Getting My Life Back

I'm applying for jobs and soon getting a car. I have my license. Trying to squash the nervousness. I applied for a job as a mental health counselor at a nearby school. I think I'll be able to do it, but if not I'll find another job. I'm really anxious today for no reason. I think it's just the impending "not sure what to do" with my life stuff and not having anything to do right now. I adopted a kitten, he's all orange and really sweet. His name is Leo and he's warming up to his new home, I'm giving him soft kitten food, and he's going to the bathroom in the box with kitty litter i made. His original owners complained he was peeing everywhere, but so far he respects me and I've had no problems with it. So I'm kinda taken aback that they gave him up to a kill shelter.

Pets do help a bit with depression. I can't take anti-depressants because they make me manic or something, has anyone else had this problem? I also increased the stimulant meds and I'm struggling with the adjustment. I wonder if I should get on a new medication altogether for Bipolar, so far I've just been on Abilify. I wonder if 30mgs Abilify and 30mgs Vyvanse is countering eachother.

Thanks in advance to all replies

Hello!

Kudos on getting your life together and rescuing the kitten! They are so sweet, right?

Anti-depressants actually have kept me from crying a lot. Prior to taking them I was always more depressed than manic, if I remember correctly. Anyways, I suppose they do keep me more on the manic side.

Abilify has worked pretty good for me so far. It doesn't take away everything but it makes stuff manageable. I was losing all sense of time and having memory problems so it seems to be helping that some.

From the sound of things, you are getting everything together so what you are taking seems to be working well. I'd stick with it and good luck!

10mg/day Abilify worked great for management of symptoms. Anything else may screw with the Abilify, but the doc should know about most of the effects.

As always, I'm a bigger fan of natural approaches to treating bipolar, but this is a much longer story than meds. If you want the quick answer, meds are ideal. As for the long answer, there is a whole other world of ways to treat it, but that is a journey that few are truly driven to explore. If the short answer seems satisfactory, it's probalby not worth looking further. Besides, low meds (10mg/day abilify) doesn't seem to be all that bad, especially when you combine them with the strong coping approach that you described (pets, steady work, car, finding out what to do/ goal setting). Bottom line, I think that things should even out for you.

- Ian

I like reading this schizochic, hope to post something similar very soon

We all dream and hope for happy endings

Zypher, you sound great. May you encourage the children you encounter with your loving presence. I am of the the persuasion that Love CAN indeed concour all.. because it is ALL