Anyone else out in #coso world with bipolar type one? What is life like for you? #bipolar #mentalhealth
@SaltyVeruca that’s a pretty big “just,” haha. Bipolar 2 is no joke either. How’s life?
@BipolarArtist Up and down. Also have cPTSD, auDHD, and am back in EMDR therapy. Life's a peach but I'm definitely managing. You?
@SaltyVeruca I had been pretty stable for like 8 years and recently had to increase a dosage on my meds due to instability. Feeling stable again but quite distant. I am on two antipsychotics as my biggest issue is my brain always trying to claw its way back to a manic state. Need some pretty powerful brakes.
@BipolarArtist I found aging to be key for me. Things really changed. It's always about adjustments and being self aware isn't it?
@SaltyVeruca yeah I have a pretty good system for taking care of myself. Things could always be much worse. I am feeling a little thrown off though because I had felt like I had a little more control over my illness than I did. But like, no. This shit is real and does not mess around. I can react and adjust, but it is beyond my “control” you know?
@BipolarArtist It is but it isn't. Stay vigilant. You've got this.
@SaltyVeruca thanks. Overall I am doing quite well. My life is great. Just some days I feel like it is precariously balanced. Mostly right now the med change just makes me feel different and I need to find my bearings again. Remember what it is like to be me. Then maybe start working on my art again. Thanks for the kind words. It was nice to be able to talk to someone about this. Wishing you well too. ❤️
@BipolarArtist you're welcome. Any time.
Not me, but I do wonder what kind of responses you expect:
:"It's fucking fanstastic, I am a god. I have a billion new ideas a minute."
followed by, "There is no point to any of this. I just want to sleep and hope somebody initiates the nuclear launch codes".
@Lulz4l1f3 not everyone with bipolar disorder is always experiencing an episode. There are people, like myself, who live normal lives that are only periodically interrupted. When I wrote this I was hoping to talk to someone who would understand me and where I am at in a way that most others wouldn’t. I ended up having a nice conversation with someone that made me feel a little less alone in this. It was nice. I hope you find some connection on here too today.
You don't drink alcohol, do you? Folks I've known who went through a period of bi-polar disorder (yes, it can be a temporary if long-lived thing) had a lot of that clear up by cutting out alcohol.
@Lulz4l1f3 haven’t drank alcohol for 6 years. Bipolar disorder is not caused by alcohol, nor can it be cured. I assume you are trying to be helpful, so I am not upset. But if you come across someone in real life who is dealing with mental illness, my friendly advice is to listen and validate. Don’t offer pseudoscientific solutions and minimize the situation. Is everything going ok for you in your life?
Bipolar I and bipolar II disorder occur in about 2% of the population.
About 44% of people with bipolar disorder experience symptom remission; 23% achieve complete mental health.
Outcomes should improve when current treatments reach more people and as new treatments become available.
Also...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683827/
Includes discussion about bipolar disorder and alchohol comorbidity.
@Lulz4l1f3 I’ve had symptom remission and arguably “complete mental health” for the past 8 years. I haven’t had a major manic or depressive episode in 15 years. It isn’t the same as it being cured. My moods and mental tendencies are still more pronounced than the average person. People’s minds adjust to meds like mine did and they need to be tweaked. I have a family and a house, I have been an engineer at the same company for 14 years. It’s mostly under control. But It never completely goes away
@BipolarArtist Just 2. 😉