==>>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==
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for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
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Hi,
How’s it going?
I got this email, and I wanted to share it with you, because
the answer will show you something very important
to bipolar disorder.
Here’s the email:
“Dear Dave,
I’ve been depressed for three weeks now, and I’m
starting to get really scared. I’m afraid I’m going
into a depressed episode. The thing is, I have
nothing to be depressed over – I’m basically
really happy with my life. Nothing’s wrong that
I can figure out. No reason for me to be so depressed.
So why am I still so down? Also, even though I’m
sleeping, like, 10 hours a night, I’m exhausted all
the time! What do you think is going on? What
should I do?”
-Mary
First thing Mary should do is CONTACT
her doctor. This is VERY important.
I am not sure why, but many people
ask NON doctors medical questions. I
actually puzzles me.
If you have any questions about what’s
going on with yourself or your loved one
with bipolar disorder treatment or condition
contact the doctor.
This is very important.
I talk about “catching the bipolar episode.”
This is done by contacting the doctor right away
so he/she can figure out what’s going on.
Remember, I am NOT a doctor, lawyer, therapist
or other kind of professional and can NOT and
do NOT give medical OR legal advice.
With that said the reason I chose this email to answer is that
I don’t think this is so uncommon. From what people
tell me, sometimes people with bipolar disorder can
get depressed with seemingly no cause for the depression.
I asked Michele Soloway (she is just a writer
who writes for me and NOT a doctor, therapist
or professional) about this email from Mary
and she wrote:
“That’s because of the chemical imbalance itself. The
chemicals just flare up at times with no trigger.
Most times, we can point to a trigger as a cause
for a bipolar episode. When you get depressed,
like the person in the email, the first thing you
should do is look for a trigger, and usually you
will find one. But there may be times when you
just can’t find one.
Those are the times when you just have to accept
that, like you learned in the beginning, bipolar
disorder is a chemical imbalance of the brain,
and sometimes those chemicals are just going to
fire off on their own.”
In my courses and systems I teach a lot of how to
figure out what things cause bipolar episodes and
how to prevent them.
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
You can’t eliminate all bipolar episode
many I have seen that you can eliminate a lot
of them by working at it.
Finding out what causes a bipolar episode
sometimes is a process of elimination. Like
I said, first you look for a trigger.
So, say, you go to your doctor first, and the two of
you try to figure out if there was something
emotionally that set you off that maybe you
missed, then maybe you go to your therapist
and do the same if you can’t find the reason
with your doctor.
Then maybe you look for something physical.
Like the person in the email was saying,
about how they felt exhausted all the time.
There can be physical causes that can make
you go into an episode – like drinking too
much water can deplete your body of
sodium and potassium, confusing your mind.
Or dehydrating your body if you don’t drink
enough fluids. Or a thyroid condition. And
there are others.
It could even be your medications. Remember
you talk this over with your doctor. You don’t
figure it out yourself. Don’t make this deadly
mistake.
Only your psychiatrist will know,
and can advise you what to do about your medications.
I know I keep repeating myself but people
really need to remember and know this.
Keep a journal all the time. When you do that,
you can look back and start to get a good idea
of bipolar episode triggers.
Then you take what you learned and use it
for the future. The people who have gotten
really good at managing their bipolar disorder
do this and that’s how over time, they master
managing the disorder.
I would appreciate if some people post some
stories about how they used this process of elimination
in their own life.
Well, I’ll talk to you later.
Your friend,
Dave
–
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp
P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
David:
The strangest thing happened to me the other night. I have Bipolar Disorder, and have never dated long enough (in my opinion) to disclose that I have Bipolar. Well, the other night I was talking to a guy and and telling him about when my Depression was diagnosed and he said,”is that when they diagnosed your Bipolar too?” I almost came out of my chair! I said, “What? How did you know?” He said my movements were real measured and slow. Like I was drugged. I am seeing my doctor today and definitely talking to him about this, because if I go to apply for a job, I don’t want them to think I’m on drugs! I take Abilify,Lithium and Cymbalta. But I think its the Abilify that makes me appeared “drugged”. Just thought you should know.
teri
Everything David advised to cope with depression is excellent. It is, in deed, a physical response and is not imagined. Brainwaves slow down so much that one cannot think streight. The slower brainwaves get, the more people want to sleep. (A severely depressed person, when up, is a sleepwalker.)
