Warning Signs

By Terry Coyier

When you suffer from a disease like Bipolar it’s extremely important that you become intimately in tune with yourself. Not in sense that your favorite movie is “Steel Magnolias” or “Raging Bull” or that you love pizza and taking long walks on the beach. I mean in the sense that you know how your moods manifest in your day-to-day life.

Being bipolar and trying to remain a contributing member of society is a difficult task. Many wonderful, talented, bright people watch helplessly as their functionality escapes through their fingers like grains of sand. And these are people who are on meds! Some even go to therapy, too! Sometimes, the more we fight to hang on the quicker the ground gives way beneath us.

One tactic I attribute to remaining somewhat functional for the past 7 years is acute awareness of my early warning signs. It works just like the emergency broadcast system except without the annoying beep! It gets tested regularly to make sure it’s still relevant and it’s there in case of an emergency. It even has an emergency number to call…the one that rings my psychiatrist.

Now, when I say early warning signs, I mean EARLY! Not things like “I’ve been crying for days and don’t know why” or “I went out and spent $5000.00 on a new television but didn’t pay the electric bill.” Those are examples of symptoms of an ensuing episode. It may end up being minor, but it’s better to catch the signs long before this stage.

The signs I’m talking about are infinitely subtler. They require a magnifying glass to properly identify. No one can tell you for sure what yours are, but some close friends or relatives may be able to point out some behavior patterns that qualify. I also recognize more than just the early signs. Intermediate signs can play an important roll if the early signs don’t show themselves or get ignored.

Here are some samples of my signs:

Early Warnings

1. I start to see shadows or movement out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn and look there is nothing. I usually think I saw a bug or spider and I HATE bugs and spiders.

2. I am unable to pick out clothes without standing in the closet and staring for 10 minutes at a time. Then, out of frustration, I leave, only to return again 10 minutes later to start the cycle again. Some days it’s okay to do this, but if goes on for more than 3 days it’s a warning sign for me.

3. One occurrence of staying up all night. I am a big sleeper and this is a huge no-no for me!

4. While screening my calls (which I normally do anyway) if I don’t pick up when my friends call, that’s definitely a sign. UNLESS I’m taking a nap and then it doesn’t count!

5. Waking up more than once in the middle of the night or waking up and not being able to get back to sleep so I get on the computer instead. Once is okay, twice is a phone call to my doctor!

6. Not wanting to read bedtime stories to my son. This is a special time and if I’m not in the mood, then my mood is out of whack!

Intermediate Warning Signs

1. When I hear people talking and assume it’s about me and how fat, ugly, mean, stupid, etc. I am; then I’m on the way to the phone!

2. Not wanting to shower at least every other day. Hey, I don’t sweat and I just sit at the computer, so I don’t think it hurts to skip a day here and there!

3. Staring out the window for 10-15 minutes at a time, yet not seeing anything or even realizing that I’m doing it.

4. Taking over the conversation no matter who I’m talking to at that moment or even who they’re talking to at the moment.

5. Wanting to go to the mall. Not actually going, just thinking about going is enough. Sounds silly doesn’t it? For me it means I want to spend money and I don’t have much disposable income. Plus, I’m not real fond of shopping. Even when I need something I still don’t like to go!

Most of these things have to happen a few times over a period of a couple days to count as a true sign. Usually a couple will occur together and then there is no doubt. As soon as I’m leery I call my psychiatrist and he will adjust my dosage of medicines. Sometimes he will quiz me about my diet and fluid intake as well and correct it if necessary. (He’s smart enough not to eliminate my chocolate though!) If I’m getting into multiple intermediate signs then I will even go in for a visit. My sanctity is worth it!

I have a responsibility to myself to remain as healthy as possible. It’s hard to do if you don’t know when you’re becoming unstable. And I can’t wait until I’m into a full-blown episode because a darling angel depends on me. So I do it for him, too. But mostly I do it because I like myself more when I can think rationally.

So, let’s do our best to stay healthy and be kind to ourselves as we struggle through the torment of this debilitating disease together!

Terry J. Coyier is a 37-year-old college student studying for an Associates of Applied Sciences degree. She is also a freelance writer who writes about bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Terry was diagnosed with bipolar ten years ago. She lives with her son in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Terry is an author on www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers and her personal portfolio can be viewed here.

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Suicidal Tendencies That Exist In Bipolar Disorder And Ways To Treat It

By Kitty Barker

First - What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is the mental disorder in which the person suffering goes in extreme mood swings. So while he or she may be feeling depression at one moment they will feel mania or extreme sense of pleasure and heightened activity the other. This is a quite dangerous situation as the suicidal rates are almost double than that of normal depression and research also suggests that people suffering from this kind of disorder face worse depression than the people who suffer only depression.

What makes this situation even more dangerous is the increased incident of suicide in this case and the risk of life it poses to the persons suffering from it.

Following are some symptoms of suicidal tendencies among the persons who are suffering from this disorder:

Talking about feeling suicidal or wanting to die at all times of depression and forgetting all about it when mania occurs

Feeling hopeless, that nothing will ever change or get better and getting depressed about the current state of affairs.

Feeling helpless, that nothing one does makes any difference and in some cases even how everyone has ganged up against you to make your life miserable

Feeling like a burden to family and friends and feeling that nothing you do is helping them or contributing to the family while you are living off their sympathy

Putting affairs in order (e.g., organizing finances (paying debts) or giving away possessions to prepare for one’s death), basically doing things which one does in old age when the thought of death starts creeping in and when one thinks that their days are numbered

Putting oneself in harm’s way, or in situations where there is a danger of being killed, creating circumstances which puts life at risk or at least putting you in harm’s way

Abusing alcohol or drugs

If you have experienced such emotions yourself or are seeing someone witnessing similar emotions you should first of all consult a doctor and then put away all things that you can use to cause damage, like hiding knives and blades and keeping other such objects which can be used to inflict self damage away.

