My Personal Experience Living with Bipolar Disorder

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years ago. Before the diagnosis I had the symptoms, but I didn't realize what was wrong with me. I started to realize that I might have bipolar disorder when my symptoms got as bad as my husband's. My husband is bipolar also.

My husband and I had a talk and we both decided I needed to go to a psychiatrist to find out if it was indeed bipolar disorder. I called the clinic my husband goes to and setup an appointment. Soon I would find out if I had bipolar disorder and I was scared, but relieved at the same time. I hated going through the constant mood swings and depression, but I knew I needed help and I was about to get it.

Living with Bipolar Disorder: My Diagnosis

I went to the doctor and had to answer some questions. I was asked if I had racing thoughts and I said I did and mostly at night when I would try to go to sleep. I was also asked if I would often get a bunch of energy for no reason and want to do things I normally wouldn't want to do and I answered yes to that also. There were many other questions I was asked and most of the answers were yes. The doctor and I talked for a little while longer and then she determined that I, indeed, was bipolar. I was relieved because I knew I was going to get the help I needed to ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. I was put on medication and assigned a therapist who would talk with me about any problems I was having with this illness. I was grateful to get the help I needed.

Living With Bipolar Disorder: What It's Like to Live With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness and needs to be treated by a professional. There are ups and downs that are associated with this mental illness. These ups and downs are commonly known as mania and depression. When I am in an up phase I am in a manic phase and I feel hyper. I want to talk a lot and I have lots of energy to do more things around the house. Sometimes when I am in a manic phase, I will start on a project such as wanting to clean the entire house from top to bottom, or I will feel like I have the energy to write a ton of articles or write a whole short story in one setting. Then, during this manic phase and having all of this energy I will suddenly crash and not want to finish what I am doing. This can seriously cause my work to suffer and the house to go unfinished. The depression phase makes me want to do nothing but sleep and cry. When I am in a depression phase I feel worthless. I feel so down that I ask myself why I should still live. Bipolar disorder can seriously impact a person's life and interfere with work, family, and living in general.

Living with Bipolar Disorder: Finding the Right Medication

I have been on several different medications before I found the right combination to ease my symptoms so I can live a somewhat normal life. It took me two years to find the right medications but I have. I still go through the manic phase where I get a lot of energy and feel like doing so much. I also still have the depression phase where all I want to do is lay down and cry. I still get mood swings sometimes where I want to yell at someone for no reason but these symptoms don't happen as often as they used to because of the medication. Without the medication I am a wreck. I will have to be on my medications for the rest of my life if I want to live a normal life.

If you or someone you know has any of these symptoms, please see a psychiatrist and get the help you need. It is scary at first but in the long run, it is worth it.

Source:

Personal Experience