Some things you can do to get over depression (if these make sense to you) are as follows:
+ increase the protein in your diet. Start the morning with eggs! Eat peanut butter sandwiches! nuts! cheese! meat!
+ do a lot of aerobic activity. Spend 8 minutes several times a day in an aerobic activity. If you can’t jog, bike, or use gym equipment, jog in place. You need to get your heart rate up as that helps stablize the brain by getting oxygen to it.
+ listen to a lot of very fast, dance music. Make sure that the lyrics are upbeat. The music should tap out at 120 beats (or half beats) per minute.
+ if you have problems focusing, wear a headset while listening to the fast music until you start internalizing the beat. Calliope music that has happy, high-pitched tunes or fast-paced, up-beat flute music are especially good, but these are far less common than dance music. Britney’s latest album is a good place to start.
+ write about what you will do in the future. This is not an analysis about your past life. If you can’t figure out what you want to do in the future, that might be part of your problem. Force yourself to write out 7 to 10 things you’d like to do. Study those things, then expand upon them.
I hope these suggestions help!
Another aid for depression is to expose as much skin as possible to UV light. The best source of which is sunlight. This is particularly important in northern latitudes at this time of year when daylight is so short. As the child of a BPD sufferer, I have to be aware that I havea genetic tendency to the disease, and it is of the utmost importance for people in my situation have healthy ways to manage depression. This one is relatively easy, though, if it is really impossible to get out in the sun, there are also lights available at your local pharmacy, or from a greenhouse as plants need UV too.
Something that causes depressive symptoms in me is letting myself sleep too long. Try forcing yourself up in the morning after 7 to 8 hours of sleep and take a cup of coffee. There is something about extra sleep that skews brain chemistry in some people. My personal theory is that the body goes too long without food, and runs into low blood sugar and low amino acid levels during the last few hours of sleep. This is a set-up for mood-related disaster.
Everything that littleviews said is dead-on. What keeps my depressive symptoms away is waking up in the morning and eating leftover cooked fish from the night before. Protein with every meal is critical – the amino acids from the protein keep your brain chemistry on an even keel – your brain uses the amino acids that result from protein digestion to build most of it’s neurotransmitters. If you skip protein with a meal, your brain runs on a completely different chemical basis.
David,
As to psychiatrists being the only one’s that “know” what to do… I find that statement laughable. I have yet to run into a psychiatrist who knows anything about basic nutrition. Most of them have been nothing more than well-meaning drug pushers. Pushing drugs on bipolar patients definitely has it’s place, to be sure, but usually half of the bipolar problems are due to naivete and bad nutritional habits that make the problems worse.
Most people when they get into a depressive phase or a manic phase can’t think clearly enough to take proper care of themselves. The only solution is to develop extremely ingrained habits of self-maintenance so that you don’t have to THINK about anything to do with routing self-maintenance. You just do it (such as grabbing left-over hard boiled eggs or fish-steaks from the fridge in the morning) no matter what your mood. Make sure you leave things like hard-boiled eggs sitting in your refrigerator, because there are going to be days in a depressive phase when just the very thought of getting out of bed and opening the refrigerator seems a chore too big to consider. I also keep cans of foul-smelling sardines around in case I totally flake out – then there is some early morning protein available no matter how much I flaked out.
I have never heard of this protein thing for depressive mood before but strangest thing, I have been feeling low unexplainably last few days and surprise surprise I’ve been missing out on protein mainly cause I’m skint and also cause a carb fest of pasta or white bread toasted is so much more desirable in these freezing temperatures we’re experiencing in the UK. Thanks for the tip I will make sure to take in more protein!
wrote yesterday about my situation with my wife.
anger .mood swings etc.
she hasno love for me right now and questions wether she will ever again.
asked if anyone heard about drinking alcohol while taking prozac and if prozac could actualy make bi-polar illness worse?
thanks.
