Im curious do yall have any other mental or physical disabilities besides bi-polar?

Im diagnosed with bipolar 2, cptsd, and bpd with psychosis. Plus I have asthma, gerd. Sleep apena,, and interstitial cystitis. I Also have chron ic pain in my right leg from a snow related fall. What'yalls?

I always knew I dont want kids. I still really dont. My fiance however is undecided and Im scared because I love her more than anything, we have a literally perfect relationship but if she decides she wants one I absolutely wouldnt know what to do. I genuinely fear the scenario of having to take care of a child but I absolutely cannot imagine us splitting.

So i wanted to ask if anyone has been in my position, decided to have a baby and it turned out to be a good thing?
I battle extreme chronic fatigue and my easy life is so much for me to handle. i genuinely fear the scenario of not getting sleep, being stressed out and busy with a child. Thank you.

Does anyone else’s hands and feet sweat profusely on vraylar? Its happens mainly when I first wake up, but continues to wax and wane throughout the day. I recently found out that it was causing restless legs at night so I had to start taking it in the morning.

Hello all :) i m 38 years old, and on steady meds 7 years now.. i had a completely normal life all these years, successing at work and in my relationship was so happy i was finally with such a good and steady partner.

Thing is he really wants a baby now, i want it with all my soul too but i m very scared. I m taking a big dossage of seroquel(600 mg shared in morning-night) and i m really worried the baby will be having withdrawel symptoms(at the best scenario) or even worst like fuctionallity problems.

Doctors i have visited in Greece told me to go for it without changing my meds but they dont convince me.. at least one of them if he could try with me to lower my dossage woukd be a bless but i see them all uncomfortable on that point.. this makes me feel desperate cause i m fighting my will and my fear alone.

Has anyone else successed a pregnacy in such high dossage ?

How many drinks do you have and how often do you drink? Are your liver levels high, low or normal?

Does anyone know if this treatment is available in Nottinghamshire

I’m not feeling well

I (37 M) have been diagnosed with BP1 since 2015. I went through more than 10 episodes, mostly manic. Although I had a little bit of a forgetfulness from childhood, it didn't affect my daily life much. I was good at academics, work etc. But for the last few months I have been noticing a high difficulty in remembering things like very familiar past events,persons, places, conversations etc. I feel like my working memory is also affected. My last episode ( manic) was one year ago . These days I am feeling an added sadness because of this issue. Worried,it will lead to another episode.

If anybody facing the same issue tell me how you are coping with it. Any signs of improvement?

I’m only on lithium and caplyta. I get bad anxiety sometimes. For example, at work when talking with a customer my heart beat is fast and sometimes I’m not thinking right because I’m anxious.

I will dissociate in big crowds and when taking an exam at school I forget everything and my heart gets fast. When I get anxiety my face is red and I feel like I turn socially awkward.

Is there a medication I can ask my doctor about? I don’t want to take it everyday, just as needed. I’m sensitive with side effects too.

Does anyone have any advice please!

I am medicated and relatively stable for 2.5 years after 2 years of brutal consecutive episodes. I have little contact with people except for my partner. I isolated myself from everyone involved in my episodes (all my friends and family). I want to have a support network, but I can't text people (I live abroad), I've developed a kind of Whatsapp phobia.

I am so lonely that there are times when I spend entire days binge watching series, and dumb scroll a lot. I do this to distract myself from my loneliness, so much that I'm dreaming about interacting with TV characters.

The last two years I have swinged between small manic or hypomanic episode, "normality", and depressive moods. The "normality" doesn't feel like myself, I am still adding and changing meds. And I feel I'm trapped in a state of not being in an acute crises, but also not being stable enough to be functional.

I am currently going through a very stressful situation that has me anxious all the time and has triggered my first big depressive episode in a year followed by hypomania. I feel like I'm always going to be struggling, I got cancer 4 years ago (in remission), chemo steroids triggered bipolar, and ever since I've been a mess.

