Hello everybody

Hello,

My name is Ana, I'm from Mexico and I'm 26 years old. I got diagnosed with maniac depression when I was 21 years old. When I was 18 I had a major episode with two suicide attempts. When I was 21 I had one attempts. Then I started to take lithium and olanzapine. Currently I feel okay, dealing with everyday life and I no longer take pills. But I have been feeling strange lately. I can't stand my coworkers, every single detail I'm not agree with drives me crazy. I feel I'm anxious.

Because I'm not sure what I'm feeling and because I'm not taking pills anymore, I'm not sure what is the correct forum for me. I would like to talk about my daily life and work and figure it out what is happening to me. I don't think I will have another depressive stage but I want to make sure It won't really happen again. I also think I'm a bit obssesive and fatalist.

Hope it's okay to put this here.

Thanks everyone.

Greeting from México.

*mod edit*

This is a really common occurrence with mood disorders (bipolar/depression). When someone feels normal, they stop their meds. The symptoms will eventually return. What you describe sounds like a mixed episode or the start of mania. I recommend talking to your doctor and returning to treatment. I think of bipolar like diabetes. Diet and exercise can help decrease the need for insulin, for some remove it, but you will always have to take care of yourself (eat well, exercise, keep excess weight off, eating well). Bipolar requires medication, eating well, taking care of your needs, ect. If you stop treating it, you might feel fine for some time, but the symptoms will return. It's annoying like that.

Hope this helps.

bluedragon1200 wrote:*mod edit*

This is a really common occurrence with mood disorders (bipolar/depression). When someone feels normal, they stop their meds. The symptoms will eventually return. What you describe sounds like a mixed episode or the start of mania. I recommend talking to your doctor and returning to treatment. I think of bipolar like diabetes. Diet and exercise can help decrease the need for insulin, for some remove it, but you will always have to take care of yourself (eat well, exercise, keep excess weight off, eating well). Bipolar requires medication, eating well, taking care of your needs, ect. If you stop treating it, you might feel fine for some time, but the symptoms will return. It's annoying like that.

Hope this helps.

Hello,

Thanks a lot for your reply.

This weekend I traveled because of my job. I wa sent with another coworker who abandoned me during the trip. I got lost in the city and I didn't take breakfast and dinner. I just ate junk food and water. It was a hell and I couldn't sleep. I'm at my home right now but I feel really awful, I feel so lonely and tired and I think I will not able to handle myself in my workplace.

I'm afraid to visit the doctor again because my family will be very scared again. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to try alternative medicine before visiting the doctor again.

I will try to do excercise and eat better, because I'm overweight and I have an awful diet. Maybe that would help me as you recommend.

Thank you so much again for your advises. I think I have a lot to do regarding my feelings and thoughts. It's hard to find someone to talk, as I said before, I'm a lonely person and I have no friends again because I'm becoming again moody.

Regards,

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. That's unthinkable that a co-worker of all people would just abandon you. I would think of going to a supervisor, but that's just me.

Also, NEVER take medication without the consent of a doctor. Every medication is a drug, and drugs aren't good for you if you don't know what they're about. Over the counter is one thing, but there's no over the counter medication (I believe) for bipolar disorder. These medications need to be prescribed by a doctor.

Another thing, as Bluedragon said, diet and exercise does wonders for you. It did for me. I was horribly unhealthy. Junk food and no exercise, I was depressed, manic and psychotic all the time. I started eating better and it's almost never happening, on top of my medication.

Also, if you feel like staying around, there are a lot of nice and helpful people on here. I've got a lot of friends on here, and you're always welcome.

Hi and a warm welcome to the forum from me! I hope you'll find it to be as welcoming and helpful a place as I have done.

I'm so sorry you've been struggling with your mood recently. Obviously I'm not a professional, but from what you say about feeling irritable and anxious, it reminds me a lot of my mixed episodes. Everyone's different, but for me, when I'm in those episodes, the only thing which can make a reliable difference in my mood is medication (usually an atypical antipsychotic, such as Olanzapine, is added or increased).

Of course, as Tyler and bluedragon have said, lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise have an important role to play, but in terms of mood stabilisation, I couldn't imagine trying to manage without the help of medication- and that needs to be prescribed by a psychiatrist.

Again, I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience being abandoned in another city by your co-worker. That wasn't right, and Tyler is correct, perhaps you should consider telling your supervisor about what happened.

I also understand it's hard to see a doctor if your family will be scared, but for your own health and wellbeing, maybe you should think about going, as bipolar disorder is an illness which usually requires medication.

It's nice to have you as part of the forum and I hope at least some of what I've said will be useful. Hugs, if wanted!