I was most stable on lithium and lamictal.. however my hair was falling out from the lithium .. I’ve been in hypomania and then deep depression since stopping. The Lamictal was upped to 300mg from 200mg and 80mg Latuda. My question is are there people on low dose lithium say 300-400mg with success or is it not effective below therapeutic levels. I go into hospital soon and I like to have some input when it comes to meds. I just have to hope I don’t lose my hair at lowered dose.

Is there any mobile application/smart device that helped you track your mood swings automatically or helping you with your Bipolar by any means?

My racing mind îs worse every day. All day long. I have words Random words oming into my mind I cannot control this I already tried depakote, risperidone. And amisulpride an antipsychotic. They do not work. My doctor just gave me these three options I told above. Idk what else to do I am so desperate I want to cry .

Hello all.

From another post I just recently made, someone suggested I may be going through a mixed episode. I'm sure I've experienced these before, but I've never been able to identity them until now, so I'm not exactly sure how to treat this if what I am going through is a mixed episode. I've only been diagnosed with bipolar for a couple years, so this is all still new to me sadly.

My sleep schedule is all wacked up for various reasons. Too much caffiene is one thing, and taking a much needed tolerance break from weed is another. At first, I thought my increased energy and decreased dissociation was from cutting back on weed, which might be the case, but now I'm wondering if it's because I'm "hypomanic", which I'm also not really sure how do identify. This disease is more complicated than I ever could have imagined...

All this month has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and I've been one to two bad days/events from ending up in the hospital again, which I really, really don't want to do again. I have more energy throughout the days which is good, but I'll go from being in a really, really good mood, for my standards, to incredibly low, psychotically depressed and suicidal, sometimes multiple times this can happen, in the span of a single day, sometimes even in the same fucking hour. It's very draining to say the least.

I want to make sure I'm doing what's best for my mental health, so what are some steps I can do now to make sure I don't become fully manic, or enter back into a severe depressive episode, which honestly, I might be more concerned about the depression than the mania because I at least enjoy the mania whenever it happens, while with the depression it's non-stop, every waking minute of the day, bur honestly, I'm so used to that depression feeling that I don't know how to feel genuine happiness anymore without thinking it's mania, which is really sad.

Any advice or suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I (28F) was diagnosed with BP1 in 2019. Since then I have taken a lot more notice of my mood shifts in general but also during my menstrual cycle.

One thing that has become very apparent is that my mood will significantly switch to a severe case of despair/depression/negative mindset about 7-5 days in average before my period is due. Although just to note, I also get mood shifts throughout my cycle, just that it is so much worse in the last week or so.

I am very aware that even people without underlying mental health conditions experience PMS, however my experience on average is very extreme and sometimes I feel like I’m heading towards a psychotic state because I feel so detached from myself but most of the time it’s just extreme low mood.

I also keep worrying that I actually have PMDD and have been misdiagnosed with BP1 since they overlap in a lot of symptoms. However as I mentioned before, I do get mood swings throughout my cycle and not exclusively during the PMS stage.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I am so confused about what is really happening with my body and mind and maybe it is just the unfortunate situation of having Bipolar and experiencing a menstrual cycle?

