Bipolar is driving me crazy....?!
Question: I do have to say even though I am bipolar it never effected me to a crazy extent. But for the past 2 weeks I can't sleep if I try to I get so much enegry. Then Im so moody, my god my coworkers are like "your moods are so unpredictable lately". I get upset so easily the smallest things and I want to kill someone. I can't even say oh Im pmsing cause Im not. Why all of a sudden do these episodes come about when they never came to the surface in the beginning..or even this bad??!!
Answers: I do have to say even though I am bipolar it never effected me to a crazy extent. But for the past 2 weeks I can't sleep if I try to I get so much enegry. Then Im so moody, my god my coworkers are like "your moods are so unpredictable lately". I get upset so easily the smallest things and I want to kill someone. I can't even say oh Im pmsing cause Im not. Why all of a sudden do these episodes come about when they never came to the surface in the beginning..or even this bad??!!
Your brain chemistry is an ever changing thing and sometimes the bipolar will be a non issue and other times it will be worse. The condition is really complex and will probably fluctuate through out your life. I have bipolar as well and you have my complete sympathy.
The best thing you can do is let your support network know whats going on, get in touch with your shrink or doc to have your medication adjusted if necessary and whoever administers your therapy, ask them to help get some coping measures in place for the duration of the episode. Also it might be an idea to talk to your boss or your organisations mental health officer and disclose your condition, maybe take time off if you can if necessary (IE in case of changes in medication and side effects). Talk this through with your shrink or therapist first though.
I find that if I need to avoid my triggers more than I normally do during this period, keep myself rested as I can despite the hyper mania onslaught and resultant insomnia, eat well, exercise excess energy off, and avoid anything that puts me under alot of physical and emotional stress.
I also tend to do the whole generous spend money on other people thing when I'm 'high' so I give my credit card to my housemate and if I need to go shopping, I take her with me and she has the right to veto my purchases if she thinks that they are unnecessary or extravagant.
What changed recently?
Has your diet changed?
Have you met someone new?
Have your relationships with any of your friends or family recently been affected?
Have you made a major decision?
Have you started or discontinued any medication?
just tell people you are pmsing if they don't know about your bipolar. They will be none the wiser, in the meantime, are you taking your meds right? maybe you need different ones or a different dose, see you psychiatrist.
Are you on any meds for this? If you are, maybe you need to up the dose. If not, get some.
Having bipolar can be very stressful, there are days where you feel great then you feel like you just want to crawl out of your skin.Its difficult for the doctors to get the right dose of medicine, the medication you are on now must not be working like it should, have your doctor do lab tests on you to check your levels and they should give you the right dose so you can start feeling back to normal again.
You sound like you're on the manic side right now.
I suggest getting with your psychiatrist. I take Geodon (the only mood stabilizer that DOESN'T cause weight gain) along with klonopin (for anxiety and helps me sleep at night).
Since taking these I haven't had an episode since 2003