Blogging
Disorder- do i have it?
A Story of Bipolar Disorder: Does this Sound like You?
Are you feeling really "down" sometimes and really "up" other times? Are these mood changes causing problems at work, school, or home? If yes, you may have also called bipolar disorder, manic-depressive illness.
James' Story:
"I've had times of feeling "down" and sad most of my life. I used to skip school a lot when I felt like this because I just couldn't get out of bed. At first I didn't take these feelings very seriously.
"I also had times when I felt really terrific, like I could do anything. I felt really "wound up" and I didn't need much sleep. Sometimes friends would tell me I was talking too fast. But everyone around me seemed to be going too slow.
"My job was getting more stressful each week, and the "up" and "down" times were coming more often. My wife and friends said that I was acting very different from my usual self. I kept telling them that everything was fine, there was no problem, and to leave me alone.
"Then, all of a sudden, I couldn't keep it together. I stopped going to work and stayed in bed for days at a time. I felt like my life wasn't worth living anymore. My wife made an appointment for me to see our family doctor and went with me. The doctor checked me out and then sent me to a psychiatrist, who is an expert in treating the kinds of problems I was having.
"The psychiatrist talked with me about how I'd been feeling and acting over the last six months. We also talked about the fact that my grandfather had serious ups and downs like me. I wasn't real familiar with "bipolar disorder," but it sure sounded like what I was going through. It was a great relief to finally know that the ups and downs really were periods of "mania" and "depression" caused by an illness that can be treated.
"For four months now, I've been taking a medicine to keep my moods stable andI see my psychiatrist once a month. I also see someone else for "talk" therapy, which helps me learn how to deal with this illness in my everyday life.
"The first several weeks were hard before the medicine and talk therapy started to work. But now, my mood changes are much less severe and don't happen as often. I'm able to go to work each day, and I'm starting to enjoy things again with my family and friends."
Many people who have bipolar disorder don't know they have it. This article can help. It tells you about four steps you can take to understand and get help for bipolar disorder.
Four steps to understand and get help for bipolar disorder:
Look for signs of bipolar disorder.
Understand that bipolar disorder is a real illness.
See your doctor. Get a checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
Get treatment for your bipolar disorder. You can feel better.
Step 1: Look for signs of bipolar disorder.
Read the following lists. Put a check mark by each sign that sounds like you now or in the past:
Signs of mania (ups)
I feel like I'm on top of the world.
I feel powerful. I can do anything I want, nothing can stop me.
I have lots of energy.
I don't seem to need much sleep.
I feel restless all the time.
I feel really mad.
I have a lot of sexual energy.
I can't focus on anything for very long.
I sometimes can't stop talking and I talk really fast.
I'm spending lots of money on things I don't need and can't afford.
Friends tell me that I've been acting differently. They tell me that I'm starting fights, talking louder, and getting more angry.
Signs of depression (downs)
I am really sad most of the time.
I don't enjoy doing the things I've always enjoyed doing.
I don't sleep well at night and am very restless.
I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.
I don't feel like eating much.
I feel like eating all the time.
I have lots of aches and pains that don't go away.
I have little to no sexual energy.
I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.
I am mad at everybody and everything.
I feel upset and fearful, but can't figure out why.
I don't feel like talking to people.
I feel like there isn't much point to living, nothing good is going to happen to me.
I don't like myself very much. I feel bad most of the time.
I think about death a lot. I even think about how I might kill myself.
Other signs of bipolar disorder
I go back and forth between feeling really "up" and feeling really "down."
My ups and downs cause problems at work and at home.
If you checked several boxes in these lists, call your doctor. Take the lists to show your doctor. You may need to get a checkup and find out if you have bipolar disorder.
http://www.magellanassist.com/mem/library/default.asp?TopicID=25
i just sat infront of my computer. browsing thru my msn. quite a number of you guys are online. i wanna chat but nothing came out.