Bipolar

renelou

Hello there :-) I have recently been diagnosed with bipolar and am looking for people who know what I'm going through for mutual help/support on our weightloss journey's. Please feel free to add me :-)

BeautyFromPain

Hey hunny,

I hope it's okay if I add you.

I don't have bipolar but have got clinical depression, anxiety and schizophrenia I am trying to get over.
Been wondering if I am bipolar instead of just depressed some days as some days I wanna die and then others I am sooo happy... :S xoxo.

papastu

my mum has had bipolar for nearly 20 years now, just finished another course of ECT
:ohwell:

all the best

I feel for you

Stu

Fatlorenzo

Hi, I'm not bipolar, but have ocd and depression, although I have improved since I began taking my medication properly.
The emotional eating side has not helped with my weight, but my counseller has sugested looking at each piece of food, smelling and mentally describing it before I eat it, then slowly chewing it, and enjoying each mouthful. I hope this helps in some way, not sure if my emotional eating might be similar to what you experience food wise!

renelou

Hi, yes please feel free to add me whatever condition you may have :-)
I'm just looking for people who know what a struggle it is to lose/maintain weight with a mental health condition and all that entails.
My problem with food is that I self medicate with it when I'm low. I self harm with it and on top of my own personal issues I'm now on anti psychotic medication that makes you pile on weight :-/
So really just looking for anyone who knows what a struggle it is to battle with eating on these levels
Thank you so much for the replies so far, really good to know that I'm not alone :-)

MEGAmm

I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder my freshman year of college. I had been manic all through high school, unknowingly, and then hit a huge bout of depression when I went through all the stresses and changes of college.

I'm sorry you have experienced those ups and downs in your life, but I want you to know it can be managed! However you decide to approach it, there are a lot of great references out there. I see a counselor (for my relationship with my fiance as well as for my bipolar) and she suggested I take a look at this book: http://www.amazon.com/Bipolar-Workbook-Tools-Controlling-Swings/dp/1593851626. I really thought it was helpful. You don't have to actually do a bunch of the exercises if you don't want to, but if nothing else you should take a look at it and read the info about bipolar. It reminded me of the things I should avoid that make it worse, and I realized I was living my life in an unhealthy way for my brain chemistry and the way I am naturally balanced.

I take Lamictal every day, and I was really hesitant about medication at first and even rebelled a few months in and discontinued my use of it without my doctor's knowledge. The results were plain to see.... I had quite a few depressive episodes, some scarier than others, and finally had my wake up call. The medication is just a tool to help your brain find the right chemical balance to make life with bipolar work for you. It doesn't numb you or make everything better... you still feel things and have ups and down but they are manageable, and it helps find a balance between the extreme highs and extreme lows.

I have also found the importance of having a routine, and going back to the basics. I try to drink a lot of water, get regular sleep (at the same time every night, if possible), eat healthily, get up and move around a little bit every day... all of these are great for anyone's healthy life! I have been soooooo much better mood wise, body wise, etc. since I acknowledged that I need to take some steps apart from taking medication every day to take care of my body and my mind. Wanna know a secret? EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND MANAGES YOUR BIPOLAR WILL MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT TOO!!! It's fantastic. As long as you move slowly toward your new weight goal and do so by eating at least 1200 calories a day, exercising a little bit every day (whether that's a walk, cleaning the house, doing some yoga), drinking lots of water, and avoiding alcohol when you can, you will see better results in your daily mood and a lower weight on your scale.

Good luck, darling! Feel free to add me, message me, or ask me any questions any time. I am here for you! I know we don't know each other but I think it's great to have a forum to discuss these things. Take care of yourself!

XtinaHayden

Hey there. I know exactly what you are going through. About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Bipolar II. And then the trial and error with different medications began. Not fun. Some of them can also cause weight gain while other make you lose. It's frustrating.

Hambone23

Rapid cycling bipolar here. If you think regular bipolar is fun, try rapid cycling. ;}

Seriously, I find the mood swings and meds the hardest to deal with. For example, the other day I felt so defeated that I didn't even get to the store to buy my healthy food for the week, so I screwed up. I'm trying to take the approach that it happens, and I'll try to do better tomorrow (and hopefully feel better tomorrow).

My first psych, though, took one look at me, said I didn't need meds, I needed bariatric surgery and that would stop the depression. :huh: Excuse me? Really? I didn't know bariatric surgery cured bipolar.

She put me on Abilify, and I gained 80 lbs. and I was already obese. Over the last year, I've managed to work that off, but I got a new psych who really understands my need for weight neutral drugs. I never understood how psychiatrists couldn't see that giving depressed patients weight gaining meds would only make them more depressed.

I like my current psych, but because I'm so adamant about weight neutral meds, I think I've made her job so much harder. She wants to put me on Lithium, but I won't let her because of the weight gain side effect, which I've heard is awful. So we're stuck right now on meds. (I'm on Lamictal, Wellbutrin, and Klonopin.) And I'm not where she'd like me to be.

