#bipolar i

[that-bipolar-mood]

Being medicated doesn't mean becoming normal.

There's this trope I've seen in media, mentally ill that take meds and suddenly become neurotypical. To me this was a harmful fantasy, thinking that medicine means cure, and a fast one.

The reality of meds is often disappointing. You still find your limitations and differences. Lots of underground symptoms and sensitivities don't ever vanish.

Being bipolar myself it often left me perplexed, the fact that I was receiving correct treatment, but still struggled. Not with acute episodes, just a baby version of previous symptoms.

I'm trying to accept bipolar as my personal disability. I figured that medicine is my support, like a cane could be for those with physical disabilities. It means I'm still not like the rest and I will always struggle, but man is it nice to have some help...

[opens-up-4-nobody]

I'm losing my mind about this.

[kenobihater]

to all of my fellow bipolar havers out there: do y'all get songs stuck in your head when manic or hypomanic? i'm not talking about your average earwig, i'm asking if you get the same song stuck in your head for HOURS. if you aren't listening to other music or having a conversation, it's there. it might make it hard to sleep or concentrate. for me, it's usually a very short yet memorable section of the song that repeats like a broken record. i sometimes get songs stuck in my head when i'm not hypomanic, but this is always an indicator of when my mood is in flux bc of how consistent it is as a marker for me and how much it interferes with my thought process.

am i alone in this? i can't find anything in the medical literature about this regarding bipolar in particular, just ocd.

[bipolarsun]

✨Bad bitches take their meds ✨

[bipolarmango]

Things people should know about bipolar disorder

1. We don't all the time jump from mania to depression from one moment to another. Rapid cycling means that a person experiences four or more episodes in one year. Rapid cycling only occurs in 10-20% of people with bipolar disorder with women and people with bipolar II being more likely to experience periods of it. In short, for an episode to be even counted, a hypomania should last minimum four days, mania for a week, and depression for two weeks. The exception to the rule is the times when a person is suffering from a mixed episode. Mixed episodes are defined as experiencing both depression and (hypo)mania either simultaneously or in rapid sequence. Around 40-50% of people with bipolar disorder experience a mixed episode at some point in their life, some more frequently than others.

2. External and internal things do trigger episodes. These mean things like stress, big changes in life like a breakup or a move to another city, but also hormonal changes, change in the season or weather, and even changes in our sleep patterns (yes, we shouldn't randomly stay up for the whole night). Even some doctors still live under a false belief that bipolar mood changes cannot be affected by anything external or internal except the brain randomly deciding to go haywire, while various studies show otherwise. Studies also show that 1 in 4 people with bipolar also have SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The episode can, of course, also occur totally randomly and without any clear reason.

3. We are not stupid. For some reason, plenty of people seem to live under the assumption that people with bipolar are generally unintelligent. This is not the case. In fact, a study found that 12 risk genes for bipolar disorder were also linked to intelligence. In 75 % of these genes, bipolar disorder risk was associated with higher intelligence. Moreover, the connection between intelligence and bipolar disorder is largely seen in those with high verbal IQ (VIQ). This type of intelligence is associated with creativity, abstract reasoning, and comprehension through spoken and written words. However, if the illness is very serious, there is a risk that the person's cognitive skills, such as verbal skills and memory, are impaired, especially during episodes. Some medications, such as Topamax, are also associated with certain side effects that may affect your memory, thinking, and even language skills.

[citrucee]

hey bipolar girlies remember that season changes can trigger symptoms so if shit starts going wrong and you can’t explain why that might be something to look into. take care of yourselves i love you

[remyxavier]

Every time I see people talk about "neurodivergency" or "neurodivergent people" or "ND", I am again reminded that, it seems, to a lot of people the only neurodivergency there is, is autism/ADHD.

When you talk about "things only neurodivergent people do" or "social concepts NDs don't get", I wish everyone would just say autism/autistics/ADHD. Everyone is aware that LOTS of things are considered neurodivergent and LOTS of them don't experience ANY of the things autistic/ADHD people do, right?

I am bipolar and am considered neurodivergent because of my bipolar and yettttttt I do not experience ANY of the symptoms or situations that autistics/ADHD do, yet everyone just NDs all over the place when they actually just mean autistics and ADHD.

