What Have You Been Asking Me?
Why did you call your site iRecover Bipolar?
I called it that because the most important thing when it comes to any mental health illness is ensuring that you make a full recovery. So, iRecover is all about the road to recovery and what happens or happened next, and I want people to know that as soon as they view my website and to understand where people like me are coming from.
Is it just Bipolar you have? How long did it take to diagnose?
Yes, although that may be subject to change. I may have Alcoholism too. The diagnosis process is very long and extremely hard to diagnose. It can take up to 4 years to reach a diagnosis, some people don’t even get one! You go to meetings, have regular weekly check up’s, I see my psychiatrist every 2-3 months, and get asked a lot of questions, personal ones mostly and family history. Its a very lengthy process to track your life and match it up to the assessment criteria in which you may fall in.
What’s the worst part of mania (all time high)?
The worst part has to be the bad mania (dysphoric). Just the combination of mania and depression is lethal. I’ve only been through it once full blown, and a couple of times on and off in between mania and depression. Let’s just say, I wouldnt be writing blogs if I hadnt survived. Also the lack of sleep takes it’s toll as well. One time I didnt sleep for 4 days at all, and the desire to physically sleep is disrupted by a racy brain….WORST TIME OF MY LIFE SO FAR.
What’s the best part of mania?
The best part has to be the creativity and hyperactivity working together. I can get so much done in little time. Things that get done in a week I can do in 3 days. The genius-ness that comes from this part of the illness is something worth keeping. This is why I describe mania as an all time high, the energy and hyperactivity is the best feeling in the world, but what goes up must come down. You can’t enjoy it all the time, but if left untreated like mine, it can last for much longer, and have dire consequences towards the end…
I think I have bipolar, what should I do?
If you think you have bipolar or have symptoms mimicking bipolar then I suggest you speak to your GP and explain the problems your having. If you strongly feel it’s to do with bipolar then let them know, and they can start assessing you right away starting with moments of the past. But speak to your GP and they may refer you to the Community Mental Health Team for a starter assessment. If you’re feeling suicidal, then call NHS Direct immediately or book an emergency appointment with your GP. Same goes for self-harm of ANY form.
How do you cope with being Bipolar?
I just try my best to live with it. But what helps me is that I write! It’s the only way to express myself verbally. I can’t speak of my experiences vocally, I have to put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard) and I cope by writing on bits of paper to quickly off-load and clear my racy brain when I lock myself in my room. I choreograph and perform to give me something else to focus on. Basically, I continue with life, just got a few rocky bits in it. On a terrible day, I’d self-harm myself as a way to control (check out my blogs on self-harm for more on this), but that’s very bad advice!
If you have any more questions that you would like to show up on FAQ's, then please email me them at [email protected], stating your name and question and I will put them up anonymously. ALL OTHER FAQ'S AND COMMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTED ON THE CONTACT ME PAGE.
Help me, help others.
I called it that because the most important thing when it comes to any mental health illness is ensuring that you make a full recovery. So, iRecover is all about the road to recovery and what happens or happened next, and I want people to know that as soon as they view my website and to understand where people like me are coming from.
Is it just Bipolar you have? How long did it take to diagnose?
Yes, although that may be subject to change. I may have Alcoholism too. The diagnosis process is very long and extremely hard to diagnose. It can take up to 4 years to reach a diagnosis, some people don’t even get one! You go to meetings, have regular weekly check up’s, I see my psychiatrist every 2-3 months, and get asked a lot of questions, personal ones mostly and family history. Its a very lengthy process to track your life and match it up to the assessment criteria in which you may fall in.
What’s the worst part of mania (all time high)?
The worst part has to be the bad mania (dysphoric). Just the combination of mania and depression is lethal. I’ve only been through it once full blown, and a couple of times on and off in between mania and depression. Let’s just say, I wouldnt be writing blogs if I hadnt survived. Also the lack of sleep takes it’s toll as well. One time I didnt sleep for 4 days at all, and the desire to physically sleep is disrupted by a racy brain….WORST TIME OF MY LIFE SO FAR.
What’s the best part of mania?
The best part has to be the creativity and hyperactivity working together. I can get so much done in little time. Things that get done in a week I can do in 3 days. The genius-ness that comes from this part of the illness is something worth keeping. This is why I describe mania as an all time high, the energy and hyperactivity is the best feeling in the world, but what goes up must come down. You can’t enjoy it all the time, but if left untreated like mine, it can last for much longer, and have dire consequences towards the end…
I think I have bipolar, what should I do?
If you think you have bipolar or have symptoms mimicking bipolar then I suggest you speak to your GP and explain the problems your having. If you strongly feel it’s to do with bipolar then let them know, and they can start assessing you right away starting with moments of the past. But speak to your GP and they may refer you to the Community Mental Health Team for a starter assessment. If you’re feeling suicidal, then call NHS Direct immediately or book an emergency appointment with your GP. Same goes for self-harm of ANY form.
How do you cope with being Bipolar?
I just try my best to live with it. But what helps me is that I write! It’s the only way to express myself verbally. I can’t speak of my experiences vocally, I have to put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard) and I cope by writing on bits of paper to quickly off-load and clear my racy brain when I lock myself in my room. I choreograph and perform to give me something else to focus on. Basically, I continue with life, just got a few rocky bits in it. On a terrible day, I’d self-harm myself as a way to control (check out my blogs on self-harm for more on this), but that’s very bad advice!
If you have any more questions that you would like to show up on FAQ's, then please email me them at [email protected], stating your name and question and I will put them up anonymously. ALL OTHER FAQ'S AND COMMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTED ON THE CONTACT ME PAGE.
Help me, help others.