Treating bipolar disorder

Currently bipolar disorder cannot be treated but it can be managed to control the long term consequence of the disease. Treatment is basically done through pharmacology and psychological techniques and most people suffering from bipolar disorders are given a combination of medicines. Since bipolar disorder involves the individuals going through mania and depression the medication prescribed is what is known as mood stabilizing and anti depressant.

What this effectively means is that doctors prescribe mood stabilizers to control the mania and then anti depressants to take care of the depression. Lithium is the oldest and the most popular mood stabilizing medicine which is the most effective and is also known to reduce suicidal tendencies. However as with all medicines there are side effects of lithium too such as high blood pressure, retaining too much water and constipation.

Anti depressants are also used among patients however there is a need to be cautious so as to not induce mania after taking such anti depressants and normally they are prescribed and had only after mood stabilizers have been taken by the patient and the chances of going into mania reduce.

Another thing to keep in mind is that different patients react differently to medicines and it might take 4 – 6 weeks for a patient to react on a medicine. In such a case patients should not give up on the medicine. On the other hand patients should also not leave the medication too soon when they see the symptoms disappearing and take proper medical advise before leaving the treatment and make sure that they have completed their medication.

A pointer for friends and family would be that as the case of bipolar disorder increases in a person they refuse to admit that they have any illness at all and therefore compliance to medicine becomes difficult which becomes the responsibility of the relatives and friends of the patient.

Author: Kitty Barker - Kitty often writes for and with Depression-Assistance. You can also see more information on this subject at Manic Depression - should this link be inactive, you can paste this link to your browser - manic-depression-assistance.com/

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How Do I Know If I Have Bipolar Disorder And What Should I Do About It?

How Do I Know If I Have Bipolar Disorder And What Should I Do About It?

By Kitty Barker

What is Bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that manifests itself in a person through ups and downs in moods and energy levels. Many a time, it is confused with depression and sporadic mood swings. However, it must be understood that bipolar disorder is not a state of mind. It is a brain disorder - a mental illness which is long term. Till now, no permanent cure has been found for the same. What is it all about then…read on!

Bipolar disorder causes the victims to swing between two entirely different moods. Sometimes, they might be extremely euphoric and excited. Other times, they will be melancholy and dejected. As the word bipolar rightly indicates, there are two parts - mania and depression. Apart from mood swings, other symptoms include going on a spending spree, reduced need for sleep, increased feeling of sensuality and sexual drive, easy irritability, abysmal faith in oneself and so on. The disorder is fairly entrenched if there is an urge to commit suicide or lack of willingness to live. If you have any friends/relatives who keep talking about their lack of desire to live, then its time to rush them to a doctor.

How does bipolar disorder occur?

How does bipolar disorder occur? A lot of it has got to do with genes. Genetically, bipolar disorder gets transferred to the next generation. However, research also shows that it is not merely genetic. For, if one of the identical twins has the disorder, the other necessarily doesn’t. Thus, it is a combination of genes plus other factors. Unfortunately, there are no medical tests that can detect bipolar disorders. No scan or blood test can help. The disorder can be diagnosed only through an understanding of the symptoms, family medical history, environment and so on.

The disorder can occur among children, adolescents, and the old. Among children, there is a chance that diagnosis is slightly more difficult because it may be confused with other typical behavior of children like hyperactivity due to lack of attention, consistent disobedience, irritability and so on.

Can bipolar disorder be treated?

Yes, it sure can. It is seen that those patients who obtain treatment achieve stabilization in their mood swings. They realize that they have a mental illness but cope with it well and lead normal lives. Treatment is done in two ways – medication and psychosocial therapies.

In the case of medication as a treatment, mood stabilizers (medicines with the ability to stabilize mood) are administered for a period of time. The frequency and duration of medicines would vary from person to person. The top most used medicine in this category is Lithium. It is safe to use Lithium even among children and adolescents.

The second type of treatment is the psychosocial therapy. Here, the patient is generally spoken to and counseling is done. While a physician would be able to prescribe the necessary medication, it would be advisable to take the help of a psychiatrist from the beginning of the treatment.

Before going in for any treatment, there needs to be complete discussion among the patient, his/her family and the physician/psychiatrist. For example, if a pregnant woman suffering from bipolar disorder takes mood stabilizing medicines, it might affect the to-be-born. Some of the side-effects may include weight gain, hair loss, lack of sexual drive and so on. When such adverse side effects can be seen, the patient needs to approach the physician and with the psychiatrist’s advice, change the dosage and course of medication.

Other than medication and psycho social therapy, a third form of treatment can also be used for those with chronic disorder. This is called the Electroconvulsive therapy which can be used when medication or the psychosocial therapy do not work. It could also be used when the disorder is more severe leading to suicidal tendencies.

Conclusion

There is nothing to fear if you are affected with the disorder. All you need is speaking to the physician next door, taking your psychiatrist into confidence. Follow the prescribed medication and treatment; you will notice a world of a difference. If you are a person living with someone with a bipolar disorder, do not panic. Seek appropriate medical help and persevere. You will be the one they will derive strength from. Be sure that you provide continued support even after the treatment is over.

Author: Kitty Barker - Kitty often writes for and with Depression-Assistance. You can also see more information on this subject at Manic Depression - should this link be inactive, you can paste this link to your browser - manic-depression-assistance.com/

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