Re:How I Overcame Bipolar II (and Saved My Own Life)
by camilless on Monday October 03, 2011 @11:48AM
(#3066714)
Some people can manage it without constant meds - some only need meds some of the time - BUT with managing the things that throws that person in a tail spin. (i.e. not sleeping, chaotic relationships, travel in some cases). When it's mostly mania the person experiences - life is probably pretty good, but for those who mainly experience the depressive side (like a friend of mine) - it cripples his life and he can barely function. Each case is different. I really think the key is having someone close to the person who can make sure they're doing all the things they need to - like sleeping, eating regularly etc.
Re:How I Overcame Bipolar II (and Saved My Own Life)
by Aron on Sunday October 02, 2011 @09:22PM
(#3064606)
I'm curious about the coffee part. What happens with coffee?
Re:How I Overcame Bipolar II (and Saved My Own Life)
by TheCowboy on Sunday October 02, 2011 @10:33PM
(#3064771)
It's the caffeine and its side effects. It can cause sleep disorders, anxiety, and so on. Of course, not everyone encounters these problems with their coffee-drinking. See the Wikipedia entry for caffeine if you want more details though.
Re:How I Overcame Bipolar II (and Saved My Own Life)
by larve on Monday October 03, 2011 @12:11AM
(#3065010)
yes, mostly sleep disorder, the intense crash and burn of coffee compared to a more mellow effect of for example green tea, and the tummy problems.
especially the crash/burn + sleep problems though, which lead to anxiety, which leads to either depression, or in my case a kind of jittery angst-fueled hyperactivity.
- eating well - todo lists - self discipline - sports - stopping drugs / coffee / alcohol
I'm kind of "scared" of these things now, but also realize that they are, while not the complete solution, necessary ingredients to living a "normal" life. It took me 28 years to realize that you could have a regular sleep schedule and daily routine for example. It's these kind of "symptoms" that I find very hard to share with "normal" people, who just can't see how that is that big of a problem.
The funny thing is that all of this further fueled my mania, but on the other hand, it also made me check in with a psychiatrist. I'm now on lamotrigine, which makes living seem so easy now.
Yet I can skip a day of pills, and drink maybe a bit too much coffee and sleep badly, and it's all there again. Only now I have a baseline I can come back to. I don't think the article sounds too manic. I'm a bit wary of the new agey "that's what all people should do with our method" thing, while it really is a "common sense" that is shared by pretty much all cultures on the planet (eat healthy, sleep, exercise, don't worry too much), but it's cool.
while I didn't have much one-on-one therapy, I went to a "psychoeducation" group about bipolar with about 10 other afflicted individuals, and basically, the most important thing really is to have these checklists: eat healthy, sleep healthy, don't drink alcohol, don't drink coffee, try to sleep more than 4 hours a night, try to sleep less than 12 hours a night, and write yourself reminders so you won't forget them.