It's just frustrating to find posts specifically for ND people only to realize 9/10 times, they just mean autism/ADHD. SO MANY ILLNESSES/DISORDERS MAKE YOU NEURODIVERGENT, NOT JUST AUTISM/ADHD!

[marshmallow-biscuit-blog]

I think I've finally hit the lowest tier of my low and hitting it right off on a mania. Usually I go at least a couple of weeks just neutral but, sure I'll take an immediate high after feeling like this. EX: Cannot calm down, off the walls for no seen reason. Hit my head on the car on accident and giggled instead of breaking down. Wanting to be out in public. (I'm a natural introvert for reference.) Wanting to squeal loudly for no seen reason. /pos post btw

[golmac]

New Content!

Hi everybody. It's been a challenging few months, as my disability symptoms have really been acting up. The result is that I haven't been able to work on any of my projects, no matter how much I normally enjoy them.

But things are looking up! Here's the first podcast episode in 20 months, and more stuff is coming soon.

If it isn't showing up on your favorite platform, let me know and I'll get it added.

[toadallybpd]

a lil about me because it's been FOREVER

i'm hailey! i'm 23 (24 in april 2024). i'm bisexual 💖 i moved from wisconsin to arizona in october of 2022 and i LOVE it out here. best life decision i ever made tbh im so much happier and healthier. i'm a taurus sun, sag moon, cancer rising. i have a mental health tiktok! it is the same username as my tumblr and it's also linked in my bio :)

current dx: bpd, bipolar 1, ptsd, anxiety, atypical ed (this one is going away and isn't as bad of an issue anymore but it's still there)

current meds: effexor only! my holy grail 🥰 i was on zyprexa but quit it about 3 months ago because i started hating it. i am currently being monitored so if i show signs of a manic episode i will go right back on it.

if anyone has any questions please send an ask or message me! i'm an open book i don't mind 💖

[that-bipolar-mood]

If you want to know what bipolar tastes like, try lamictal

[serenityquest]

[bipolarsun]

[bipolarmango]

Hey question, how much weight did you gain on your antidepressants?

I was a super sporty gal who ran everyday. When depression hit I stopped running but also eating and lost more. Now I'm +20kg from where I was when running and still not feeling well enough to start running again. Not making me feel any better knowing how big I've gotten with the meds. Total weight gain: 30kg (66 lbs)

[bizarrestart]

sometimes it feels mentally impossible to work as a borderpolar. there’s just not a perfect job with the right amount of excitement or interest paired with low stress levels.

and when i do get a job i feel okay for a couple of months and then something happens and i spiral. i had a really difficult client this past week and today i had a surprise performance review. the review was very kind and constructed but now im feeling SI and spiraling in my brain.

it just feels like i’m not meant to do anything.

[remyxavier]

I had to euthanize my cat, my best friend of 13 years. February 28th 2024 was our last day together, the day I watched him die on my bed, none the wiser of what was happening. I've never felt more empty in my life, not even when my brother committed suicide. My cat was there for me for years when I had no one else. When my family was fine to write me off as 'unreliable', 'flaky', and 'over-emotional' because I was dealing with the messy divorce of my parents, the messy break-up with my fiancee, and being diagnosed with bipolar I. When my friends were quick to use me for sex or just another body to do drugs or drink with, but quicker to leave when I needed help or someone to talk to. My cat was all I've had since I graduated high school, the only person who loved me unconditionally. I'm married now, so a little less likely to act on my impulse of wanting to attempt suicide again, but I feel so very empty, worse than sad or depressed.

I just got his urn back yesterday and I've done nothing but stare at it and cry, or hold it and cry. I know pets don't live very long, but I thought I had longer with him. I wasn't ready. I wanted him to see me better, I wanted him to watch me heal and find some kind of peace after all these years of hurting, but instead I'm even more broken.

My co-workers just think he's a pet, my sort of friends here think he was just a pet, too. Only my wife knows that he was my lifeline for so long.

The past ten years have been incredibly hard years, but this year, 2024, is the worst year of my life.