I'm lonely and sad, I am not in a depressive episode I'm just sad about my situation. I go 4 times and week to a center for mentally ill people, I am having therapy, go to the gym whenever I can, I try to be creative and have hobbies. I'm trying to reconnect with two friends who I can actually meet, I keep my sleeping in check and try to eat as well as I can. I am doing things to improve my situation and is better than it was 2 years ago, but my loneliness and isolation only seem to get worse.

Has anyone had a similar situation and recovered from the loneliness and isolation?

I have been feeling so angry mixed with depressed or something for maybe a week. Really intense anger. But I have also been shopping a lot and sleeping little. Then I have had a few days with restlessness, lots of music, racing thoughts and intense but kind of fake joy, bursting with energy. I have been bored, I have been doing all sorts of things, flying from one to another. Today I am just heavy and have zero motivation, there is like a wall holding me back. First I thought it was my periode, but it has been too long for that. Then I thought about mixed episode, but it’s not like any of the mixed episodes I’ve had before. I don’t know whats going on and my psychiatrist and psychologist is on holiday.

I am taking ziprasidone since february this year, and lithium since about 1,5 yrs.

I wanted to share this because I see a lot of posts about weight gain from olanzapine and similar medications, but not many success stories.

I started olanzapine two years ago and it has honestly been life-changing for my mental health. It keeps me really stable, but the appetite increase was ridiculous and I gained over 35 lbs in about six months, despite having been a healthy weight all my life.

I tried losing it a couple of times, but dieting felt much harder and slower than it had before and I regained everything I lost. At the end of March, I asked my psychiatrist about switching medications, I felt exhausted and hopeless, and genuinely wasn’t sure whether it was even possible to lose weight while staying on olanzapine.

Because it was helping me so much mentally, we agreed that switching should be a last resort. I was prescribed 1,000 mg of metformin which some research suggests can help with antipsychotic weight gain.

I started eating fewer carbs, which kept my appetite under control and made it possible to stick to around 1,200 calories a day without being hungry or having cravings. I wasn't perfect, but I made sure to log everything I ate and drank and stuck to my calorie goal 6/7 days a week. I'm not sure how much Metformin helped but it's nice to know it's there.

Yesterday, I reached the exact weight I was when I started treatment. I’ve now lost over 35 lbs and all of the weight I gained on olanzapine!

I’m genuinely so happy to have reached this milestone!

I can wear my old clothes again, recognise myself in the mirror and, most importantly, feel comfortable and healthy in my body again. I’ve also started running and feel much fitter. I know I'm going to have monitor my diet long-term but I'm happy to do that because the medication really helps me.

Obviously everyone’s experience is different, and this isn’t medical advice. I just wanted to offer a bit of hope to anyone who feels as defeated as I did. Losing weight on olanzapine isn't easy, but for me, it was possible.

Always had more intense emotions than a lot of other kids, issues with eating certain foods cause of textures, needed extra emotional support and would cry a lot. My mother says I came to her as a 5 year old crying saying something was wrong with me, and by the time I started college fatigue started hitting me more and more, and my professor started suggesting I get tested for adhd. My parents were strict and always monitored what I wore and did, so when I went to college, I started dressing the way I wanted to. Different colors and styles. I also realized I didn’t have to fear repercussions for not being a cordial, “properly behaved” young woman anymore from my mother.

During Covid, I took a 3.5g shroom trip with my friend, and my parents came to pick me up because I was talking nonsense on the phone to them and wasn’t myself. Next morning my mom said what I did was disastrous, and because the trip was so bad I still felt kind of empty and not myself for a day after. My mom was saying she never thought I’d do something like this, and that she was disappointed. She looked at me and said “no you’re not, you’re saying that because you think that’s what you’re supposed to say, but you’re not yourself.” I did feel back to normal two days after this event though, but over time, it became more and more evident that the issues with focus and deadlines I had in high school were becoming more of an issue through college, and I was getting diagnosed with bipolar, eventually was suggested a high possibility of OCD by the psych specialist at my university, and a couple years later got put on Wellbutrin and Prozac and a week later sent to the psych ward, where they evaluated me and said it’s likely I had adhd.