So for quite literally months, I’ve basically felt very depressed. I felt very sad like in a emotionally painful way if that makes any sense, lots of dissociation/derealization, tired all the time, no energy, no motivation, isolation, no appetite, emotional numbness, a lot of self harm, I wouldn’t shower for 2 weeks, basically didn’t maintain hygiene, suicidal ideation and thought, guilt, shame. Suddenly about id say 2 weeks ago randomly it kind of just stopped and I was out of the dissociative state and didn’t feel sad anymore. I was eating again I had so many ideas for some reason, i literally wanted to buy everything (I’ve already spent like $50 and I’m unemployed), I’ve not been getting the best sleep, I only got 4 hours the other night, 5 2 nights ago, because I was not tired at all and was busy searching the web for things to buy lol. Eating snacks in bed at 230am when I have to get up at 7. Suddenly really into pop musics from the 2010s for some reason spent an hour vibinf to it while dancing in the mirror at midnight. (My pupils also seemed to appear bigger and shinier but this might be irrelevant) I basically thought I was the best looking person ever lol starting at my self . In the morning not tired surprisingly besides when I was doing math lol. My slow sad playlist is too calm for me now whilst before it was all I could handle. I’ve been more social than usual and c talking more to my family than usual (it’s weird because I tell myself I don’t want to talk to them too much to not seem annoying yet I end up doing it anyway) Yet despite me not exactly feeling depressed in this moment, I wouldn’t say it feels like happiness per se. It more feels like I’m on my toes doing all these things but at the same time exhausted if that makes any sense? I’m confused I thought I was depressed considering that’s how I felt for months but now suddenly this is happening but it’s not necessarily happiness so I wouldn’t say I’m mentally ok I’m so lost and honestly feel terrible knowing that I really don’t have control of these moods I feel like I’m on a ride that never stops. I really struggle with self harm when I feel that depressive state (my arm is covered in scars) a month ago when I was feeling this way I was literally using a box cutter in inanimate objects just to cope and stay clean (although I relapsed many many times during this time) I was having a very very hard time not relapsing. I spent many nights conversing with 988 and other hotlines. And now, boom. I don’t even think about any of that stuff. Seeing sharp objects has no appeal to me whilst before I was going crazy over it. And these states, have absolutely no reason. Nothing is happening in my life at all to cause these feelings. These mood switches has happened before. It’s been happening for about a year actually but the depressive states happened for 2 years and progressed. I’ll be depressed for many months and then get a few weeks a month tops of feeling this elevated state then spiraling right back into depressive state coming back worse each time. The depressive states get so bad to the point I’m actually scared for my safety. The voices in my head tell me to basically hurt and kill myself. But now I’m elevated again. I’m actually so confused and I don’t know my self anymore. I can’t control my mood states and I feel so helpless. Google saying bipolar. 16 btw

I feel like there is a term for it, but I don't know. I just got done with a cry sesh over something with my car, and now I feel okay and that whatever happens is out of my control and I'll deal with it tomorrow.

But this has been happening lately. I'll start to spiral, get legitimate suicidal thoughts to the point where I'll just sometimes repeat, out of pure frustration with the world/universe "I'm going to do it, maybe not today but one day I'll fucking do it", then be fine a couple hours later.

This cycle is honestly really freaking draining...

Also, please send support, as next month is my anniversary month. Both good and bad I guess, as on the plus, on the 29th, if I make it (I will. Don't worry about me), it will mark 7 years since my attempt. On one side it's a celebration of life. On the other, I get terrible anniversary effects like increased anxiety and such.

I've also just started seeing a new therapist, so I hope to work through things this upcoming month with her, and hopefully not have as bad of a month as I usually do, because this one has fucking sucked...

I finally got a job today after months of trying, and I had to tell my new boss that I can only work 25-30 hours. Which is fine, but that’s already pushing it honestly.

I have a history of hopping from job to job too. I’ve never been hospitalized but I can see it happening in my future as I’m getting worse even with meds. And the hypomanic and depressive episodes are so crippling too that I can barely function.

And all of this just makes me wonder, how do you guys manage to keep a job? Or are you struggling the same as me, where you can only work so much and not more or else you’ll trigger an episode and have a break down?

I want to be able to keep this job but I know I’m gonna struggle a lot. How do you guys do it?

I'm on meds that make me stable for the most part but sometimes I feel mildly depressed on them. I'm not sure if this calls for a med change or if I should just wait it out. Do I just need to accept that I'll have minor episodes from time to time? I still have mild hypomania as well. What does everyone do when they're mildly depressed?

How do you guys deal with resentment in relationships? My partner says he resents me for my postpartum manic/psychosis episode and I don't know how to fix that?? I didn't do anything wrong and I got the help I needed on my own. Being bipolar is hard and I need advice from people who get it I think.

I just wanna know if it's got a bad interaction or if it's "safe" i know vaping isn't safe

Aside from medications that I will discuss with my psych and pc doc, I need some advice. I’m terrified. I have a window seat. My anxiety is through the roof and I hate being around strangers. What can I do for myself to make it so it’s more bearable and I can get through all of the two hours I’ll be in this situation?

Thank you so much in advance!

I’ve now had 3 manic episodes in 3 years (all 13 months after the other usually) and when they’ve happened I lost my job due to it, and had a hard time for months getting a job the last two times (took 3 months then 7 months for full-time positions in my field).

