Reading some of the posts on this site has put my own problems into perspective. My bipolar is mostly under control but occasionally I'm desperate to contact someone who understands how a mood can suddenly drop and make one so miserable, dragging loved ones down too.
I'm no stranger to mood swings as I am 64 and was diagnosed at the age of 35 at the lowest point of my life.
But enough about me. Maybe my age and experience at coping with the depression and elation could enable me to lend an understanding ear to others In a similar predicament.
Welcome to this site, This site is sufferers of depression and we help each other, Just join in there is always some-one around.
Good Luck
BOB
Hello
Most of our problems can be rapid mood changes, it will be all part of the territory.
You say you have had your problem since you were thirty five, do you know the reasons that brought on your troubles,
Do you have children and married, many family members can always feel low when their Mother or Father feel out of sorts and that n turn makes them cynical and uncaring when it comes to Mental Illness.
How can we help
BOB
• in reply to
Hi Bob,
Thanks for that. It's an incurable genetic illness which was only diagnosed when I was 35; called manic depression them, but bi-polar disorder now. It's been successfully treated by mood stabilising drugs most of the time, although I've had spells in hospital.
Luckily my family are caring (my 2 children are grown up and don't live with us). My husband's understanding most of the time but can lose patience. So it will be good to connect with 'like minded people' when I'd like to talk (or listen).
Hope you read my posting of about 7 hours ago. I got carried away but have had positive responses from a few people. Today I am looking at the bright side of mood swings. Hope you ok.
Jan (aka Hilo.
• in reply to
Hello Hilo
You will have many nice people here that you can chat ind receive support, We really look forward to your visits on this site
It is a really good thing to have someone who will give support and understanding of your condition, like you I came down with my depression in my mid to late thirties.
I find this place a good destination when I feel low so make good use of the pages and you will find you are not alone
i am interested in your moods and what triggers them.
i am bipolar too. i have been dealing with it for 10 years. i know its a hard struggle and it had to do with my surroundings. Most people in general are hard to deal with. They have rude behaviors and no respect to society.
I was in a healthy surround working with race horses and one day i had a death in the family. Thats when everything started going down hill with my health. I was hospitalized 3 times in 5 years. Medication after medications. Now its been about 10 years i am only on Lithium Carbonate 1200mg for too long. Just this year i asked to to dropped down to a lower dose because i had no energy at all. 900mg dose i am on as of now. But still i am tired and have really sore joints. Was just diagnosed with arthritis. I been doing some reseach and medications cause so many problem in our long term health. Seem there is no way around it. Lithium has been a good temporary fix. But i wish there was more explanation on how these disorders occur. Do you think its in our daily diets? Could it be that simple. SUGAR is the killer for me. It triggers my moods and anxiety. But its in almost everything.
Sorry for typing so much.. I am new on this site. I am still curious on how others feel with bipolar and what symptoms they still have while taking medications.
Let you now how your feeling. I hope things work out for you. Keep your faith.
Hi, did you read my lengthy post about 6hrs ago? It emphasised the positive side of the condition.
From my own experience...I was on lithium for 23 years until my kidneys began to object. Then after some juggling about, I remain on Depakote; a comparatively small dose morning and night. On lithium I had several 'episodes' over the years but none since the newer drug.
At first I was dopey and sleepy but am on the right amount for me now, with the minimum affect on my personality and everyday life.
Keep emphasising to yor doctors that the side effects you are experiencing are interfering with your lifestyle and physical health.
Your bi-polar seems to have been triggered by the sad event in your life. Surely bereavement counselling would be beneficial. Have yo gone down that avenue?
Dealing with your loss and receiving the right medication for you seem to me to be the way forward.
I too am new to this site and can only speak from experience. (Diagnosed with manic depression at 35 although a traumatic experience at 17 probably triggered the gene when I had a breakdown.
Hope you get something out of this or my earlier posting, 36need a doctor. All the best,
Jan (aka Hilo)
Hi Hannah, thanks for welcoming me on board. It's not all bad when you can share.
