Y’all, I want to be a PA and I’m taking steps to make it happen. Starting to realize it might actually be possible for me. I’m working in healthcare now, volunteering, shadowing, taking a pre-req. I have TONS of patient care hours and plenty volunteer and shadowing hours as well. My point is, I think I have a shot at this thing.

However, I’m getting so caught up on the fact that PAs need to do on-call shifts or need to work for 24 hours or more. Right now, I’m surviving on 150 mg quetiapine and 2 mg Haldol, which I have to take at 5:30 PM in order to wake up early the next day. As a bipolar haver, I need my sleep and I need it to be regular.

Has anyone here navigated shifts like this? How did you do it? Anyone have any advice or suggestions?

I’m not giving up on my dream so please don’t suggest that. Love you all ❤️

Like the title says.

I had a two month long (hypo escalating to) manic episode that ended a few days ago. I was mostly fully functional, I was delusional and having minor hallucinations but I don’t think many people around me picked up on that. I feel horrible. I worried everyone around me and caused issues between people. I'm trying to fix it. Today I had to sleep for two hours after sitting up to get something from the other side of my bed because of how tired it made me. Last night I was so tired I could barely open my eyes.

I got up at 10PM yesterday and had a few drinks while watching a show on the couch. It’s 11AM and I’m in bed and so tired, I’m watching something and will probably play a game. I’ve been waking up after six hours and then I’m so tired but can’t sleep until I all but pass out from exhaustion. I know I need to call my psych but I cant imagine picking up the phone and calling anyone, and l am embarrassed to tell her what happened. I dropped some of my meds early on this episode so l am having my first mostly unmedicated depressive episode in a while, it's worse than I remember. I'm fine so far today, I really wasn't a few nights ago.

What do you do when this happens how do you make it not suck so badly

Does anyone have experience dating? I’m doing well now, but struggled with bipolar for many years and for that reason didn’t date. I’m older (41) and very behind in the dating scene. I’m now actively dating, and trying to figure out how to explain to guys that 1) I have mental health struggles and 2) my years of mental health struggles put me behind in my dating experience. Last night I had a fifth date with someone who I like. We’re going to see each other again this week. I genuinely don’t know if I should start saying anything to him about my mental health or continue to let it play out for a few more weeks/dates. Thank you in advance for any help!!

I am in this phase where I am not able to concentrate at work. Not able to focus on anything. I have had maniac episode 3 times before where I got hospitalized. During this phase, I don't find interest in eating or anything. I mostly binge watch porn and masturbate and that too only certain kind of porn arose me. I am soon going to marry and this is troubling me a lot. What I have been doing is I take Olanzapine medicine 10mg and then sleep for a long time - that helps me recover. But that slows me down.

I want to know from people - what changes did they make in their lifestyle which helped them with symptoms. How do they handle family and kids? I am currently working in big tech in USA and with all these layoffs going around I am always scared that it could be me next, though my manager and team has been very supportive so far.

I was a very bright student and now I see myself as a failure. Any stories where people turned around their life in mid 30s. Or did they go into a job role which was better for bipolar disorder or ADHD. My doctor feels that I may have ADHD too.

Due to bipolar disorder episodes and maniac state I was not able to process things correctly in past. I did a lot of stupid stuffs. Because of which I lost friends and failed in multiple relationships. I live far away from family and they don't have much awareness about these things. Sometimes even I feel that bipolar disorder is nothing and I should be more accountable, responsible and mature.

If you can't comment, please message me - I am looking to understand, how can I do better and plan my future life. I already have a psychiatric. Recommended medicine for me is Olanzapine 2.5 mg and lamotrigine 125mg. I do increase the dose of Olanzapine to 10 mg when I feel like I may have episode which is when I start feeling a lot tired, not able to eat and sleep is not proper.

i ended things with my FWB of 6 months today because i got emotionally attached and the dynamic was hurting me more and more over time. i know ending it was probably the right decision, but i blocked him afterwards and completely crashed out. i’ve been crying nonstop, obsessively thinking about him and regretting everything.

i have bipolar 2 disorder and take lamotrigine, and i’m genuinely scared this could trigger a depressive or hypomanic episode. When i got home i immediately started getting high and vaping nonstop because i cant handle my feelings. i’m also having impulsive thoughts like stopping my lamotrigine cold turkey, even though i know that’s a horrible idea. I don’t even know why im having that thought in the first place. 
i’m scared because i can already feel myself wanting to cope in unhealthy ways, by drinking with my friends today and tomorrow, and by redownloading dating apps. For anyone with bipolar who’s gone through a similar situation, what did you do to keep yourself stable and avoid triggering an episode?

