Tag: medication

I’m underage and idk

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

I’ve always my diagnosis might be that I’m bipolar II for a number of reasons but I’m underage and idk if my doctor is waiting for me to be out of age. What I know is that I was diagnosed with major depression back in 2014 and more recently with ADHD. What sparked my interest is that I take this pill for my migraines and my doctor forgot to prescribe me them, so I had to mark an appointment. She knows I’ve been taking this medication for about 2 years now for migraines but she said: “Good thing that you mentioned that I forgot. This one is for the migraines and bipolar.” While I know that various medications can be for
many things, idk why she said that knowing that I’m aware that I take
it for migraines and have been for the past year. And I also take
Lithium, low dosage, but idk I think that she might think I have this
diagnosis too. How can I approach the subject? or do I wait to have a
hypo/manic episode?

Good question, anon!

I’d start by asking them outright.

Doctors are medical professionals.

In my experience doctors are more than happy to go through the logic and reasoning behind a diagnosis.

Let’s be real – diagnosis is pretty much 50% of their job.
So they aren’t likely to hold back on explaining their reasoning to you, their patient, no matter how old you are.

If you feel that you are experiencing symptoms of a flavour of bipolar disorder – or any mental health issue for that matter – then speak up about it. And if anything changes, let them know.

With mental health, the professionals can only act with the information you give them.

So make sure it’s complete!

How do I muster the courage to ask someone for help?

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

How do I muster the courage to ask someone for help. I’ve asked my parents 3 times and they denied me. Im almost positive I do have bipolar and I just want meds for it. I self medicate but I feel bad when I do it. I need to know how to get help without consequence. Thanks for taking the time to read this and maybe responding.

Hi Anon!

Okay so, it’s caveat time!

  • Not a doctor
  • No training or certification
  • Life experience only
  • Quality of life is the focus

Having family support for a mental illness can be a great boon if it is available. But it’s not always on the table. And make no mistake, that sucks. I feel you.

All is not lost though. There is a way to find the courage to take action. It involves using what I call “Second-Best Programming”.

This involves using quick-but-intense thought patterns to cut away the clutter and think in one direction at once.

To do this, look at each of the following in turn:

  1. What do you want, in terms of concrete, physical actions and outcomes?
  2. Why you want this object/action?
  3. What are the chances of getting it?
  4. How much you are willing to endure to get it?
  5. Is/are there an alternative course/s?
  6. How much do they cost you?
  7. Is this better in terms of input and outcome?

As a real basic example, say I want to get a slice of pizza?

I could go to the one which has a long line where the pizzas are decent and the prices average there is one CUTE AF SERVER. Or I could go to the place next door where the pizzas are the same, the price is the same, the line is short, but the server there is just not my type.

With the programming above, I can see that I want pizza, and I can do that either way, but I also want to go and try to woo the cute server.

The question for me is do I feel that the wooing worth the wait?


For you, dear Anon, there is a lot to analyse.

And yeah, the idea of sitting around trying to measure feels when all you want is ANSWERS and RELIEF is just a huge kick in the pants.

But it is worth your time.

You are worth your time.

In this case, Anon, i would suggest starting with the importance of having familial support.

  • How much does it matter to you and why?
  • How much will it cost you to get it?
  • Is there an alternative to get access to the diagnostic services you require?
  • Does this alternative require less effort?
  • Is that less effort worth it?

If your analysis shows you that a good choice of action is to ask
someone for help – family or otherwise – then you have what you need!

Courage AND logic.

Go make it happen!

Another key point here is medication.

Medications are like sharp, broad tools that deal with
teeny tiny circuits. They need professional handling. They have side
effects. You do NOT want to be on the wrong meds.

And on self medication?

If it improves the quality of your life, then it’s viable – but don’t overdo it. This includes smashing eight coffees a day while on a high phase (take it from me this is a POOR CHOICE). Or doing shots of cheap whisky in bed to pass the time of a low phase. These things mess with you in ways you don’t expect. Don’t mess with meds until you have the guidance you need to get it right!

When it comes to the crux, it’s about the quality of life.

If getting a diagnosis right now is too hard, then don’t. Leave it until you’re in a better position to do so.

In the meantime look after yourself.

You want to get help without consequences?
Educate yourself on what is good for you. Steer clear of what isn’t. That includes people, environmental
stressors, foods, exercise, and more.

Get yourself as good as you can, then take the next step.

Squint Harder

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

Do you wear glasses?

Or know someone who does?

Congratulations, you know someone who requires medical aid to see the world in the same way as the majority of the population!

Now, as a glasses wearer, you probably get asked what it’s like to live without them.

They want to know what it’s like.

“Can you see without these?”

“Can you get through the day without relying on them?”

And the answer is maybe? I guess? I could close one eye and squint real hard and hope I don’t walk into something or miss a detail or make a mistake.

But even if I avoid these issues, it hurts my head
and people look at me funny and

so… no? I don’t think so?

Why would I avoid this certified, professionally supplied solution that lets me get by in my own way?

And people laugh and shake their heads and say they understand and how weird it’d be to make people who need glasses to get by to not wear glasses.

So my question is this – is there a way to make it clear to the world that this is also the same with professionally supervised therapy and medication?

After all, these too change how you see the world.

Tea-totaling

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

In some cultures, it’s seen as weird if you don’t take drugs.

My grandmother used to say that you shouldn’t trust a man who doesn’t drink beer.

A coworker would say they didn’t like working with people who drank tea instead of coffee.

Can you imagine what that would be like if we switched culturally-accepted drugs with mental health practices?

“Never trust a man who doesn’t meditate.”

“I hate working with people who don’t follow their prescribed medication regimen.”

