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What's On Your Mind?

From the lens Welcome To My Bipolar World.

  • hotbrain Dec 28, 2011 @ 3:29 am | delete
    I hope you can find a medicine or a dosage that works for treating bipolar disorder without causing the flatness that you speak of. I guess I'm lucky because although I'm on medication (lithium orotate) I still have ups and downs but they are not as deep or as frequent.
  • squidoopets Aug 16, 2011 @ 1:07 am | delete
    I am taking medication for the effects of bipolar and so far am feeling much better - all the best to you on your journey
  • happynutritionist Aug 14, 2011 @ 10:52 pm | delete
    Thank you for all of this personal and helpful information. I don't think I'm bipolar, as there are no extremes, but can relate to some of the symptoms of depression shared, after a long series of challenging times. Blessed!
  • nightbear Aug 14, 2011 @ 5:55 pm | delete
    Remarkable insight from the perspective of living with the disorder. I am not bipolar but as a nurse I deal with the effects frequently. The hardest thing about this problem from my point of view is people suffering but refusing to take the help. It is very sad when their pendulum swings so wildly that they can't cope. I am happy you are doing well, and are so open about it. Blessed!
  • SylviaRolfe Aug 14, 2011 @ 6:24 pm | delete
    I think another problem, for many of us suffering with it, is getting that help. I have spent the better part of 2 years dealing with it on my own as I fall between the cracks in the system. Luckily, I believe I am now firmly on the forefront of getting the help I need, and have been screaming for my entire life.
  • pawpaw911 Aug 14, 2011 @ 12:02 pm | delete
    Very serious and important subject. Thanks for doing this lens.
  • Graceonline Aug 12, 2011 @ 8:18 pm | delete
    My life has been touched several times, sometimes deeply touched, by people with a bipolar diagnosis. Every one of their lives has been difficult, their daily struggle intense and unremitting. I pray you have all the support, love and strength you need at each and every moment.
  • SylviaRolfe Aug 14, 2011 @ 6:26 pm | delete
    Thank you very much. I have an entire world around me, such as those wonderful people I meet here and on my own blog that help me cope with my issues and make my way through my muddled world. I wish I could say the same for everyone who suffers from a mental health disorder. Best wishes.
  • gypsyman27 May 28, 2011 @ 10:46 pm | delete
    Since I have bipolar disorder, I should take medication. My doctor knows that I don't. I don't know if I'm supposed to be a certain way. It's like you said, I don't want to be stuck to someone else's idea of 'appropriate' behavior. I would never harm anyone. I just want to be myself. Is there a drug that could help one control the lows and highs, without affecting who you really are? No, not as far as I know. So I don't take anything. See you around the galaxy...
  • SylviaRolfe Aug 14, 2011 @ 6:28 pm | delete
    I feel for you. I really do. I'm happy being me, I really am. Could I handle life better without such hard ups and lows, damn right. But I don't want to be someone else in order to do that. I want to love as passionately as I do right now, I want to feel saddness, I want to be okay with being upset, happy or otherwise. So like you, I go through each day unmedicated, even though the doctor believes I should be otherwise.
  • aj2008 Apr 25, 2011 @ 4:32 pm | delete
    As the mother of a daughter who is BiPolar, I know that acknowledging that there's a difficulty, seeking help and ACCEPTING that help is only one of many steps that need to be taken. But a crucial step is ensuring that those in a position to be of great influence understand the condition too.

    Because at some stage, those close to you can either help you to keep getting the help you need or they can influence you away from the help because they do not understand that this condition is with you for life.

    My daughter came to me last summer and said she was so much "better" that did I think she could come off her meds. I said no. Sadly her new partner influemced her to such an extent that she believed him when he said she could manage without them.

    Fortunately she is getting help again, but not before she has been through hell and dropped so much weight that she is smaller than her 12 year old sister.

    The more people understand about this condition and that it is not just a question of "will power" or "pulling yourself together", the better it will be for sufferers and their families.

    So thank you for being brave enough to tell it as it is.
  • ColorPetGifts Mar 22, 2011 @ 4:55 pm | delete
    How are you feeling today? I'm manic, and it's very uncomfortable physically. I'd had great success on cymbalta for sleep, for several months, without bringing me 'down' to the constancy you talk about, still able to maintain creativity and sense of aliveness- then suddenly, it has stopped working. So, what's on my mind is seeking some medical help/treatment. Wishing you all the best, love and hugs.
  • SylviaRolfe Mar 22, 2011 @ 5:23 pm | delete
    Today, is a bad day LOL. Not so much for my own sense of emotions but just life in general. Things just have that way of getting away from you, if you know what I mean.

    I've gotten pretty good lately, in regards to sleep. I'm not sleeping around 4 hours a night or so and finding I'm still rested, awake and able to function. Seems like my magic sleep number is in and around 4 hours of sleep a night (although I am sure when the next depressive episode hits that will change.)

    Best wishes to you as well and good luck on your own bipolar journey.
  • mulberry Mar 6, 2011 @ 5:43 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing such good information on bipolar disorder. It's good that word is getting out about this. Anything that helps more people understand it is useful, and anything that let's people know they don't face this alone is a gift.
  • SylviaRolfe Mar 22, 2011 @ 5:25 pm | delete
    Mulberry, I believe you are absolutely correct. Knowing you're not alone in coping with this can be a great relief. Nothing feels better then knowing that odd little qwirk about yourself is something others experience as well.
  • ShirlW Mar 6, 2011 @ 5:54 am | delete
    Very well written and an excellent job at sharing your condition. Blessed by a Squid Angel today.
  • SylviaRolfe Mar 22, 2011 @ 5:24 pm | delete
    ShirlW, thank you so much for your compliments on my lens, as well as your blessing.
  • hotbrain Feb 26, 2011 @ 11:57 pm | delete
    You've described your experience with medication well. I can understand why you struggle with it. I think medication should stop the mania and severe depressions but not all mood variations. I guess I'm fortunate because that's what medication does for me most of the time.

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SylviaRolfe

My name is Sylvia.
I was first diagnosed as being bipolar at 13 years old. Over the last 16 years I have battled and fought with my disorder, often d... more »

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