bipolar disorder
hi guys, im new on here. i was diagnosed with bipolar 2 a few yrs ago. just wanted to ask some questions regarding bipolar disorder like how is daily life like? any coping mechanisms?
regarding medicine, my medications have always made me so tired that i dont ever feel well rested and i always sleep soo much. i bring this up on every session i have with my psychiatrist but he says that my medications should not be having this side effect.
i tried weening off medication slowly last yr but my mental state got rlly bad. so i got on back on the same dosage again. now, trying again.
i think im currently in a mildly depressive episode or im just becoming so lazy haha im basically never out of the house. i cant focus on my uni work and am getting pretty stressed abt that. i already have uni mandated extensions and assistance but i honestly j wanna get better mentally. it’s rlly messing w my daily life socially, uni-wise, work-wise, and just individually.
Comments
Hi I also have bipolar and just want to let you know that finding the right medication can be challenging but it's much better than the alternative. I was always against medication a few years ago and chaos ensued. However I have learnt that medication isn't the only thing a person needs to thrive. Try finding good healthy habits to create positive wellbeing.e.g. Exercise,cold showers, walking, music, having good relationship with family and friends and developing healthy strategies that can be attained via psychology. Wish you all the best. I know it can be rough fixing your meds up but follow the guide of your dr and always stay hopeful. I couldn't stand for more than 5minutes after the heavy meds they put me on (post major manic episode) but I pushed through and I promise it gets better!
Hey @dorisbuttons 
Finding the right medication at the right dose can be difficult. It’s highly annoying that your psychiatrist is dismissing the symptoms you’re experiencing on the medication. All the mood stabilisers have the potential to cause tiredness, especially if the dose is too high. It might be worthwhile keeping a mood journal to see if your medication is working. A sleep journal could also be valuable.
For me it took a lot of medication changes, therapy, and other physical treatments to get the bipolar depression and mixed episodes managed. I’m always a little bit worried that my mood will change but it’s been pretty stable for a quite a while. Having a psychiatrist that listens to me and is willing to make changes to my medication has made a huge difference. I also had to intermit from university a few times because I wasn’t well enough to manage. It gave me an opportunity to focus on getting better and enabled me change medications without worrying about the side effects impacting my studies. I also found that shifting to part-time study when depressed took away a lot of the stress and the pressure I felt about university. Even when mentally okay I still only do three subjects per semester.
Is there any aspect of you work that you find particularly challenging to focus on? As Stormy mentioned, a university psychologist/counsellor may be able to provide some good advice.
Hi @dorisbuttons welcome to the forums! 😄
It sounds like you have been going through some challenges with your bipolar disorder recently and that must be really tough. On your question about coping mechanisms, we have an article here on self-management of bipolar disorder. I also wanted to point you in the direction of a Weekly Wellbeing on bipolar disorder that was done a couple weeks ago which touches on a few self-care strategies. I'm curious to know what coping strategies you have yourself that have worked in the past?
I can see that you're also having some struggles with your medication and have been considering ways that you can manage the tiredness. I'm sorry to hear that your psychiatrist has not been understanding about this. I was wondering if your psychiatrist knows about you trying to wean off your medication? It's important to have some guidance in this area. If the side effects are really interfering with your life to the point you're considering not wanting to take medication, it may be worth telling your psychiatrist this and asking for alternatives. You could also talk to your GP about whether the tiredness is coming from another source- it might help to get a second opinion too.
You mentioned that you think you may be having a depressive episode, and it's stopping you from leaving the house or focusing on your uni work. I wanted to know if these depressive episodes are common for you, even on your medication? It may be another thing worth bringing up with your psychiatrist as it could indicate whether your medication is working for you or not. It might also be worth talking to a psychologist or university counsellor, as they might be able to give you strategies around focus and motivation. If you're looking for help as soon as you can, Headspace offers the opportunity to talk to a trained clinician over the phone. Does that sound like something that might help? The fact that you've already taken the initiative to get adjustments at university shows that you're quite resourceful in this area!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts 😊