I also have been having really bad depression.I know that mine is my bipolar but also due to nothing to ever look forward to.My husband works comes in goes to bed and thats it.My house is in bad need of repair I don’t havethe money to fix it.I can’t get him to help.I am at my wits end.What do you do?Do you disappear or what?I don’t have companion ship any more.I might as well be along.He never touchs me or kiss’s me anymore.If it is not the job or his bed room then it doesn’t concern him.If I say anything he starts yelling.I just as soon say nothing.
David,I enjoyed the emails and information on bi-bolar disorder.I would like to continue working on myself.When I tried to access http://www.bi-polar central.com and the other helpful site on my computer that was listed,both came up unavailable at present.I will try again in the future.Thanks.
kerrysmith4@verizon.net
My Wife Is Bipolar.. Talking About The Trigger Factor Here Is Her’s And Hope This Can Help Someone..We Know What It Is But She Can’t Figure Out How To Cope With This..
She Has A Stessed Job At A Doctors Office.. The Boss’s Wife Runs The Front Desk People,Books Etc.She Is Not There On Monday’s And Thursday’s.ok.. When She Is At The Office She Is Always On The Front Dest Employees Which (Triggers) My Wife’s Anger Issue !! Her Mom And Dad Have These Issues Along With The Dad A For Sure Bipolar Man..
First Comes The Pressure Then The Anger And Then The Depression And Lows And Lately Really Bad Lows.. If Someone Has Any Suggestions On How She Could Deal With This Please Let Us Know..This Line Of Work Is Her Passion and I Suggest She Leave That Job For Another.. Thanks, Husband
My Wife Is Bipolar.. Talking About The Trigger Factor Here Is Her’s And Hope This Can Help Someone..We Know What It Is But She Can’t Figure Out How To Cope With This..
She Has A Stessed Job At A Doctors Office.. The Boss’s Wife Runs The Front Desk People,Books Etc.She Is Not There On Monday’s And Thursday’s.ok.. When She Is At The Office She Is Always On The Front Dest Employees Which (Triggers) My Wife’s Anger Issue !! Her Mom And Dad Have These Issues Along With The Dad A For Sure Bipolar Man..
First Comes The Pressure Then The Anger And Then The Depression And Lows And Lately Really Bad Lows.. If Someone Has Any Suggestions On How She Could Deal With This Please Let Us Know..This Line Of Work Is Her Passion and I Suggest She Leave That Job For Another.. Thanks, Husband
My Wife Is Bipolar.. Talking About The Trigger Factor Here Is Her’s And Hope This Can Help Someone..We Know What It Is But She Can’t Figure Out How To Cope With This..
She Has A Stessed Job At A Doctors Office.. The Boss’s Wife Runs The Front Desk People,Books Etc.She Is Not There On Monday’s And Thursday’s.ok.. When She Is At The Office She Is Always On The Front Dest Employees Which (Triggers) My Wife’s Anger Issue !! Her Mom And Dad Have These Issues Along With The Dad A For Sure Bipolar Man..
First Comes The Pressure Then The Anger And Then The Depression And Lows And Lately Really Bad Lows.. If Someone Has Any Suggestions On How She Could Deal With This Please Let Us Know..This Line Of Work Is Her Passion and I Suggest She Leave That Job For Another.. Thanks, Husband
Dave, like you said, “look for triggers.” This happened to me in September. I decided to switch cigarette brands for financial reasons (mine cost $40/carton), so I went to a discount store, and got a carton for $23. This seemed to solve the problem. However, 2 weeks later, I started to get “down” for no reason. Nothing I did was good enough. I couldn’t take a deep breath. I didn’t enjoy the company of my boyfriend. Heck, I didn’t even enjoy time on the computer! Well, I did the “process of elimination,” and figured it was the new cigarette! I talked it over with my therapist, and she agreed with me – she said the nicotine content was probably a whole lot different than what I was used to, and it upset the chemical imbalance. Well, I went back to my original brand of cigarettes, and you know what? It WORKED! I came out of that depression in 2 days, and am sticking with my original brand.
