Psych 101.2

On By WendyIn Bipolar, Chronic Illness

I saw my psychiatrist today, it was an interesting visit. I am feeling much better than I was. No more rage, but Stuart did admit I’ve been talking more, which was quite obvious in her office. I just talked so much and so fast it was crazy. I seemed to have been extremely happy and just couldn’t control it. I was thrilled that she was finally speaking up and I could hear her. She was even trying to slow down. She is normally very soft spoken and talks very fast with a Russian accent which makes it impossible for me to read her lips well. If I can’t hear her better, I’m lost. Stuart normally has to take the lead in my visits. Today I got the giggles, and when we got outside I busted out laughing. I thought it very funny that I was bouncing off the walls in her office. The whole thing seems very surreal.

It is now obvious that I am still having a manic episode, but it’s much better than it was. The main symptoms have been the extreme talkativeness, sleeping very little, and doing more than I’m really physically able, and today uncontrollable giggles. My Fitbit says that I’ve been getting at least twice as many steps per day than I normally do. I’m thrilled about that and hope I can keep it up; however, completely reorganizing my house and cleaning like crazy, that is taking a bit out of me, but I’d really like to finish. Oh, and I’m forgetting things, someone can tell me something or I can tell someone something then I can’t remember the conversation…that’s weird.

She asked me if this was normal for me when I have an episode. I told her I haven’t had a severe episode in almost 30 years, or more! This is new territory for me. I have had a couple of depressive episodes when my medication needed to be adjusted, but I could always tell myself that I knew it would end, and that got me through it until I could get my medication leveled out. True mania hasn’t hit me in a very long time. To be honest, when I had manic episodes before I was stable I would paint like crazy (often days at a time), lose time (meaning time would pass and I didn’t remember I didn’t realize it, or remember what I did during it), spend a lot of money (I once bought a Jeep on a manic swing), do very risky things (like drive to DC and meet with someone I’d only talked with on the phone) and be very promiscuous. Now, I’m not doing all of that, I did always talk a lot though. After I was diagnosed talking a lot was a sign to me that I was a bit manic, but nothing like I’ve been the past few months.

I’m grateful that we have found medication that seems to be working, it just needs to be adjusted. I hate that it’s taking more meds than I’d like to take, I’m hoping after I get stable for a while we can work on getting me off a couple. Today she increased the main med, took away something, and added another to help me sleep, hopefully. I’m having to take another drug to stop the akathesia that started with the new mediation, it’s an anti-psychotic and I’ve had trouble with those in the past, but this is a newer one that is less likely to cause this problem. Yeah, right. The drug that stops the akathesia is normally a blood pressure medication, weird huh?

So we’ve solved the riddle of why I’ve been talking so dang much. I can now stop telling myself to just “Shut the F up!”

so how’s your day been?

**photo of self manipulated with PhotoLab app. Sole ownership belongs to me.

10 thoughts on “Psych 101.2”

  1. I was playing catch up with the last post and then this one showed up.

    I must say, I am very impressed and humbled that you went to the future to read my answer about having a visit with your doctor and took my advice Lol.

    But seriously, glad you have some answers and some tweaking with the drugs. It is a work in progress, isn’t it.

    My day, thanks for asking: frigid cold weather, hibernation and cat naps. But, it is supposed to go from frigid to around the freezing mark tomorrow. My head is looking forward to the big change. 😝

    Like

    Reply

    1. So I read this one first.
      Of course I took your advice. 😉

      I hope you are feeling better.
      Weather changes here too.
      Jumping from the 70sF..20s celcius
      To the 30sF… 1C
      First is day temp yesterday, second is night temp tomorrow.

      Did you see the lunar eclipse?
      I know it was COLD maybe through a window?
      😘❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Rita McGregor

    I wondered about a manic episode but don’t know enough about it to say anything. Glad they are figuring out your meds. Sounds like you are going 90mph. Glad this doctor is somebody you like and she pays attention. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. I guess it’s not easy to identify a manic episode while smack bang in the middle of it. Do you think there’s been any kind of trigger you could pinpoint for the episode, seeing as how long you’ve been without one? I suppose the changes in meds would have shaken things up a bit too, but hopefully the adjustments now will help. I’m glad the mystery has been solved – without the use of sticky tape! Hopefully things will calm a bit and some sleep (fingers crossed that med helps) should be useful too. I love that photo, though looking at the flashing hasn’t helped my head it did make me chuckle!!
    Caz xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I was worried about that flashing, I’m sorry. It would hurt me too if I really looked for long.
      Trigger….hummm. Sometimes it’s nothing, meds just stop working and need to be adjusted, bodies change.
      But it could be all the stress I’ve been under the past year. The move, M’s illness, moving closer to Stuart’s family, some of which kinda drive me crazy. Not being able to buy a house immediately….. so much, what’s a girl to do? Go crazy!!
      I have had depression episodes but not mania. It’s been weird. I’m so glad the rage is over, this is kinda fun, if I didn’t talk so much that I know I’m annoying. LOL I slept some last night. Not a full night, but more than I have been! Yay! Thank you so much for caring. xo W

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Wow. You have been busy! Wen! Slow down… glad the new med will work. I think giggling is OK! Remember we go on medication to be able to function properly. We need assistance with reaching our ‘norm.’ Don’t worry about being on too much just focus on what works. Keep me updated! xo~Kim

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment