Let`s talk about Bipolar

My family history seems to have shifted from Schizophrenia presentations last generation to BiPolar presentations in current time. Is it genetic or is it due to trauma load?? Yes I know the probably a bit of both ... Is the shift a sign of incorrect diagnosis earlier, or improvement in circumstances ... maybe ...a little of both. I see it as partly about access to resources ... social, love, basic respect, material, medical ... Feeling tired of it all. trudging along.

Hearing you about discussions about meds @Former-Member

Hi @Klutz

I was first hospitalised with psychosis nearly 40 years ago. I was first diagnosed as schizophrenic then BPD but bipolar about 20 years ago. These days the medication keeps me stable but flat/depressed and always fatigued. I can't manage my sleep cycle well but in the distant past my relapses always started with not sleeping for 2-3 nights so I'm nervous about trying to reset my body clock by staying up all night.

It would be good to hear from you and others about how you cope long-term.

Cheers, Dimity

Good afternoon @Meowmy ,

@Klutz , how are you going with your bipolar

my husband has had depression and axiety all his life and has had lots of different diagnosis including bipolar

hello @Former-Member , that is a good question , the doctor say to take the meds only for a short time but getting off them is harder than staying on them

@Mazarita, thank you for sharing and yes i agree with what you said --

am starting to think depresson underlies everything in bipolar. as mr shaz was diagnosed with major depression first before bipolar

hello @Olga , @Appleblossom , @SJT63 , @Bunniekins , @HenryX , @eth , @Dimity

@ethwrote from her thread Managing Bipolar 1

So managing bipolar has 3 main aspects - medication (psychiatrist), therapy (psychologist) and self management, including the main one being sleep 'hygeine' (google it), monitoring - for me I keep daily charts; self discipline, diversion of energy into things like art, craft, exercise, cooking, gardening - generally things I can do quietly at home but still use my racing brain. Mindfulness activities are good too. I find I get overstimulated really easily if I let myself get out in the world too much when manic. Sounds possibly too restrictive, but it's working at this time. Otherwise I could be shooting off on all sorts of risky and expensive ventures - have done in the past.

The charts include depression/elevation, sleep, anxiety, irritability, and medications. So I can see if I start to swing in one direction or another. You can get these charts from psychiatrist or psychologist, on-line or make your own.
I also use a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) that's another thing you can google. It's brilliant and is there as a resource for my support people too if I get too far out of whack.

I'd really welcome contributions to this thread in the hope that we can help each other and also people newly diagnosed.

@Shaz51 hey Snazzy, thanks for the tag. I find it difficult with relationships with people with my moods. My mother is hard to wall off her attacks on my self esteem all the time. Friends and relatives not easy to regulate distances. All these affect my moods ,sadness or mania.

sending you understanding hugs my @Meowmy

it certainly affect my mr shaz too and it is a very good question

I wonder how our friends here copes @SJT63 , @Appleblossom , @Olga , @Dimity , @Mazarita , @Bunniekins , @eth , @Former-Member

my mr shaz can only cope with a little bit of social life

@Shaz51 hey Snazzy, I think with bipolar relationships affect us more than they should, affect us much more than healthy people. There are a lot of psychological reasons for that matter. So if psychologically positive, our moods will get better too.

@Appleblossom @Bunniekins I really 'feel' you both at the moment. It is such a painfully emotional and self destructive illness. Maybe the changes in diagnosis is maybe different due to better treatment and healthier lives. We don't have the poverty and disease of the past or wars to trigger us. Our lives are stressful in a different way but at least we have better nutrition and living environments, this has to make a difference? Nature versus nurture as they say. I do hope that our children and grandchildren will have it better than us mentally speaking.
seems most mental illness arises through trauma. My grandchildren have 'grow your mind' day/week at school. They learn about how to reach out and how to treat others. One of my eldest grandson best friends was born in a girls body but associates as a boy. He is just one of the boys at sleepovers, footy practice and games etc, totally accepted for who he is. This child will have a better chance of succumbing to mental illness than the previous generation. I am hopeful that stigma will one day be an obsolete word. ❣️