Another “trigger” I figured out was – my stools were black. I’ve had bleeding ulcers and other bleeding occasions which caused black stools, and I almost panicked when I saw them. Before I went to the doctor, I suddenly realized that taking PeptoBismol caused black stools! So, now I KNOW I’m not hemmohaging. That was a big “plus” for me.
Usually, if you use even your imagination on what could possibly be a “trigger” – it probably is.
BTW – I have good news. My therapist told me today that of all her clients, I was the one she was most proud of. This was my “gold star” for my life! Also, I’ve lost 4 pounds, which is a lot for me. I don’t know how or why, but I’m awfully GLAD I did. Even though my abdomen/belly fat still seems to be growing, my weight has gone DOWN.
BIG HUGS to all bipolars, and those who love them. My prayers are with you for a GREAT Thanksgiving!
To ALANULRICH: I’m sooo sorry your wife appears not to want to be with you any more. Think of this as a “phase” she’s going through, and she might change her mind in the future.
I took Prozac for 2 weeks one time, and it made me SICKER. I went into a mixed mood, and, luckily, was treated outpatient by the local Community Mental Health Clinic. Yes, Prozac CAN make you worse. There are some antianxiety meds (and antipsychotic meds) that DON’T work for everyone. Your wife needs to consult with her counselor (or psychiatrist) about changing her meds. If she won’t do this, perhaps you could mention the change in your wife’s personality to him/her and see what the two of you come up with.
Good luck, and God bless.
To TERI: I’ve noticed that while I’m on antipsychotic meds (I take Depakote, PaxilCR, Zyprexa and Valium), I appear “drugged” also. I used to take 11 Midol a DAY to overcome the slow reactions that the meds produced. However, the formulation in Midol changed, and I haven’t taken it in about 9 years.
I have also noticed that as I age (I’m 59), my actions ARE slower. I avoid looking “drugged” by acting mature, and purposely slowing my movements for the occasion. Of course, when I’m “hyper” (like when I’m with my friends), there’s no slowing of my movements. I DO NOT drink alcohol. That will also make you appear “drugged.”
Hope this helps. God bless.
Hi Dave
I thank you for your emails, I have a bipolar mother and daughter so I have lived with this all my life. Right now my daughter is 17 and will be 18 in a month and a 1/2
She has not been on her meds or seen a doctor in months. I feel she is out of control and manic, but she does not believe me. She says she is moving out the day she turns 18. I do not feel she is ready for this. Can you give me some suggestions. Our days are up and down every day. She is kind to her frinds but not to her family.
Her hurting words to us I feel get more hurtful each day.
Would really like a comment from you.
Thanks Lynda
Thanks to all those who gave advice on nutrition when depressed. My brother has BPD, but occasionally I find myself depressed and low and I generally then eat whatever’s instant and available – junk food, sweets, 2-minute noodles. I don’t feel like cooking meals at times like that, but now I’m aware and will try to keep some quick and easy protein options around.
Thanks
-Hello, First id like to talk you for your blog, and everything you been doing with it. I’d just like to ask you one quick question. I’ve recently started dating this guy with bipolar and schizophrenic, And when I met him he was on probation for possession of weed. And I couldn’t see myself living with someone who smoked weed, so he agreed to stay clean after his probation was over, and so far so good. But my question to you is if you know if smoking, regular cigarettes, is benefited with the meds you take for bipolar and schizophrenic disorders. (He takes depakote and zyprexa)I’ve lost a grandfather to lung cancer, and I already lose enough sleep over the possibility of the same result for my mother, and I don’t want another headache. I’ve heard answers to both sides, some say that it helps and others say that it can interfere with the meds.
Hi Christina, it may seem ridiculous but my brother and my aunt both seem more stable on cigarettes. maybe it’s because giving up the addiction is so difficult and trying to give it up just seems to send them into an episode. I’ll be interested to see what others have to say.