Product Of The Seventies » bipolar disorder

New Med?

Jon — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:47:38 +0000

Heading to the P-doc tomorrow, I’m going to ask for the ADD medication Vyvanse. It’s being marketed for adults, and they’ve even sent me a coupon for a free month’s supply. I just have to get the doc to sign off on it. I have very little doubt that I have some ADD (along with OCD, and several other initials), I’m actually sure of it. But it’s never been diagnosed. I’ll try to make a case for it, but I doubt the doc is going to prescribe a stimulant to a manic-leaning bipolar.

Bipolar Hope?

Jon — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:41:54 +0000

I was reading the blog I wrote chronicling the raising of my late son, who suffered from Bipolar Disorder. I started the blog in 2003 when my son was 19, and just graduated from high school. I maintained the blog until he died in 2008. But I read the early entries, and was reminded of the hope we had that each med would be his saving grace. Every parent goes through this, hoping that the med their child is on will ease their pain, and help them move towards normalcy. Usually, it doesn’t work. It’s all so futile, the doctors don’t know what or how to prescribe, it’s kind of like throwing a dart. And the meds often screw people up worse than the disorder. For anyone in this scenario I’d like to offer hope, but I really can’t. It’s working for me, I’m a great success in some ways, but a basket case in others. Day to day. Taking it day to day.

The Right Hand Doesn’t Know What The Left Is Doing

Jon — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:23:39 +0000

A pair of articles from Psych Central:

July 22, 2010:
Alcohol May Be OK With Bipolar

July 23, 2010:
Higher Risk of Suicide in Bipolar Patients Who Abuse Alcohol

I know research changes quickly, but c’mon – the same publication, 1 day apart?

There Is A Season, Turn, Turn, Turn…

Jon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:11:20 +0000

There seem to be a lot of people whose moods are impacted by seasonal changes. Most are impacted by the shorter days of winter, and of those impacted, most get depressed. I’m different, I’m impacted in the late summer into fall, and mine isn’t only depression.

For several years I would go to our family physician and get an anti-depressant this time of year. I wasn’t as self-aware, and was recognizing my symptoms only as depression. Today I recognize there’s as much mania as depression, often cycling several times a day. But I would end up discontinuing it every year in a full-blown mania. At the time I thought it was evil medication causing the mania, and it was, but because of the bipolar disorder. If it was unipolar depression I’d have most likely been OK.

This year I’m worried, it’s approaching the 2nd anniversary of my son Ryan’s death, and the potential for something I can’t handle is a real danger. Frankly, I don’t remember last year, it was a blur of grief and mood swings. I’m still grieving, the signs are there. I may always be grieving, I don’t think I’ll ever make it through all the stages.

I’m holding on tight, it may be a hell of a ride.

The Hidden Business Cost of Mental Illness

Jon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:14:19 +0000

The Hidden Business Cost of Mental Illness – BusinessWeek.

Here’s an excellent article on the impact of mental health issues in the workplace.

It’s hard to focus on your work when your child is hallucinating.

I’ve experienced this so many times – “please come home, he’s very manic and throwing things around…”

This stigma extends beyond those directly stricken to family members. Parents of children with mental illness are often viewed as guilty by association, unfairly perceived as the cause of the illness—the source of harmful child-rearing practices—when the origin is mainly biological. Parents and other family members feel shame and a sense of failure.

Nobody knows this better than my wife and I. Having lost our adult son to issues associated with bipolar disorder, we tried everything, and heard every piece of advice when he was growing up.

This is a very real problem, but I don’t see any significant changes being made in attitude or workplace policies.