whenever I want to. Because no one knows me.. and because at this point in my life, I can do exactly what I feel like and not have to answer to anyone. This "MEDICATION" usually lasts for a couple of days... until I realize I am too old for this fantasy. Then I slide down, down, down, again.


Weeder, I can sympathize with you, but don't let it get the best of you!

I too sometimes look at the "younger" folks around doing their thing. And think, wow I can't do that stuff any more I'm too old to be doing that!

There are so many things I didn't get around to when I was younger, as I always thought there would be time to do it. Things I know better that I would not want to try now! But then I do look at the things that I still can do & (many of them just a little slower, like sex is slow, but that's good) there are many new oppertunitities open to me now, that were not when I was younger. So. . . . . I take solice in that fact, & actually become content, and satisfied knowing I still have options.

i have never been ashamed about my bouts of depression ever , the way i look at it if you could have members of your family die and horrible things happen to other members and not crack up over missing loved ones or very ill loved ones what sort of shallow a hole would you be my biggest mistake has always been thinking i'm OK or i'm strong enough to take this when maybe i'm not and refusing doctors help really has not paid dividends i spoze:o



but love me loath me i am what i am ' nut job or not thats me ,all the time i can laugh and make people laugh i know i'm OK its when things get so bad like over Christmas the laughter stops then i know i'm not far off seeing beetles that are not there etc i know then back off relax or i'm gonna be ill and when much to some peoples dismay i start seeing funny comments in the most innocent of posts i know i'm OK again ..... jimmy's back sorry guys :wah: :wah:

jimbo;511733 wrote: jimmy's back sorry guys :wah: :wah:


And we hope you are here to stay :-6

with The Suz of course :-4

cherandbuster;511740 wrote: And we hope you are here to stay :-6



with The Suz of course :-4


thanks cher its really great to have sue hogging the computer again



from tomorrow we get free international calls so if any of you guys over seas fancy a chat to me and suzy just pm sue your phone number and we will give you a call

ok i'll get bored after a minute but sue can chat for england it would be nice to put voices to the posts i enjoy so much so wise guy and duretic dont be shy now and all you others that could benifit from a chat with a moron :wah: post us your number please

jimbo;511754 wrote: thanks cher its really great to have sue hogging the computer again



from tomorrow we get free international calls so if any of you guys over seas fancy a chat to me and suzy just pm sue your phone number and we will give you a call

ok i'll get bored after a minute but sue can chat for england it would be nice to put voices to the posts i enjoy so much so wise guy and duretic dont be shy now and all you others that could benifit from a chat with a moron :wah: post us your number please
Yeah that might be fun.

Diuretic;511790 wrote: What about Skype or Gizmo?? If you have Windows and Skype you can conference call (doesn't work on a Mac or Linux for conf calls yet though).



pompom you're right. Well I know it's the case for me at least. The meds are temporary so counselling is very important. And just a word about counselling. It's not always going to work because you have to luck out by finding a counsellor that YOU can work with. Don't keep going to the same person if you aren't connecting.


buddy jim can only do phone calls what part of jim is moron are you not getting here :wah:



pompom i tried counceling me and the guy really got on each others nerves he could hardly speak english and i quit , its the luck of the draw i spoze even the samaritans hung up on me

Laughing IS the most theraputic. I dont think there is anything better. That, or listening to someone and hearing something so moving... that you feel tears behind your eyelids. There have been times on FG when I wanted to wrap my arms arouns someone I do not even know..... and THAT is a very good thing. No matter how the world changes there will always be those of us who feel things deeply.. wouldnt hurt a fly, and who are so intrspective that profound thoughts or observations or analysis's actually bring on depression. I do know that I would rather be depressed or anxious rather than to feel nothing at all. It means we are alive.

weeder;511907 wrote: Laughing IS the most theraputic. I dont think there is anything better. That, or listening to someone and hearing something so moving... that you feel tears behind your eyelids. There have been times on FG when I wanted to wrap my arms arouns someone I do not even know..... and THAT is a very good thing. No matter how the world changes there will always be those of us who feel things deeply.. wouldnt hurt a fly, and who are so intrspective that profound thoughts or observations or analysis's actually bring on depression. I do know that I would rather be depressed or anxious rather than to feel nothing at all. It means we are alive.


you are sooooo right i went through a bad spell once and i went numb i could not laugh or cry i felt nothing it was horrible like being a living dead extra for some cheap horror movie , i laugh much more than i cry these days and i'm alive yaaay

good post weeder :-6

Diuretic;512199 wrote: I'm going to say it's okay to be scared. I mean it's not unique to me but I've nearly been killed several times in violent situations but I can tell you without a word of a lie I would sooner revisit one of those situations than go through some of the stuff I've been through in the last several years. I have been almost catatonic through fear. I'm not a coward but I have been very, very frightened.



Right then, enough of that. I don't meant to chuck a downer on anyone, I just wanted to say it.


buddy every one gets scared me, you, every one i remember just after my brother had died there was a guy really giving a bar maid a terrible time and he had 6 brothers(before wise guy or kram jump in here no he was not a dwarf) and they terrorised the town and i did nothing i felt down and to be honest i was too scared to say anything but when i got home i could not sleep and i knew i had been a coward , to make matters worse i found out that he had gone round her house and hit her and smashed up her kitchen i vowed that i would go back down the pub that night and if i took the biggest hiding of my life i knew it would not be as bad as knowing i was a coward so i did yup the guy stated on her i asked him to stop he wanted to fight me every one else just looked at the floor to scared to say anything i went out side and he swung at me i ducked and elbowed him in the face knocking him out , i heard his brothers were after me so i went down the pub where they all drank and said if they had a problem outside now ,and do you know what the toughest brother the one that was a boxer came up shook my hand and said your a brave man coming here on your own we respect that there will be no more trouble from us and to this day they have left every one alone

brave man me ...no way i was just more scared of living my life on my knees knowing i was a coward than getting a damn good hiding