This past march after I found out my girlfriend who had been living with me cheated on me while I was on a trip, I went manic and started drinking a ton, was hospitalized twice (once in march and once in April), got a careless driving charge in May that I had to fight for months, and I called someone from high school also in May that had gotten into a fight with one of my friends and threatened him.

He pressed charges that I wasn’t aware of until mid September. Now I did get a full time job 2.5 months ago when both charges were pending, but was working ubereats 20 hours a week on the side to cover expenses. Welp - now with the harassment charge pending, Uber terminated me, DoorDash won’t let me work for them, and even instawork and other gig apps aren’t allowing me due to this pending charge.

I thought about donating plasma but got banned because I went on a medical brigade to Honduras in 2018, was donating plasma at the time, failed to mention it was a vaccine, and now I can’t donate anymore.

So I’m stuck with lawyer fees, having to do a lot of mental health visits for probation for the careless driving due to the chemical dependency assessment, and can’t work due to it. I have a limited license til May, in two weeks I have my court date for the harassment and hired a good lawyer. I didn’t have any charges on my record ever until this manic episode.

Everything is crashing in. Can’t work due to BG check, feel depressed. I work Monday - Friday first week then tues-Saturday 2nd week on a rotating schedule too so it’s near impossible to find a part time job that’ll fit with that. I have supportive family members but lost ~90% of my friends over my last two manic episodes. Barely affording rent/utilities/gas and groceries. Everything is too expensive.

Does anyone know of any good gig apps or work in Minnesota metro area where they are okay with misdemeanors and flexible schedule? I have a psychology degree (ironic) and could do labor-intensive stuff.

My employee assistance program called to check on me today because apparently I had indicated when I went to set up the appointment for later this week that I'd recently had suicidal thoughts. Anyway, the call lasted 9 minutes and it felt like she just called to stir up shit.

We were talking about making new connections after a recent move and she suggested picking up a new hobby/interest to meet people after we'd workshopped a few a my existing ones, and I laughed and said I didn't think my husband would appreciate me picking up yet another hobby this year. All of a sudden the call was focused on our relationship and I admitted to feeling like the lesser partner since he's well and I'm not. After that, all her questions seemed to have the underlying assumption that my husband secretly abuses me, and when I kept disagreeing, she finally just shoved a recommendation to an org that has a two page pamphlet on managing bipolar disorder and called it a day.

I was in a good mood before this call, stressed in general but not currently in an episode. I genuinely do feel like the cognitively disabled partner while my husband is the capable decision-making partner. He didn't make me feel like this either -- that's just how it is. Can anyone else relate?

I started CAPLYTA a few days ago. Is there anything I should be on the look out for? If there is anyone out there that has taken it before, How long till you noticed any changes? I also take Lithium 900mg and Gabapentin 1600mg. The last lithium adon I was taking was Symbyax and it was working for a while till it wasn't. Same old story...hopefully this one will be worth it.

Has anyone notice a lag in light switches when they are tending towards hypomania? I have not really done any experiments to measure it but.. when I flick a light switch on there are periods of time during the time before the light comes on that I think to myself… wtf why isn’t it turning on.

I have figured out that it happens on both fluorescent and incandescent lights… eliminating any starter issues.

In my case I have lost all my money betting, and on another occasion I was with 2 different girls on the same day without protection (without knowing them).

Rapid cycling, energy fluctuations pretty bad? Can’t focus on anything? Internal shaking from severe anxiety. Dizzy. I could go on. I have been dishwasher amenities week so not sure if that’s playing a part.

It took me a long time to come to terms that I have bipolar and borderline. I have been medicated for 7 years now and have had to switch meds so many times due to episodes or side effects. I've had it a couple times when I tell someone new that I have bipolar that they say "you dont seem like you have it" or "are you sure?". It's such a weird feeling because I dont want to have it, but I do.

Just as an fyi

Edit: "How Do I Claim the Disability Tax Credit Refunds For Previous Years? In part B of the t2201, your medical practitioner will tell the CRA of the years your impairment began. The DTC eligibility can go unlimited years in the past but the CRA can only reassess up to 10 years retroactively."

One of the things I philosophically wax on from time to time is how I could never function in the real world without society. If society were to collapse within about 30 days I would be feeling so horribly depressed more than likely I would just kill myself. I wish I had the productive mania type of BP but unfortunately I do not. Even the mirror remote possibility of me not being able to get my meds drives me to slowly accumulate surplus of my overlap monthly prescriptions into a stockpile. I even have a 20 lb block of lithium carbonate from a ceramic supply company that in a pinch I could convert over to lithium citrate.

