Hi,
I hope you’re having a really good day.
Well today is suppose to be the bipolar news but we have a technical problem.
Big storms knocked out some of our systems that help us get the news going so it won’t be here until tomorrow morning.
Sorry about this if you were waiting for it.
Well, I have an interesting topic for you today:
How to go into a bipolar episode.
Here’s how I got the idea:
I was thinking about how I write my reports and courses.
I do it in steps.
Step 1: First comes the idea.
Step 2: Then I share the idea with a few other people to see if they think it’s a good one (or if I’m out of my mind, which sometimes they say I am 🙂
Step 3: I draw up an outline of the idea and some other ideas and points I want to be in the report or course.
Step 4: I let it stew for a few days. I know this sounds crazy, but I really do this.
Step 5: I revisit the outline. Usually, because I let it stew, I’ve come up with new ideas and points to add to the outline (the report or course), or have talked to someone n the meantime who gave me some new ideas to add to it. (Here’s a secret: Sometimes they even come from comments on my blog! I get ideas from everywhere and anyone)
Step 6: I do the research I need to do for the report or course. This can take a long time in itself.
Step 7: I start writing the report or course. This part can take months and months. Actually, I should have said this step is only the first draft of the report or course. That’s why it takes so long.
Step 8: I write the 2nd draft of the report or course.
Step 9: If needed, I write a 3rd draft of the report or course.
Step 10: I show the report to someone else (or a few other people) to get their opinion(s) on the report or course. If they don’t like it, or it needs more work, I go back and repeat Step 8. If not, I go on to the next step.
Step 11: I send the report or course on for editing. I can’t always trust myself not to miss something crucial, and I want my reports and courses to be absolutely perfect before they get to you. An editor does more than proofread and check for spelling and grammar mistakes. They also have to make sure that my ideas flow correctly and that it comes across the way I mean for it to. You know, things like that.
Step 12: It comes back to me and I proofread it again before I approve it for you.
Step 13: I ready the report or course for you.
THIRTEEN STEPS!
If I were to write a “How to Write a Report or Course on Bipolar Disorder David Oliver’s Way,” there would be 13 Steps to it!
So now you can understand all the hard work that goes into my courses/systems, so you can get the best information possible:
NEW LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
Well, anyway, let’s get to the subject at hand:
How to go into a bipolar episode.
I’ll show you, like I showed you how I write a report or course.
Step 1: Get lazy.
Step 2: Stop being productive.
Step 3: Stop exercising.
Step 4: Stop eating a healthy diet.
Step 5: Stop keeping good sleep habits.
Step 6: Stop watching for triggers.
Step 7: Stop watching for signs/symptoms.
Step 8: Stop taking care of yourself.
Step 9: Stop communicating with your Supporter (support system).
Step 10: Start isolating.
Step 11: Start losing touch with family and friends.
Step 12: Stop going to your support group.
Step 13: Stop seeing your therapist.
Step 14: Stop going to your psychiatrist and doctor.
Step 15: STOP TAKING YOUR MEDICATION.
Well, by the time you reach Step 15, you are pretty much guaranteed to go into a bipolar episode.
ESPECIALLY because of Step 15.
You might be able to get away with doing some of the other steps, even for quite some time, but you can’t get away with stopping your medications.
And that’s the most dangerous thing of all! Because it can fool you.
Because of the build-up of medication in your system, you might be able to go a little while and not feel any different. So you might be fooled into thinking you don’t even need your bipolar medications to feel fine!
But this is a LIE!
Your bipolar disorder is cunning – it will lie in wait… and then spring on you like a lion, and the next thing you know, you have no medication to fall back on…
And you are in a full-blown bipolar episode!
IF NOT WORSE!
The worst thing that can happen is that you could lose your life!
Unfortunately, it happens way too often.
People go off their medications, thinking they don’t need them (or any number of other reasons), and end up killing themselves.
The statistics say that 20% will do this. That is 1 in 5 people. 1 in 5 people! You could be that one person if you go off your medication!
So what about you?
Do you agree or disagree?
Have you ever gone off your medication and gone into an episode?
FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials
David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.
Post responses below
I live with my boyfriend and childs father that has bipolar disorder. It is very difficult. I love him so much, I hope and pray for him everyday.
I never know when to believe him or not. I think sometimes he fights off the episodes and other times he just lets him self go.
Its weird but, I can tell when he has an episode coming because when he gets back from work and he has his paycheck, he has this crooked smile and acts like nothing is wrong then he says hes going to the store and does’nt come back for hours later. I worry so much when he does that. Then when he comes back he acts like nothing happened. Like he didnt do anything wrong. Its puzzeling.
