Bipolar AMA

[happyninja42]

A bit of background

im someone in her 40's, australian diagnosed with bipolar 1 which means i get the extreme depression and mania through to delusions and hallucinations, ive also been in hospital a few times due to it.

So feel free to ask any questions you have from questions about being in a psych hospital to whats it like. also share your experiences and thoughts with mental illness

i hope it helps destigmatise at least a little bit mental illness.

as someone asked .. yes i was diagnosed officially by a psychiatrist

I've never personally been in one, but my brother has, for most of his adult life. He's 46 now, and was in and out of them from around the age of 16 or so. I've visited him in those places many times, so I can speak from the viewpoint of a visitor to a maximum security mental facility for the criminally disturbed.

It's not fun, like at all. The place has a smell to it, a combination of somewhat unwashed bodies (some of the patients have a hygiene aspect to their mental problem), highly medicated people in semi-lucid states, all watched by people with guns and tazers.

The whole thing is really unsettling for me, as I know for a fact that I'm sitting next to people who are in their because they've raped or murdered while in their mental state, and they're sitting next to me, still clearly not stable in any way.

Visiting him always felt like an ordeal. I was constantly on edge, considering myself in a hostile environment, my senses were being assaulted by unfamiliar, and unwelcome scents and other stimuli, and overall just wanted to leave. It didn't help that I never had much desire to actually associate with my brother, after he attempted to kill my parents once. But my mother still went to visit him, so I went to support her.

I don't find them to be enjoyable places, but these are facilities for the really dangerous people with mental disorders. I have no idea what the less secure facilities are like, the kind where you can voluntarily admit yourself for treatment and whatnot. If that's the kind of place you are talking about, I have zero input.

 

[McElroy]

In hindsight how long do you think you've had the condition?

Have you managed to get jobs and even keep at them?

 

[Marik2]

Have you had conversations with your hallucinations?

 

[pookie101]

A bit of background

im someone in her 40's, australian diagnosed with bipolar 1 which means i get the extreme depression and mania through to delusions and hallucinations, ive also been in hospital a few times due to it.

So feel free to ask any questions you have from questions about being in a psych hospital to whats it like. also share your experiences and thoughts with mental illness

i hope it helps destigmatise at least a little bit mental illness.

as someone asked .. yes i was diagnosed officially by a psychiatrist

I've never personally been in one, but my brother has, for most of his adult life. He's 46 now, and was in and out of them from around the age of 16 or so. I've visited him in those places many times, so I can speak from the viewpoint of a visitor to a maximum security mental facility for the criminally disturbed.

It's not fun, like at all. The place has a smell to it, a combination of somewhat unwashed bodies (some of the patients have a hygiene aspect to their mental problem), highly medicated people in semi-lucid states, all watched by people with guns and tazers.

The whole thing is really unsettling for me, as I know for a fact that I'm sitting next to people who are in their because they've raped or murdered while in their mental state, and they're sitting next to me, still clearly not stable in any way.

Visiting him always felt like an ordeal. I was constantly on edge, considering myself in a hostile environment, my senses were being assaulted by unfamiliar, and unwelcome scents and other stimuli, and overall just wanted to leave. It didn't help that I never had much desire to actually associate with my brother, after he attempted to kill my parents once. But my mother still went to visit him, so I went to support her.

I don't find them to be enjoyable places, but these are facilities for the really dangerous people with mental disorders. I have no idea what the less secure facilities are like, the kind where you can voluntarily admit yourself for treatment and whatnot. If that's the kind of place you are talking about, I have zero input.

i cant speak for a maximum security facility and my thoughts are with your family. a regular psych ward has moments of danger but alot of the time if can be a little noisy but also calm.

ie. the morning i got out last time we were doing tai chi

 

[pookie101]

In hindsight how long do you think you've had the condition?

Have you managed to get jobs and even keep at them?

started getting depression around age 18 and started getting manic symptoms around 23.. mania and depression started to get bad enough to make me psychotic around 34.

yes ive managed to get and keep jobs as well as run a few businesses(not very successfully)

 

[pookie101]

Have you had conversations with your hallucinations?

when im lucid i try not to although a social worker recommended i try to visualise the voices as people, give them names and negotiate with them "not now but we will discuss it later".

when im psychotic.. well i get lost in my head i dont know whats real. you could be standing in front of me and i couldnt tell if you are real or the hallucinated shadow next to you is

 

[pookie101]

How do you feel your bipolarity (is that how you say it? sry bad english skills i no born in uk) has effected your personal relationships with others, especially romantic ones? If you would say badly, is that because you struggle to keep your bipolar discorder under control or because others don't take it into consideration enough? Do you think bipolar disorder has, in your case, changed what traits you look for when considering whether someone is friend or partner material?

in regards to relationships its basically destroyed the last two i have been in, because its hard to be with someone who is full of life and energy and then a few hours later quiet possibly cant get out of bed and as such im not in a relationship

the only traits i really look for when considering friendship is that they have to be prepared for me to frankly not want to talk and disappear for a while.

as for what i look for in a partner.. thats simple.. that the person is my best friend so its a limited field

 

[FoolKiller]

So feel free to ask any questions you have from questions about being in a psych hospital to whats it like. also share your experiences and thoughts with mental illness

Any ideas on what to do to help a friend if you are seeing them in a manic state.

Also, what are the warning signs that I should look for in a person who has harmed themself before.

 

[pookie101]

So feel free to ask any questions you have from questions about being in a psych hospital to whats it like. also share your experiences and thoughts with mental illness

Any ideas on what to do to help a friend if you are seeing them in a manic state.

Also, what are the warning signs that I should look for in a person who has harmed themself before.

it really depends on if you can still talk to them in a sensible way. if they are clearly not making any sense or they are playing to do something dangerous, risk either to their lives or spending lots of money then id suggest calling a mental health hotline, or ambulance. they need help asap before they do something stupid

the manic warning signs tend to start with no sleep, huge amounts of energy and ALOT of ideas. as for what to look for in someone who has harmed themselves previously.. keep an eye on them for anything out of the ordinary and anything risky

 

[pookie101]

I have to draw the AMA to a close but if anyone has any further questions feel free to message me. be aware it might be a week or so till i reply