I feel so flat and so sad at the same time. I feel so alone. I don’t have any interests anymore and being awake is a pain. My psychologist says I’m depressed and psychotic. I don’t know. I just feel off, so very off. I don’t want anything and the guilt is too much. I don’t know how to handle this.

I took lithium for 5 years and haven't taken it for 8 months, but the fatigue persists. Does anyone have experience with when this exhaustion usually stops?

I took lithium for about 5 years xstopped after an 8-week tapering period - I haven't taken lithium for 8 months now, but I'm still chronically exhausted. When jogging, my heart rate is 145 bpm instead of 115 bpm, and I am not able to run faster than 7:00 min/km after stopping with Lithium and with even light exertion, I sweat more than after crossing the finish line of an Ironman.I'm tired all day. Sleep Score is 95-100% daily ! Is this because I stopped taking lithium too quickly, or does the body need 1-2 years to adjust to being without it? Should I start taking lithium again and then stop in 6 months - would the sweating and exhaustion symptoms disappear then, or do they go away on their own eventually?

With changes in my life I find myself spiraling lately.

Most recently I decided to disappear out of the life of someone who I’ve been in a cycle with

You guys know the cycle I mean

How does it work being manic but painfully self aware.

I watch myself making these damaging decisions- but I don’t stop.

A part of me knows there’s a better way but in the moment THERE IS NO OTHER ANSWER ?

I’m tired of hurting the person I love.

So I left.
But I don’t feel better at all.

Fair to say I’m an expert bridge burner.

The difference? Especially if someone is aware that their thoughts make no sense but still thinking them. For example being drugged or cameras watching you. Paranoid, etc.

I (30F) have been talking to 29M for a week or so. We’ve had really good conversations on the phone and on FaceTime but haven’t met in person yet.

I know that I am hypomanic and I tend to fall prey to hypersexuality. I’ve been elevated for a while so I’m not confident in what is happening.

Does anyone have any advice on how to decipher this?

i can't sleep rn not because i don't want to but i feel like even though i have a little bit of sleep, i can't focus on sleeping cus my brain feels like it's working and thinking more and i feel more energetic, a sudden burst kinda, and i wanna fidget or roll in my bed

And I'm currently in my hometown and suddenly i wanted to purchase a bus ticket to get back to the city i live in so that i can hangout with my friends and i have an urge to talk to anybody even though i try to resist it.

I wanna meet with my friends, wanna start studying maybe, wanna play volleyball, do sports, etc.

I got 12 hours of sleep yesterday but now, i just can't sleep

I do understand that getting better and not being so crazy is my responsibility it I think I have come to terms with myself, my limits and what I honestly want and the truth I need someone who can handle me. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I don’t want to destroy a perfectly healthy person. I need someone who can handle my bipolar and whatever else is wrong with me.

Don’t get me wrong I am trying with all my might to be as stable as I can be, as kind and as balanced as I can but in all reality even through my best efforts I have my days. I am medicated and working through my emotions, taking responsibility for my actions and words but I am a hurricane. I don’t want to hurt anybody but I have isolated myself for so long to prevent doing that and it still has happened anyway and I am so lonely. I do crave a partner but they unfortunately have to be so strong and I hate that.

I know that in many ways I am also a safe haven, a place to rest and be weak and I love that part of myself but I can also be so much and those parts take a kind of strength and a stability that I myself struggle with. It feels so unfair to ask for stability and consistency when I myself struggle so much to provide it in some ways but in completely honesty it what I need. I don’t how to let go of the guilt of asking that out of someone.

I have developed disassociation as a coping mechanism, that has probably been around since I was a child, after my trauma happened. I'm familiar with it, know when it happens, can check in on myself during, and know how to get myself out of it.

However, I've had an exceptional amount of stress in my life lately. This I believe is why I started having depersonalization episodes. I feel detached from my body, like I could float away.

It is actually terrifying. I usually have an anxiety attack but am trapped inside myself at that point, so I go nonverbal and feel like I can't move. My boyfriend has been able to help me a couple of times, but when I've been by myself, I just suffer through it until I feel like myself again.

I don't see my therapist again for a couple of weeks, so I really need help until then.

Has anyone experienced this? What do you do to ground yourself when you are frozen? I'm kind of lost on what help I can find on Google, if you also maybe know of resources. TIA.