The emotional eating is difficult. When I was taking off the 80 med lbs., I had to get a bunch of things I could reasonably snack on but that felt like cheating. My most popular? Internal Cafe's Sugar Free Suisse Mocha. And Murray's Sugar Free Fudge Dipped Mint cookies (seriously, they taste like Girl Scout Thin Mints; everybody who tried them had no idea they were sugar free). And now I'll have a Bolthouse Cappuccino Mocha protein drink because it tastes like chocolate milk. With winter coming on, I also treat myself to skinny sugar free vanilla lattes at Starbucks. (I try to watch my sugar intake.)

Anyway, I absolutely feel for anyone with these sorts of problems. It's great to try and have a positive attitude about being bipolar or depressive or hypo or what have you, but sometimes you're just not there. I know this is going to be a huge struggle for me.

But right now, I'm reading A First-Rate Madness, where Dr. Ghaemi talks about how people with mental illness are often more empathetic, more resilient, and better at handling crisis. (I'm not sure I totally agree there.) He uses leaders like FDR and Martin Luther King, etc. to flesh out his argument. But one of the quotes I came across in the book seems really apt here.

Frances Perkins said this of what seemed to be FDR's philosophy:

"One may courageously take the step that seems right today because it can be modified tomorrow if it does not work well."

I think that's my quote today.

roseganira

I was diagnosed with bipolar earlier this year and I was diagnosed with severe depression, paranoid schizophrenia 13 years ago. The depression has gotten worse over the past few years and when I'm very depressed I eat a lot and don't exercise. I also have a chronic pain condition (fibromyalgia) and I have a buldging disc in my lower back. And on top of all that I'm addicted to pain pills which I was put on 5 years ago for my pain issues. It's a struggle to get in the right frame of mind to actually want to diet and exercise but I keep trying.

Bunnyfufu87

I'm bi polar,I was diagnosed 10 years ago I'm 24 now.I'm on meds that increase appetite so mfp is awesome to make sure im on track.

jenpolter

Hi, I was diagnosed with bi-polar when i was about 19 or so (i am 28 now) What kind of meds are you on? I take Lamictal and zoloft and i dont notice and increased appetite but i have been on them for awhile. It is definiently a challange but i feel that i have FINALLY found the right med combo and i feel great! You are not alone girl!

Glama619

Hi I was told I had Bipolar about 2 years ago and The meds I take I am SURE have cause some of my weight gain and I am also unsure on what to do. Maybe talk to your doctor about something different. That is what I am going to do

benodie

hiya I'm not bipolar but I do have clinical depression . . .its a real struggle sometimes to prioritise the diet when you are feeling completely useless and defeated . . .but we do it . .somehow or other!! I've been on mfp for 150 days and have 'met' some amazing and inspiring people . . who helped me through a tough time I had back in october. If I can be of help to you just ask

Jeanette.

mikeyrp

Just want to wish you all the best of luck.

I also wanted to make a joke about gay Artic bears but you all have such amazing stories that I felt it would detract from the thread.x

Silverhillbilly

Hey there - I have ultra rapid cycling bipolar. I can cycle in an hour which is definitely fun :explode: After 8 months and 30 or so medications, we have found the right combination. Scheduling and accountability is so important for me to accomplish and live life. MFP is such a great resource for me because it holds me accountable plus it is helping me take off the 45 pounds I gained from the medications that I tried.

I added you as a friend and lets support each other - I completely understand how you feel!

ElizabethRoad

You should all check out the Mental Health Issues group too. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/89-mental-health-issues

jenn_is_trouble

I have anxiety and depression and have been on so many different meds it's hard to remember them all. I am hoping that with diet and exercise, I can eventually get off the medications all together!

Feel free to add me too!

_Cass_

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I struggle with severe depression more than mania but I have had some crazy manic episodes. I have been on and off medication for 11 years. A little over a year ago my doctor put me on Celexa and Risperdal I tried it for about 6 months and gained weight like crazy. Then switched me to Cymbalta and Abilify because the Celexa and Risperdal made me sleep all day and all night long. I gained about 50lbs in one year. Against my doctors orders I stopped the medication and have been off of it for 2 months. I know I need to be on it but I stopped taking for vanity reasons.....the weight gain. I was always a petite person but being on the medication made me blow up and I felt depressed because of it.

Feel free to add me if you want.

Glama619

May I ask does the Lamictal increase your appetiate

Hambone23

Just want to wish you all the best of luck.

I also wanted to make a joke about gay Artic bears but you all have such amazing stories that I felt it would detract from the thread.x

:laugh:

cmsmith1973

Hi! I would love to add you and I am also Bipolar and was diagnosed about 6 years ago. I have some wonderful tips for you if you are interested on how to deal with the mood swings and emotional roller coaster of Bipolar. I started out weighin 243 pounds when I began my weight loss journey and I am 204.5 as of this morning. If you are interested in talking my email address is cmsmith1973@gmail.com.

rmsrws

bump

dmpizza

Not me, but much of my family.
Tough road.