He starts his meds. then stops them. Thats frustrating. He’ll say himself he feels so much better on them, but still he will stop taking the meds.
I try my best to support him, and just the other day I told him that if we were going to make I was going to study on bipolar disorders and he understood.
Its rough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live with my boyfriend and childs father that has bipolar disorder. It is very difficult. I love him so much, I hope and pray for him everyday.
I never know when to believe him or not. I think sometimes he fights off the episodes and other times he just lets him self go.
Its weird but, I can tell when he has an episode coming because when he gets back from work and he has his paycheck, he has this crooked smile and acts like nothing is wrong then he says hes going to the store and does’nt come back for hours later. I worry so much when he does that. Then when he comes back he acts like nothing happened. Like he didnt do anything wrong. Its puzzeling.
He starts his meds. then stops them. Thats frustrating. He’ll say himself he feels so much better on them, but still he will stop taking the meds.
I try my best to support him, and just the other day I told him that if we were going to make it,I was going to study on bipolar disorders and he understood.
Its rough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have four children that has been diagnosed bypolar ages 16 to 9years old they are on depakote125mg 3times a day and risperidone .25mg there behavior has gotten worse and there doctor wont be in untill the 20th of this month.what do i need to do
sadly I have to agree, I lost 3 friends who
thought that they could just go off their
meds, but sadly they died. Where I live they
say its 90% chance of dying when stopping your
medications…I feel great and am tired of taking
them, but hey its how I survive, and it means
taking them for a life time..so be it..I’m okay
with that.
hugs
Dori
Thanks for the letter david i was just thinking if I were to go off my meds it would crazy Sometimes I think its better to do as your doc says its bad when family or even friends know you have bipolar thay watch your actions but anyway thanks have a good day from sharon who lives in santee cal good wheather
HI THERE….
Well let me tell you this i dont even no if i have bipolor.I have not been diagnosed with it so am not on any meds for it. I take amitriptoline but that not for bipolor.
P.S I put it down to my hormoans
Take Care Linda x
when i was younger i was diagnosed with depression and given antidepressants which after a while would send me into a manic episode then feeling ‘fine’ i would come off the meds and soon go into such a bad low. this was a vicious cycle round and round, new meds-high-low, twice the lows ended in attempted suicide.
4 years ago after 7 years of suffering i was diagnosed with bipolar, given the right meds and although ive had a few episodes they are minor in comparison and would never dream of coming off them just coz i ‘felt fine’!
I am supporting my wife from last ten years.Recent episode took place due to my foolishness.she was c/o hairfall i suggested stop med. for two days(1 out of 3)Slowly things went out of control.She refused to resume & then stoped 2nd of her own.
DEC.& JAN.were very hard for me.
Patricia,
Call your drs’ office and ask if their dr has a stand-by dr for you to talk to. Usually drs have someone as a stand-by in case of emergencies. Most of them do most of the time. Please call them and see if there they have a stand-by or another dr working at his office to help. If it gets real bad and there is no other dr, you can take them to the emergency room and ask a dr to see them. It is really important for you to get them help.
Dave,
I have been supporting a fellow person with bipolar here lately. I just met him a little over a month ago and he became suicidal very quickly. He was not taking his medication and had not for quite sometime. I got him to go to the ER and he is stabilizing. He was refusing to take medication when I met him. I got him to be open to taking meds and to get into the hospital because he was so suicidal it was scary. He had a gun loaded and everything! I think it is harder on the people who support those who have bipolar because I have been on both sides, the one who was suicidal and the one who is trying to care for one who is suicidal. It is definitely more difficult to be the supporter.
For all of you, Dave knows what he is talking about with these 15 things. These 15 things are the opposite of what we need to do to stay on top of the bipolar ball. Replace the word “Stop” with “Do” don’t get lazy, stay productive,etc. and you have it. I started slipping and getting stressed out working with my friend and started missing my support groups, my sleep was suffering because of the stress, I wasn’t eating just right, I started to feel triggered, and then I reached out because I know the symptoms and signs of an episode. I had stopped exercising and all because I was so wrapped up in supporting him, running errands to the hospital, going to my dr visits, taking care of business on top of taking care of him and I started slipping. Thank God I have good friends and stayed in close contact with them and let them know what was going on. They helped me by reminding me what to do, sleep, eat, exercise, take care of myself because I lost sight of this helping my friend.
We can’t let ourselves slip into taking so much care of a loved one with bipolar that we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. If we go down, there won’t be anyone to take care of them, besides the fact that we get dragged down and can suffer depression, or anxiety which causes problems for us. As supporters we need to do the first 13 things on this list to keep us healthy too. They are not just for bipolar, but good for anyone dealing with someone who is bipolar too! Example, Don’t get lazy, be productive, have a support group, eat healthy, exercise… all these things supporters can do to keep ourselves heatlhy and strong too!
