Posted on 02/21/2010 6:06:27 AM PST by j_marie
I finally wrote a plan to keep myself out of the nuthouse. Here are some steps that you can use to write your own plan to Stop a Downward Bipolar Spiral.
1. Identify your pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that ends in a bipolar episode.
(Excerpt) Read more at articlesbase.com ...
I have suffered from bi-polar disorder all of my life. And it has lost me more jobs, friends and family as friends than you can imiagine.
But the drugs are a thousand times worse than the condition. So I live with it.
What did you think of this article, then? Life — it is SO not heaven down here. Must be so difficult to deal with.
We all have times in our lives when things are not going as they should.
We all need to examine our thoughts and improve them.
I have more “bi-polar” relatives around me than I wish I did... it drives me crazy... :-)
No, I’m not kidding...
Bipolar disorder or manic–depressive disorder (also referred to as bipolar affective disorder or manic depression) is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood. These moods are clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal" mood, but in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia, and other types, based on the nature and severity of mood episodes experienced; the range is often described as the bipolar spectrum.
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More at the link...
Bi-polar or Manic Depression runs in my family. And yes, I’ve been blessed with this gem. His article was completely spot on. Just one little preceived screw up, slight, wrong look, wrong word choice, anything can start a downward spiral or even a manic one.
I’d just like to be able to sleep!
Well, fortunately, I don’t have it, but that doesn’t make it much better for me... :-) And I’m sure those “in the know” know what I mean.
Thanks for the info. I had just finished writing out a list for my son who is bi-polar ... the list, things he has to do to keep getting help from me. It’s an easy short list. I know I can’t control his behavior (I do alanon too LOL) but I can control mine and my connections. He has been sick for so long that he has habits which IMHO have little or nothing to do with his disorder.
Really very good. The only problem is that when it is happining I am not aware of it. That is why all my friends & family have my permission to tell me I am being a jerk. Once I am aware I can do a fairly effective job of controlling it.
Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer
Jan 12, 2009
Read about the devastation that bipolar disorder can cause for family members and loved ones.
Supporting Someone with Bipolar - For Family and Friends
Mood disorders affect not only the lives of the victims themselves, but also the entire social setting in which he/she moves; marriage, family, friends, job, society at large. The root cause of all these impacts is the degraded ability the victim has to "perform" in these different areas of his/her life. Thus a seriously depressed person will become morose, incommunicative, withdrawn, and unable to participate actively in what is going on. He/she will often become a "wet blanket," sapping out whatever joy there might be in any occasion, and most will agree that they don't enjoy having this person around. It therefore can become a rather heavy burden upon family and friends to have to compensate, on the one hand, for the loss of the "social" contribution that would customarily be expected from the victim in the normal family setting, while at the same time making an extra input of care, encouragement, supervision, and listening to him/her. A manic person is the opposite; he/she will be obtrusive, aggressive, argumentative, convinced of his/her infallibility, vain, arrogant, and quick to give orders to others. Such people can be a real pain to be around. In the family setting, a manic person is often rocking the boat, causing arguments, being peremptory, making irresponsible expenditures and commitments, and unilaterally breaking agreements.
It is impossible even to estimate the amount of emotional pain, stress and loss family members experience in trying to deal with, ultimately to help, a mentally ill person in the household. In many cases, their lives are seriously disrupted, becoming a kind of living hell. Perhaps nothing is more awful than to see, day in and day out, someone you love severely degraded by an illness you don't fully understand, to do everything you can think of to help, and have none of it work. And, in addition to have to deal with the stigma associated with such an illness, not only by society at large, but also in your own mind, however far back you may have pushed it. And thanks to the outrageously inadequate framework provided in our society for mentally ill persons and their families, you won't get much institutional help, short of hospitalization, which ought to be only the last resort.
As the illness becomes more serious, degraded performance shades into incapacity. Thus the depressive will linger in bed, begin to be routinely late for work, be unable to make decisions or handle the workload on the job, and eventually will be perceived as an unsatisfactory employee. Likewise the manic will make quick but bad decisions based on little or no knowledge or data, will take serious risks with business assets, become insubordinate or otherwise disrupt the normal chain of command, and will be perceived as unreliable, though energetic, and therefore an unacceptable risk.