“I’m more of a professionally-managed-medical-regimen kinda guy.”

“It’s unpatriotic to not sleep 8 hours a day, exercise regularly and eat real food.”

Can you imagine?

+++++

[shirt]

I want to come off my meds to try alternative therapies but im worried about being affected by the stress from college and work. I don’t want to put my life on hold to do it tho. Any suggestions?

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

Hi
msbrooks108!

Okay, it’s caveat time!

  • Not a doctor
  • Not a therapist
  • Not certified to deliver actionable advice
  • Suggestions only
    based on experience

And now the good stuff.

It’s all about quality of life.

Being bipolar means that you have a condition that directly affects your quality of life. While it’s a chronic disease that you have to manage for the rest of your life, in this aspect it is no different from any other medical condition.

It you have a broken leg, there’s the pain you have to deal with while it’s healing.
Which sucks, sure.

You also can’t do stuff you want to do. Like, uh, playing basketball? Getting up to make a sandwich? Which also sucks.

With your bipolar experience, it’s similar. You may not be able to play basketball, which sucks. And getting up to make a sandwich can be tough. And also, because of the bipolar experience, you may experience pain. Existential, but still real.

Both of these elements – the inability to do things and the pain – impact on your quality of life.

Now, let’s focus on the point of medication.

It exists to help improve your quality of life. To help you manage the pain, and enable a more normal existence, whatever that means for you.

So, why might you want to cease medication?

It might be expensive. It might cause complications, unwanted side effects. There might be a social or cultural taboo associated with the type of medication. Or you might be uncomfortable with the thought of ingesting “chemicals”.

For me, none of these reasons are invalid. They all make sense. But alone, they are not enough to make a decision to quit medication. Especially with chronic illnesses.

So let’s look at context.

You’re studying – which takes time and effort and costs money, but delivers “education” and “opportunities” and maybe “friends”.

You’re working –  which takes up time and energy, but delivers benefits like “experience” and “money”

.

You want to cease taking medication – what are the reasons for this want?

You want to try alternative therapies – what health/time/financial changes do you get from these therapies?

Then you have the wider impact.

Okay msbrooks108, here are the tougher questions. Some you can’t answer, because you don’t know the answers. And that’s important, because you have to measure how much “I don’t know” matters in your day to day.

So,
msbrooks108,

how will going off meds change your ability to work? How will it shape your approach to education? Are you in a place where you can slow down the volume of work/study in your life and focus on managing on your mental health? If it comes down to it, how do you feel about quitting your job, or cancelling your education? And how do the benefits of your preferred alternative therapies weigh up against these decisions, and their impacts?

For more context, check out this post where I answered a similar question.

Now, it’s important to note here that I’m not pro-medication or anti-medication.

I’m 100% pro-you.

I’m throwing these tough questions at you because it’s easy easy to give in to personal bias. To shape facts to get what you want. To ignore lines of inquiry because they might give you points of view you don’t want to have to consider.

Whatever you do, remember the following:

  • there are no do-overs, you’re alive here and now
  • everything is recoverable, the pendulum swings both ways
  • keep both eyes on your end goal which is having a good life.

And please, let me know what you decide and how you reached your decision!

What happens if you’re bipolar 2 and you decided not to take any medications?

reversethebipolarities_oqhia1Leave a comment

So first off, the caveats.

I just wanna make it clear that I:

  • am totally not a doctor

  • am not even remotely a
    therapist

  • gots no certifications that let me
    give what I’d label as “qualified” advice

  • believe strongly in the quality of life as a decision-making tool

Okay, moving on.

Everyone on this damn planet is responsible for their own
behaviour.

Bipolaroids are no different.

Except that we have added factors to
deal with.

Being bipolar means managing an illness. This illness influences
behaviour. This illness is for life. You can not get rid of it. But you can learn how to manage it.

And like any other illness, how you manage it should
reflect how it impacts on your quality of life.

So, what happens if you decide to not take meds?

It depends on your circumstances.

  • Do you definitely have bipolar,
    and it’s not a misdiagnosis?

  • How does your bipolarity manifest
    itself?

  • How fast do your bipolar states
    cycle?

  • How do these cycles influence your
    behaviour?

  • How does your bipolar behaviour
    impact your quality of life?

  • How much support do you have
    available?

  • How well do you manage without
    medication?

  • How much time and money you can invest in your mental health?

Non-medication management is a valid choice for many.

There is evidence that people who experience mild symptoms from
bipolar disorder can benefit from a range of options.

These include talking therapies, support groups, meditation, yoga,
eating good, omega 3 fatty acids (specifically with a ratio of DHA to
EPA of 3:1 or better), sleeping well, and exercising regularly.

From my understanding, these factors don’t influence the severity or
length of the symptoms. They just give better control over
reactions to bipolar behaviour. They enable management.

Medication is a valid choice for many.

Managing your responses to your bipolar cycles can be difficult,
as it affects willpower, amongst other things. Done right, medication
can help people manage their bipolar disorder. It gives them
breathing space and control.

Correctly administered medication does this by reducing the
length and magnitude of bipolar cycles.

And ceasing or changing medication can
have it’s own complications.

So choosing to go on medication, or come off it, is daunting.

Overall, there is no rightness or wrongness.

For me, it’s about my quality of life. If the net outcome is “current
quality of life > past quality of life” then it’s a good
decision.

One last thing.

If you are on medication, and decide to come off medication:

  1. Only do so with the support of a
    certified physician.

  2. Make sure the process is slow and
    receives close monitoring from said physician. Weekly visits are a
    must.

  3. Get the support of people involved in your life. You will
    need their feedback to gauge on your progress, or the lack of it.

I hope this helps!