I am going to covert your list of 15 things “Not” to do into things to do Dave. And I will keep it on my wall next to my computer to keep me ever mindful of what “To” do! As a supporter and survivor, it can get tough…
Thanks Dave…
Bob
PS…
The last time I went off my meds I tried to commit suicide with every intent to succeed within 36 hrs!!! I will NEVER GO OFF THEM, EVER!
Bob
I do concur with you David my daughter has biopolar- follow those steps and the episode will hit as sure as day follows night. Whats so good David, that just by reading your emails Ive been able to observe the steps and begin to predict beginnings of the patterns for the onset of bipolar episode so that I can say to my daughter the word that is the signal for both of us ” Intervention” is a word both of us have decided is the connecting signal. This word will form part of a series of questions I will ask her so that I can relay the answers to the mental support team :
She knows I will definitely contact her psychiatrist and mental health key worker and inform them of the signs and although sometimes she gets cross and says Im interfering I truelly believe she is secretly relieved that I have taken the initiative: Rachel said something once “How do I know when Im well or not when Im sick”
So gone are the screaming matches and the terrible hurtful words and instead I,the supporter have stopped feeling terrified and powerless and I virtually go down that list you have written up David and ask her questions and give observations to Rachel like”You look a bit disshevelled,( sad ,preoccupied,angry,agitated) today is anything wrong?
Then I do something about it – go to her mental health team and proactively engage them insisting they and combine forces with me to focus on the present situation before her condition deteriorates and she is admitted into hospital costing the taxpayer many thousands of dollars.I make sure that I am kept in the loop when an intervention is in progress.
So thank you once again
Regards
shona
Hello All, I think I was bipolar to some extent all my life,being excessively timid at school and having panic etc as a young child. Only in the last few years have the psychiatrists decided that Im Bipolar2. However, my lows are dreadfully low and I dont get ‘high’ as in elation but do get agitated and annoyed. because of weightgain and side effects, I have tried to come off my meds a few times. Like Dave said,it takes a while for the meds to work out of the system so you feel ok for a while, they whoooosh…. the symptoms kick in and it takes so long to get the serotinin levels back up again. Not worth it. I feel isolated because Im sort of in the middle. Im not a ‘Manic Depressive’ so people dont think I have aserious disorder, however, there is no let up and I have panic and slight agoraphobia and am nervous and dont socialise alot. This is such a waste of my life as Im in my late 40s and considered good looking.I find it a v lonely condition. Yes, I do know people who killed themselves.I find that the meds take away the sexual urge completely and because of the side effects, I find it hard to keep my weight down but I do manage not to be very overweight. Its important to take care of yourself, keep a journal so that you will become familiar with the signs and symptoms of an oncoming depression or elation. God bless Rosie
Hi, This is the first time writing. I was origanially dianosed with manic-depression in 1979. I was 21 years old. I would go on and off my medication….with manic episodes… In fact it came to the point that going to the hospital didn’t bother me. Then in year 2000 I want off medication, lost my job, and slapped my 16 year old daughter in the face. Then when she was leaving to get away from me — I chased her. The police were called and I ended up spending 21 days in jail. I have taken mymedicine ever since then. I have not had an episode since then and have a great relationship with my daughter and 2 year grandaughter.
I’m 9 months pregnant and about to have the baby any day. I’ve been off the meds since the day I found out I was expecting. So basically I’ve been unmedicated for about 8 months. It’s killing me slowly. I’ve been in and out of episodes while carrying my bundle and I feel like a huge piece of crap. I was advised that the meds I take aren’t good for baby and to just “hang in”. Obviously, they have no idea what it means to have this disorder. I’m crying all the time and seeing my therapist every week. I feel so alone and scared. No one understands and I have to fight this demon by myself. I can’t wait til I’m back on my meds. I will always take them once he’s born. Thanks for your emails. They help me a lot each day.
You offered ME a job.
I will take it!
I have over 8 Years experience as a “consumer.”
WHAT DO YOU HAVE?”
I see your steps, I do NOT read your psych. babble/propagander.
You say in this one:
STEP1: THE ENEMA. THEN IT FLOWS!
GREAT TO SEE A LITTLE HONESTY CREAPING INTO YOUR GAY LITTLE LIEING LIFE!
I AM STILL WAITING FOR OUR DEBATE LITTLE ONE!
AS YOU ARE STILL PREACHING, YOU STILL “BELIEVE.” HENCE I NEED TO EDUCATE YOU!
DEBATE; ME AND ALL YOUR SICK PSYCHIATRIST LITTLE GAY SADIST MATES.
14/2/09.