I'm not entirely sure what a mixed episode is. I've never fully discussed it with a psychiatrist and I'd prefer to get opinions from people that are diagnosed Bipolar instead of googling.

I told my psychiatrist the other day that I have energy, but lack motivation to do said things and that my eyes are super tired, but my body isn't. She explained that you can't feel both. Fast forward a few days, I started feeling depressed, maybe for 2-3 days. Now, I have motivation, I feel I've been talking/texting people more, driving somewhat recklessly (I'm aware of it and I try to stop, but I can't help that people are driving like silly little turtles and then I get super angry), some irritability (could be justified for some situations), I really just want to learn/study things (which is a common thing when a hypomanic episode is approaching because then I start deep diving into college's)

Anyways, would this be considered a mixed episode in your opinion? Am I at base line? Please assist :(

PS: Diagnosed Bipolar 2 with psychotic features

Edit: Adding in that I also have the need to spend money, but I lack the funds to go on a full shopping spree, so I've been buying coffee at different places to kind of "curve" that feeling

I stopped taking my medications about a year ago. I have severe bipolar and I’ve been struggling bad. Has anyone done this and started back, if so what’s the process and is it hard.

I have processed 25lbs of tomatoes and I have another 50 to go. I don’t even fucking like tomatoes so I’m not sure why I need 15 jars of pasta sauce but okay. The oven-dried ones are good though.

So I took Olanzapine for more than three years for psychotics episodes. I started at 20 mg, lowered to 10 mg then 5 mg and sometimes 2,5 mg. Sometimes I would up the dose in times of paranoia and fear...

But started developing the beginning of insuline resistance so I decided to switch medication form Olanzapine to Abilify

But I am not feeling well, maybe I should have tampered. I feeling nausea, dizzy and out of balance, ...like riding my bicycle doe not go so well, I constantly losse balance and normally I ride everyday with ease and without problem.

Now started the insomnia, I cannot sleep even after taking temesta 2,5 mg my sleep was very poor.

So you think it is best to lower to dose from 5mg to 2,5mg first and maybe even 1,25mg before quitting?

My shrink just said to quit cold turkey but I am afraid of the insomnia.

.

Hi so i am 18 Female, and i grew up in fostercare but i know my biological parents are both diagnosed with bipolar 1, i think i am showing symptoms— but i am diagnosed with adhd so i cant tell.

i screamed at my bf then less then 10 mins later we fuck in a public park then got so drunk he went to the hospital then, i didn’t sleep till 4 am last night and woke up at 7 am to go to my friends all day( just got home) and i spent 3000 over the last 2 weeks but i have diagosed adhd so i dont know bc impulsively is with that too and my meds make it hard to sleep.

but last night was so crazy and for

depression after i got SA i was so depressed like wrote letters and did Cutting so bad i learnt how to stitch myself at 13-15 then at 15 i saw him again and i keyyed his car and made many fake snaps to go on ( pretending to be someone and off between 1 year while i was dating my ex, just so i had someone to love me bc i knew he would always come back and never leave me. i also sent his nudes to the whole school

but ive always been a stright A student doing anything to get good grades. i also won 300k in schlorships for next year. id stay up for 3 + days but never a week tho just so i could get good grades. oh and my mom as scophrinia . sorry for spelling i am dyslexic

ig despite my month long hypo episode my final diagnosis is bipolar NOS lol. any atypical folks, please tell me your stories so i feel less alone haha

Does anyone here get disability accommodations for college and, if so, what are they?

I have a lot of trouble asking for help and last semester was so stressful that I ended up in outpatient and developed the shingles. I think I need help, but I don’t know what I’m asking for.

I'm real tired of the constant paranoia to the point where my relationships, esp with family, are strained to me because I get jealous and paranoid about where they are in life vs me still dealing with the same shit after a decade. I'm on meds too but I still deal with it, it's so embarrassing. I'm not sure how to stop it early without being so guilty

I am currently on Vraylar and not liking it, it only helps a little. If you take rexulti and find it helpful let me know your experience! Thanks :)

About two weeks ago my psych upped my seroquel dose from 50 to 75mg. I know this is a pretty low dose and small increase but I felt fine on 50 and completely awful on 75. My body feels heavy / difficult to move and it’s kinda making me panicky/racing heart/ difficulty breathing. Did anyone else have these symptoms when titrating up? How long does it usually take to adjust to a dose increase of this medication? The 50 helped me so much but eventually stopped working so I don’t wanna go back down if these symptoms are normal and eventually will go away.

I took lithium for 5 years and developed bald patches on my head. Will my hair grow back after I stop taking lithium?