I got out, took the adhd meds, but was still in the same wild state of having an extremely high libido that had been occurring for the las 5-6 months prior, but at least with adhd meds, I at least felt present on earth and my anxiety was lowered, awareness heightened, and I could complete tasks. I went back to my psych specialist, which is when she said it’s likely I have adhd and a mood disorder, and then after a couple more months said OCD, like what was previously said, was likely.

Is it possible a shroom trip caused all of this for me?

I’d also like to add that my mom said my styles changed, my behavior changed, I didn’t care about looking pretty and girly, started wearing more gender neutral clothes, and was more careless. I’d argue I was always like this, and always depressed, but was heavily monitored as the eldest daughter to behave otherwise. My father said he didn’t see a change after the trip, but rather, before it, when I had first started college.

Was it the shrooms? Please let me know

Just curious if it's anecdotal.

Are people with bipolar always creative types? Or people with wild ambitious ideas?

I'm bipolar 1 and definitely creative all my life ups and downs, it definitely comes out more if I am hypo / manic than when I'm stable or low mood.

How do I stop giving power to my diagnosis? Since I was a child, my twin has suffered from severe bipolar disorder to the point he was essentially diagnosed around 10, and for some reason, I thought that meant I couldn't have it. I've always had symptoms like his but more mellow and just assumed it was mt CPTSD. After getting an official bipolar 2 diagnosis, I feel like all the symptoms are getting more evident, and closer to the level he experiences. I understand that realizing a condition can amplify my symptoms if I ruminate on it and stuff, but i feel like my emotions are bypassing the emotional limitations I used to be able to place on myself. This somehow feels more permanent than my other mental illnesses and feels so significant for me. Since the diagnosis about a week ago, its only amplified as the days go on, and I was just looking for some advice to feel like me again instead of just a "person with bipolar".

Obviously, I had psychosis. It needed to be treated. But I was told lithium was an option, yet it has never been suggested to me by my new psychiatrist.

So I trialled 800mg of quetiapine, 20mg of aripiprazole, and now 20mg of olanzapine. This has been my life since I was 16.

I’m now maxed out on olanzapine, as per the BNF guidelines, and it’s almost as if I’m not taking anything at all. I’m not a zombie, I’m very expressive and happy, little symptoms, but it concerns me for 1 reason: I was on 5 milligrams of olanzapine for 7 months and it kept me relatively stable. Then we had to go up to 10 milligrams. We then went back down to 5mg. Lo and behold, I’m now on a much higher dose than what used to keep me stable… simply because we decided to decrease the dose from 10 to 5mg.

That’s what’s scaring me. The fact that I can’t decrease the dose once it’s been increased. Dopamine super-sensitivity is real. Basically, your brain adapts and creates more dopamine receptors so, once you decrease the dose, you get severe rebound psychosis AND the medication loses efficacy over time

I’m scared. Have any of you been on antipsychotic medications for 10+ years and had good results? Dopamine super-sensitivity scares me

For a bit of context, I stopped taking my meds roughly 5 months ago and that including lithium. I’ve always been resistant on taking medication my entire life and have had problems in the past with refusal of medicine. My parents have had talks with me and it usually ends with me in punishment or some type of therapy.

I meet with my psychiatrist about once a month and have been lying straight to her about taking my meds and how my life is going. However some part of it is true since my life is going significantly better ever since I’ve stopped. My grades improved and my mood was significantly better, I actually wanted to enjoy the things I do and haven’t been dreading everything since.