Hi Hilohilo nice to meet you and welcome to the site. I have had depression since childhood so don't know what it is like not to have it. I can cope a lot better with it now I am older at 61. I like to think I would have had a much better life if I had been diagnosed and treated much earlier. I feel like I had a lot of potential which I have been unable to fulfil and now it's too late (ie kids and a good career etc.).
Still that's life I guess and I refuse to be bitter. Bev x
Im sorry to hear that you been suffering a longer time then myself. It is very hard to manage a mood disability. I am 36 and i refuse to have children because i am not stable enough to give them the care they really need in life. We all have a purpose and the more we all communicate it may help us deal with some of our pain. i always would think THINGS could be worse. But people in general seem to be having the same train of thought. We know from experience who difficult it is to deal with mental health. What is normal? I so think there ever was a normal. If your not full-filling your own dreams maybe your here to help others full-fill there dreams. That is the way i feel and i accept that more now. Keep your faith Bev i hope good things happen to you.
Looks like there are a few people that need answers just like i do.
I was diagnosed with Bipolar 10 years ago. i still have trouble dealing with my everyday life. i been on and off antidepressants and put on different mood medications they call stabilizers. Nothing seem to work the way i wanna be and feel. I am not myself. i am on 900mg of lithium carbonate as of now.
Dr. just prescribed me a new medication to take with my lithium.
Lamotrigine 25mg has anyone been on this medication? please give me an example of what it did for you. Or what its doing for you today.. I am very interested in your results and symptom changes.
It seems most days i do not have any proper emotions. I have bad anxiety and i have no energy to do anything physical. There seems to be no cure to my mental illness. Its hard to find a job when i have no concentration, bad anxiety, easily distracted, fatigue, sometimes have thoughts of death. How does someone with Bipolar support themselves? I live in Canada people think we have the best health care. Id like to know what part of Canada has the best health care. After 10 years of dealing with my illness and still not being able to support myself its sad.. Sad that i lives with my parents and they are the ones supporting me. Wondering if there are any natural ways that may help. i am not use to talking about my own issues. I seem to worry more about others and it drains my brain enough i become very fatigue from listening or doing for others. i don't know how to say NO.. I am afraid to hurt someones feelings. If you are bipolar id like for you to share a few things with me. Maybe it will be good to talk a few things out..
Hello, need a doc. It might be worth reading James Phelps MD 's site (you can google it). As far as I can tell he's a very respected psychiatrist in the states. While he uses Ads and mood stabilisers he's a great believer in trying Fish Oil , exercise, and other remedies in preference to drugs if possible. He quotes several viable studies which show that in tests exercise, and possibly fish oil help as much as drugs.
You'll need to read his site to find the strength of fish oil to buy but its not too expensive here. I am bipolar 2 and have tried it for about 3 weeks (not long enough yet) but I do feel something is helping, maybe the fish oil. It is certainly good for the heart as a bonus, must (i would have thought) help avoid constipation, and some think it helps arthritis (unlikely in my opinion.)
There's a lot of reading in total on his site but I find it very helpful and good. I certainly believe the USA, although far from ideal is a good way ahead of the UK both in attitude to mental heath and in treatment. You'll be pleased to know that Phelps has a high regard for several Canadian studies on Depression.
I myself intend to persuade my Psychiatrist to put me on Lamotrigine (instead of Depakote) mainly as a result of jim Phelps feelings about it. See drugs.com site for quite a lot of users support for Lamotrigine altho it can cause a rare but dangerous allergic reaction.
As to what triggers an onset of bipolar depression if they knew that we'd all be happier. Why is it my mind is fine for 18 months and then fairly suddenly, with no outside cause I can tell it trips into depression. There must be a reason --after all consider your brain as a very, very, very complicated machine. I personally think ,along with many biologists , medics ,and physicists that's all it is but opinions do differ. Then it stops working well for say six months. Then it works again perfectly for another year say. There has to be a physical /chemical reason probably connected with diet (what else is there that changes) but they sure don't know what it is.
It's such a difficult problem (you can't do too many experiments on human brains ).
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Getting it off my chest - GUIDANCE?
Constant crying, depression and pain.
Constant bad moods
Does anyone on hear have bipolar? 
Trying To Stay Strong
