I feel I can trust you......

Tinkerbell4125

So I'd like to ask you something. =:o)

It seems there's a buzz about everybody being bi-polar or on anti-depressants. It seems a lot of people I know are taking anti-depressents. The doc said I'm *Bi-Polar 1* or something like that. I take paxil. It was triggered by a trama in my family and sometimes I do get depressed, but hubby say's that being bi-polar inables me to have a lot of abilities and talents also. I take my paxil and it has really helped me to enjoy life again.
I'm finding on t.v. though, that people that are portrayed with bi-polar, come accross very dark or very depressed in a hollywood exaggerated kind of way. I'd like to think I'm pretty normal, I've retired and stay busy at home now, in my flowers and remodleing of our new house. I've learned not to get so upset over things anymore. I've learned to take it slow and enjoy life. *lighten up alittle* I realize that some might decide not to take their med's and come arcoss in a really negative way, but in general, is that the comman view of someone with bi-polar?
I ask also, because I've read a lot of ex-j.w.'s have to deal with depression and other things also. I have a friend that I use to be really good friends with, when we were j.w. girls, back in our teens, we were stuck to the hip. She is df'ed and is bi-polar. I haven't seen her in years. I wonder if her j.w. mother would give this da'ed ex friend of her daughter, her number? I'd love to call her, but I wouldn't want to rock the boat either.
Would you like to share some light on me, on how people really view someone like myself with bi-polar. Do you have someone in your family that has to take medication and how does your family deal with it.
Is it something you all talk about openly together?
If so, how are they doing?

Tink =:o)

Solace

Much of my J.W. family is on anti depressants/anti anxiety medications or they drink heavily.
I dont know much about Bi-polar.
Did you feel like you had too many ups and downs with your emotions?
If you currently feel happy and content with your emotions than your doctor must be right on.
My sister was either very happy or very angry with no in between. It was really hard for her and her husband to deal with. She now takes somthing and is more even tempered and fun to be around.
It must be so hard to live like that.
My son is very hyper and compulsive. If my dr. suggested it, I wouldnt hesitate to give him somthing to make him more in control.
He starts kindergarten next fall and I hate to see him miserable.

Yerusalyim

BiPolar ain't nothin to mess with, you keep taking the Paxil. My wife is IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT Paxil, and a joy WITH it.

YERUSALYIM
"Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
[Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]

Lost Diamond

Have you tried looking up some info on the computer? My step-son's mother is severly Bi-polar and I wanted to know more about it...just to keep an eye on my step-son, so I found some info on Bi-polar. You can start by using a search engine, like www.askjeeves.com. My step-son's mom has it pretty bad, though. She's been in and out of hospitals for many years. She looks very worn out, and sways back and forth when she is standing up....this is caused by the medication she takes. I wouldn't be surprised if she has been diagnosed with something else along with Bi-polar. I work in Community Corrections and I have seen many many people with Bi-polar, and they don't look as bad as my step-son's mother. So, I believe with PROPER medication a person can live a pretty normal life.

siegswife

My sister thinks that she is bipolar. She hasn't ever been to a psychiatrist(sp?) but she seems to have the signs of it...high highs and low lows. Anyway, she is also very talented writer. Right now she is involved with a workshop and writing a play.

When we were growing up, she used to shut herself into her room writing. I absolutely adored her, and sometimes she would be so nice to me (the youngest girl), but other times she would be so negative and mean to me. It seems to me that her disorder has prevented her from reaching her full potential. Maybe if she had ever been diagnosed and prescibed the right medication, she would have fulfilled her desire to be a writer. I hope that she still can, but she's expressed to me that her 'down times' get in the way.

zanex

tried the medication route once upon a time but found that I had better success controlling myself without the meds...but definitely have mad mental issus...

SumnerSloan

As to finding your old friend, if you don't feel comfortable asking her mother, you might try classmates.com. I've located several people that way. You just enter the city/school/class of ... and if she's registered, you can send her an email message. SS

larc

My mother was Bi-Polar and had her first episode when she was 28 years old. She spent 2 months in a mental hospital. She would have reoccuring episodes, and trips to the hospital, about every five years until she was 43. At that time they gave her Lithium and she never had a problem after that.

It is tough to be Bi-Polar, and it is tough to be a family member living with someone that has this illness.

peaceloveharmony

((((tinkerbell))))

my 20 yr old bro is bi-polar. it's tough on the family but we just show him our love. he's on meds and the meds make him shake. he's so open about himself, people sometimes ask him why he shakes so much and he just lays it all out for them. he is a great kid and i love him so much. he has psychotic episodes but those have been lessening lately. it's really scary to watch someone go thru that! i wish i could wave some magic wand and make him all better. i'm just so thankful that he's got the support of all of us and he knows he's loved and we will always accept him. the scariest thing to me is the thought that he'll take his own life, but with my mom and dad and youngest bro making sure he takes his meds and gets to his doctor i know that he will be okay.

i hope i am coherant, i've been out dancing tonight...

anyways, sending lots of love to you tinker :) you're not alone!

love
harmony

Carmel

Tinker,

I know this is purely anecdotal but I have had two co-workers in the past who were pi-polar and on lithium. Both were geniuses and extremely talented. Oddly enough, when they were on their meds, their creativity was curbed. Only when they went off did they excell they when they crashed you didn't want to be around. One was quite violent when he went into his funk. Also, my wife worked for 17 years in a mental health clinic and she tells me that this is often the case with bi-polar people, often brilliant, but then when they go off the meds or consume copius amounts of coffe or drink alcohol, they become self destructive.

Keep on the medication. It's not a character defect! Your are valuable for who you are and if medication allows you the freedom from mood swings, your are better for it.

wish you well

carmel

I feel I can trust you......

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