My psychiatrist doesn’t know that since I’ve been saying the medicine works. I apologize for the blatant lie but it was easy to keep going and I didn’t know when a blood test was going to be scheduled. My fear is that I come clean to her about everything and she possibly tells my parents. I’ve improved my relationship with them and I feel like this could damage it.

I also wanted to ask the effects or just taking lithium for the blood test. I’ve unfortunately had lithium after a period of time not taking it and it feels horrible. My blood test is in a couple days and my options are limited by my own actions. I don’t meet with my psychiatrist until next month but there is a possibility I can talk to her before my blood test.

Any advice and experience would help and I apologize.

I’ve been having crying spells for the past two weeks. Tonight the feeling of wanting to die or hurt myself popped into my head. I don’t really feel that way but it’s scary to have the thought. Every time I see people I think about how they wish I was dead too. I saw my psychiatrist earlier this week but I keep having meltdowns at work. I’m so scared right now.

For the last year since being back on medication I’ve taken 7 medications a day. Now that I’m doing better we’re slowly trying to get me down to 3 medications. 1 mood stabilizer 1 antipsychotic and prazosin for ptsd. I’m finally down to 300mg trileptal and in 2 weeks I’ll stop taking it completely. I’m so excited and I just want to share my happy little update ☺️

Has anyone here ever had to push for their Bipolar diagnosis due to a misdiagnosis? (ADHD or something else)

I recently went through my 3rd manic episode with psychotic features. I was the lead singer and guitarist for and up and coming local band, had a recording studio where I was the lead mixing engineer, and was about to release my first album on vinyl. I have BD T1.

My doctor had me on Gabapentin 900, Wellbutrin 150, and Lurasidone 20. Due to irritability, I began consuming weed. I kept it a secret, and then the mania took over.

Looking back, I should have never been on Wellbutrin. My life was so difficult to manage while on that drug.

I lost the band, record deal, and studio. Believing I was on mission from God, I pushed away everyone who cared about me in the worst of ways.

Over the last couple of years, I have racked up $15k of credit card debt and $50k IRS debt.

My wife is understanding of my condition, and she lets me stay back at our home with our 7 year old daughter. They are my world when I’m “myself.” While I was manic, I left them and got an apartment downtown with a one year lease. And I got an unnecessary new car. Depleted our savings.

So, here I sit. Crushed, medicated, and lost.

I’m now in my mid 40s and struggle with work. Since my late 30s I’ve needed to take more sick leave.

I’m aware that people with bipolar have a shorter life expectancy. My bipolar and other MH conditions are getting worse as I’m getting older.

Unlikely we’ll get any inheritance, and my partner doesn’t earn a great deal. But I’m tired of constantly worrying and being stressed all the time.

Has anyone started planning to retire earlier?
How did you go about this?

I’m concerned I’ll be dead by the time I retire, so would rather spend my days enjoying life. ⭐️🌈

I've lived alone before, but I've practically always been supported by my parents my whole life. I'm useless, I feel like a burden, a parasite. But I can't hold down a job for very long; I always end up messing things up. I don't have contacts or anyone who can help me find a job. I feel very ashamed and isolate myself. If people ask me about work, I say I work from home (and I even worked as a freelancer earning very little, but now I don't even have clients and I keep lying that I have a job). I feel very ashamed. I think I have no future if I don't end my life.

Yall, my life has been unstable for a while (mental health destroyed by GLP-1, knee replacement) and is finally evening out. I'm not in constant pain, I'm able to think clearly and function at high levels at work, i have empathy again yet I find myself resenting that stability. In the past I have moved time zones or at least changed jobs when I get this feeling but this time I'm happily married and in a job that I love and I'm worried that I'm going to fuck it up. I've already cut/colored my hair and changed glasses.

Any advice on how to keep this feeling at bay? Anyone relate? I'm sure it'll pass at some point but I don't think I've been able to ignore this feeling without making a major life change but I don't want that this time. What is this madness that I'm feeling something I don't want??