THAT’S TODAY FOOL.
NOW!!
HOW PLEASNT “VALENTINES DAY.”
I AM SUPRISED YOU DID NOT TRY TO GET YOUR CUT FROM THIS COMMERCIAL DAY?
OH, you’re back again, Troy. Why don’t you just go “diddle” yourself until the mood to post on here passes. I’m VERY tired of you…
I have been under EXTREME external stressors since July of last year, awaiting the closing of my refinancing loan. Now, they tell me they MAY close on Monday. Where have I heard THAT before??!!
I am slowly but surely going into the “down” mood of bipolar. I have kept “upbeat” for soooo long, and right now, it seems so difficult to sustain it. My mind/body connection is sooo strong that I can gauge a depressive mood by how my stomach feels. Right now, I’m gobbling Carafate, Pepto, and Prilosec – to no avail. I’m somewhat sad that I have no one to share Valentine’s Day with. I wish there were someone I could talk to about this sudden mood-swing, that came on me on Wednesday. I thought about calling my therapist today, but, stupidly, did not do it. Now – I have to suffer the weekend without resolution.
For example, I didn’t get to sleep until 2AM, and got up at 1:30 this afternoon. I was sooo fatigued that while I was drinking my morning cups of coffee, I spilled half of them on my new comforter – this did NOT make me happy. I didn’t leave the house, even though there are things I need at the store. This is NOT like me; usually, I’m chipper enough to at least go grocery shopping, which I enjoy. And, my cats need food :(.
I hope that if all bipolar survivors out there – as well as supporters – have someone they love – that they appreciate them and not take them for granted. I’ve been thinking a LOT about my last late husband lately, and can’t seem to shake the sadness. God IS Love, and we all need to remember that…
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
P.S. To DAVE: You’re outline has given me instruction on how to write a proposal for my freelance writing business; what a HELP you have been! Thank you 🙂
The first 3 steps didn’t apply to my boyfriend’s episode last year. He only gets “lazy” when going into a depressive episode. There was an obvious trigger for his episode last year, when his home was badly damaged by fire. He tried to make the best of a bad situation and gradually went hypomanic, which to some extent was enjoyable. Unfortunately, he enjoyed it too much and then stopped taking his meds and missed all his appointments. Another trigger threw him deep into an episode which eventually landed him in the psych ward for 6 weeks. Right now he is back to earth level, though we’re not totally sure if his current cocktail of meds is completely right.
LINDA, mildly bipolar symptoms may well be hormonal. I’m just going through the menopause and experiencing some bipolar type symptoms, especially anxiety, insomnia and depression. After a number of blood tests, my doctor tells me these are common menopausal symptoms. An up and down thyroid can also give you bipolar type moods. Tell your doctor how you feel and have some tests done.
SUZANNE, sorry to hear you are feeling down. Wouldn’t your boyfriend come to see you? Valentines Day is fun when you’re young and get mystery cards etc. but it doesn’t mean a lot to me now. We haven’t got money to go out anyway. My boyfriend will be with me tomorrow night, but he usually comes over on a Saturday anyway. I was disappointed when we didn’t see the New Year in together because he had flu, but he made it up to me later. I’m still very sad because my cat died recently and my man is being very supportive and is there for me. He is the one with bipolar, but we are each other’s supporters. If I was you I would give your boyfriend a call and tell him how you feel.
To NIGHTLADY: To give credit where credit is due, my boyfriend DID send me a Valentine’s Day card, but he lives an hour-and-a-half away – and has the flu! I fully expect to call him tomorrow morning and wish him a HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY in person. We are more platonic than anything right now; certainly NOT romantic.
YOU have a HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!! You are such a loving and giving person to remark about my “down” mood. I am a “night” person, and usually have a “rush” for an hour AFTER I take my night meds. I expect I will feel better tomorrow – this, too, shall pass. If only ONE of my external stressors would be resolved, I KNOW I WOULD feel better about the whole situation.
THANK you for your concern, but I “think” I’ll be all right.
Dave Oliver: I am very touched by the replies to your email. I feel very sad for all of the bi-polar people and their problems. I have several relatives with bi-polar and wish that I could do more to help them. I have discovered that although bi-polar people have many problems, most of them are willing to help everyone else. I have also discovered that at my high point I work harder in an attempt to make up for the times when I am depressed and not very constructive. Thanks again Dave for your dedication and concern for everyone. I wish everyone a happy valentines day. Chuck Lessard
Step 15. It’s critical but how do you get someone to take meds who thinks they don’t need them, much less not deny they have the disorder? I know you sell this, but was wondering if you could shed some light on this particular step. I mean, it’s crucial, and since you know a lot about bipolar people maybe you could share it here???