Am I the only one that worries about this remote possibility?

I saw a post from a girl who suffers from this condition, stating that she is unable to work because her condition is becoming a disability. So, I'm wondering... what are the signs and how does it happen?

I've gotten to a breaking point. I'm almost to the point I need hospitalization but I'm trying to avoid it all costs. I impulsivily emailed HR about short term disability because I just can not keep up with work. They set up a meeting first time the next day (today). It seems promising. I just have to get my psychiatrist to agree.

I emailed him yesterday as well and asked that disability to be discussed at our next appointment, tomorrow. I'm nervous because I've only seen this doctor once but I'm hopefully he will be understanding and see that I just need a break.

I plan on setting up a little hospital for myself in my apartment. Increased therapy appointments, working through self help workbooks, reading books to help me cope and understand my disorders, trying to find a routine, and engaging in art.

I really think this will be helpful for me. Feeling hopeful.

I’m starting clozapine either tonight or tomorrow depending on when my pharmacy gets the shipment. I have treatment resistant bipolar and have had numerous meds fail, and ECT failed (I had 42 sessions of it). I’m currently in a depressive episode with psychosis (visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions).

I guess what I am wondering is how sedating is the medication? (I’m starting on 25mg and increasing by 12.5mg daily until 100mg.) Also how bad is the weight gain? And have you had the extra saliva issue? What has been your experience on clozapine? Did it help with suicidal ideation? How quickly did it work?

(I know everyone has a different experience with meds, I’m just really nervous to start it, which I haven’t felt starting any of the other meds I’ve been on.)

I’ve busted my ass walking hundreds of miles this year and changed my diet significantly only to have the exact same weight.

Having bipolar, this is the limit of my ability to lose weight, so I want to look at medical weight loss options.

What are your experiences?

Hi all! I am on burspion 5mg and latuad (cant spell) 40 MG. Anyone on same combo? does it get better?

I live in a rural area and only have access to one psychiatrist. He has decided I have bipolar 2 instead of 1 and put me on 5 mg abilify and 10 mg celexa. At my appointment today, I shared that I still feel depressed and he accused me of not taking my meds. I stated emphatically that I haven’t missed a dose (which is absolutely true). He then said he wanted to double my abilify and take the celexa up to 40 mg. I asked about the side effects of going up so quickly and he lectured me on reading too much online about my medications. I felt very invalidated and unable to advocate for myself. I am not sure what to do. I don’t want to be non-compliant but going up so fast on my meds scares me.

I'm 35 and autistic and ADHD and Bipolar 1 (with psychosis during mania) in the UK. I've been off sick from work for 2 years since being sectioned and finding out I was bipolar in a sort of extreme burnout scenario. I had another episode earlier this year and I'm having to take each day as it comes. I've been staying with family because I am unable to reliably feed myself and live independently.

It's not looking like I'll be able to return to work anytime soon and it looks like I may even need to start considering looking for some supported housing of some kind. It's incredibly difficult to secure such support if you've been living independently previously and appear intelligent and capable on the surface, as I do, so I'm actually close to just giving up on life because if I'm not going to be able to live independently then I can't really see much point in carrying on. It feels like my life has been stolen from me. I used to run 2 or 3 times a week and had good fitness but the meds have made me fat and I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I find myself wishing that euthanasia was an option because I can't live like this watching myself get progressively cognitively and physically incapable as some kind of detached observer with no power over it.

I am in the position where I own my home outright due to my father's recent suicide but it's 200 miles from my family I'm staying with and I have no connections there following a 15 year relationship breakdown while I was in the psychiatric hospital and I can't live independently, so I can't even take advantage of that situation. I am literally unable to reliably feed myself or clean to meaningful degree. It seems like the support systems in society are not designed to provide for situations where people drastically lose their capabilities and it makes me sick.

I have a huge sense of loss about my life and what it could have been if I didn't have all the conditions I have. Again it feels like my whole life and whatever potential I had has now been stolen from me. I'm very angry about all of the people who gave me the false encouragement that I was intelligent and could work in whatever field I wanted. The resulting imposter syndrome was disgusting and awful and is one of the things that has led me to the point of wanting to give up.