The loss of a permanent, well-paying job is one of the worst things that can happen to someone with mental illness. First, it means direct loss of income, perhaps the main source of income in the family. Second, it may mean loss of medical insurance, which may be badly needed in the weeks and months ahead. Third, it means an unsatisfactory performance rating in one's personnel file, which may come back to haunt the victim again and again as he/she tries to find further employment. Fourth, it is a serious blow to the self-esteem of a depressive, whereas a manic may not even consider the loss worth notice. Most people do not have sufficient savings to face a prolonged period without income, and available funds are usually quickly exhausted. All to quickly, the rent or mortgage becomes overdue, and eviction follows. These difficulties are all magnified and accelerated if the victim is the principal wage-earner for a family. In such cases, the role and value of the victim as an effective spouse or parent erodes quickly, and a separation or divorce often ensues. To make matters worse, there is almost no effective public assistance available to a seriously mentally ill person and his/her family. To obtain, for instance, social security disability status can take months or even a year, and the benefit, once it starts, is minimal - adequate if the ill person is the "guest" of another family member, but totally inadequate for even bare survival of an individual. This downward spiral is the reason so many mentally ill people end up as street people in our big cities, unable to help themselves in any way that will lead to improvement or remission of the illness.
It is impossible to even guess the tremendous amount of hardship, stress, pain, and despair that our current system produces for people having the misfortune to become mentally ill. One of the most important things that can be done within the existing system is to learn how to recognize mood disorders at an early age, before the grim scenario given above has a chance to unfold. Once recognized, the illness urgently needs prompt, effective treatment. I stress again that "mere" mood disorders can be life-threatening. If necessary, the victim should be hospitalized, and thus placed in an environment where daily needs can be met, safety can be assured, and optimal treatment given. The expense for such treatment in a private hospital can be very large, and can rapidly exhaust one's insurance. The quality of treatment in free public hospitals may be seriously substandard.
The distinguishing characteristic of Bipolar Disorder, as compared to other mood disorders, is the presence of at least one manic episode. Additionally, it is presumed to be a chronic condition because the vast majority of individuals who have one manic episode have additional episodes in the future. The statistics suggest that four episodes in ten years is an average, without preventative treatment. Every individual with bipolar disorder has a unique pattern of mood cycles, combining depression and manic episodes, that is specific to that individual, but predictable once the pattern is identified. Research studies suggest a strong genetic influence in bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. It is often not recognized as a psychological problem, because it is episodic. Consequently, those who have it may suffer needlessly for years without treatment.
Effective treatment is available for bipolar disorder. Without treatment, marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide may result from the chronic, episodic mood swings. The most significant treatment issue is noncompliance with treatment. Most individuals with bipolar disorder do not perceive their manic episodes as needing treatment, and they resist entering treatment. In fact, most people report feeling very good during the beginning of a manic episode, and don't want it to stop. This is a serious judgment problem. As the manic episode progresses, concentration becomes difficult, thinking becomes more grandiose, and problems develop. Unfortunately, the risk taking behavior usually results in significant painful consequences such as loss of a job or a relationship, running up excessive debts, or getting into legal difficulties. Many individuals with bipolar disorder abuse drugs or alcohol during manic episodes, and some of these develop secondary substance abuse problems.
“Typical” for a thread with this topic... no one knows what the hell to say about it... LOL ...
>>>>slight, wrong look, wrong word choice>>>>>>
You just described my mother in law, God rest her soul. When I married my husband 52 years ago, I had never experienced a person like her in my life. She caused me much sadness and grief because I wanted to get along with her for my husbands sake. It wasn’t possible to get along with her for very long so I backed away and saw her as little as possible.
That's the sort of thing that really makes this hard to figure for me.
I have a relative who's manic, so I have intimate second-hand experience. At first, "the word" was that it was physical and chemical. Hence, the medications.
But what you've described isn't a physical stimulus or change. It's an external event, which you perceive as causing you to cycle down or up.
So which is it? Physical, or mental? Makes a huge difference. If physical, then there's little hope without drugs. If mental, then (to speak very broadly) therapy and personal responsibility.
It matters.
Sure I'm "preaching" to the choir here.
That’s true. Many that are bi-polar do not know its happening. By suggesting cognitive behavior therapy is silly for many suffering from this.
I think it is both physical and mental - they are intertwined. If a person’s hormonal levels - including blood sugar are in balance and they have gotten enough sleep (and water - no dehydration), they can roll better with the ups and downs that life invariably gives us all. If they are physically out of balance in any area, then any little thing can set them off. The trouble is these people are often not disciplined enough to be as rigid with their schedules and habits (including taking any hormonal supplements, regular hours, and drinking enough water).
Likewise, someone can be balanced physically but a big emotional blow can get them just enough off balance mentally that they get lax with the things that keep them in balance physically.
There are two entrances to the downward spiral. I have spent my life trying to get out of harm’s way when someone around me takes that first slippery step.
I was afraid of that. I hate “both”-answers.
(c:
Mood disorders.Isn’t that like PMS or something?.
Mood disorders.Isn’t that like PMS or something?.
Well..., I see you've probably lived around PMS, but I can see you haven't lived around bipolar disorder before ... LOL ...
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