BobbyClerici

It's another bogus pop diagnosis to keep you dependent on medication and therapy.
Don't expect much support from the so called "professionals" with your health and fitness goals.

The agenda is to keep you on their dole, and self empowerment is not in the cards in their world of emotional exploitation.
You have a chance to shrug off the shackles of whatever label these people have given you to take ownership of your life, reach down and get a hold of your destiny; you don't have to be relegated to the comfort zone of handy excuses for failure.

You can win.
There is something inside of each one of us that won't let us go down if we tab into that abundance.

I wish you well.

Hambone23

May I ask does the Lamictal increase your appetiate

Not at all. And it has the least number of side effects of any of the mood stabilizers out there.

hazelnut861

Me too! My mom also so we're something together . She maintains better than I, I'm sure due to her age and infinite wisdom . I was about 16 when the diagnosed me. They just pushed Prozac off on me before and nothing happened. I don't take any meds and haven't for about 6 years. I get very self destructive and cut off my nose to spite my face. When my husband told me he didn't want me to go back to work I gained 20 lbs on purpose and will still eat horribly when he hurts my pride. I stopped smoking, but started again because well, to spite my face ... anyways, if you want to you can send me a friend request and I'm not a negative Nancy all o ver the news feed. I'll try to be as supportive as I can.

charcharbec

I am also Bipolar, diagnosed freshman year of college.... took meds for a while had a mental health counselor that only wanted me on appetite supressing meds....i finally stopped taking them and have been off them for years.... recently started therapy and my counselor said that as long as I was working out a lot, that I could probably manage. I work out about 6 times a week. No meds and loads of weightloss. WOO. I still get slightly manic and slightly down but its really not as bad as it used to be and normally if i go for a workout when I am feeling that way, it really levels me out.

Hambone23

It's another bogus pop diagnosis to keep you dependent on medication and therapy.
Don't expect much support from the so called "professionals" with your health and fitness goals.

The agenda is to keep you on their dole, and self empowerment is not in the cards in their world of emotional exploitation.
You have a chance to shrug off the shackles of whatever label these people have given you to take ownership of your life, reach down and get a hold of your destiny; you don't have to be relegated to the comfort zone of handy excuses for failure.

You can win.
There is something inside of each one of us that won't let us go down if we tab into that abundance.

I wish you well.

Ugh. I'm sorry. I have to jump in on this one. I agree that there's a lot of pop diagnosis going on out there. But some people actually do have mental illness. It's not a pop diagnosis when you're so manic you ditch your therapist appointment to drive four hours to another state in the worst blizzard of the year because it feels like you're flying only to realize once you get there that you don't remember how you got there. Or when you're hearing voices, or seeing things that aren't there. Or when you're so depressed that a loved one commits you to a psych ward because they're that worried about you. Please don't assume.

hypergrl

Hi, yes please feel free to add me whatever condition you may have :-)
I'm just looking for people who know what a struggle it is to lose/maintain weight with a mental health condition and all that entails.
My problem with food is that I self medicate with it when I'm low. I self harm with it and on top of my own personal issues I'm now on anti psychotic medication that makes you pile on weight :-/
So really just looking for anyone who knows what a struggle it is to battle with eating on these levels
Thank you so much for the replies so far, really good to know that I'm not alone :-)

Hi I'm bi-polar and I've been on meds that make you gain weight or make it hard to lose weight. I tend not to eat a lot so I'm not sure I'm the best person to chat with, but I understand the ups and downs. I'm off my meds right now because we are TTC and I don't want to risk them interfering with anything.

I'm working out like a fiend and it helps a lot. like rkorduner says it can be managable if you pay attention to you cycles and "triggers"

vinylscratch

It's another bogus pop diagnosis to keep you dependent on medication and therapy.
Don't expect much support from the so called "professionals" with your health and fitness goals.

The agenda is to keep you on their dole, and self empowerment is not in the cards in their world of emotional exploitation.
You have a chance to shrug off the shackles of whatever label these people have given you to take ownership of your life, reach down and get a hold of your destiny; you don't have to be relegated to the comfort zone of handy excuses for failure.

You can win.
There is something inside of each one of us that won't let us go down if we tab into that abundance.

I wish you well.

Ugh. I'm sorry. I have to jump in on this one. I agree that there's a lot of pop diagnosis going on out there. But some people actually do have mental illness. It's not a pop diagnosis when you're so manic you ditch your therapist appointment to drive four hours to another state in the worst blizzard of the year because it feels like you're flying only to realize once you get there that you don't remember how you got there. Or when you're hearing voices, or seeing things that aren't there. Or when you're so depressed that a loved one commits you to a psych ward because they're that worried about you. Please don't assume.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

I struggle with major depression, anxiety, and I'm actually taking inventory for a couple of different mood disorders next week to try to figure out how to get the right help. It's impossible to describe to someone who can't relate how difficult it is to function when you have to jump through so many hoops in your own brain. I completely feel you and am here for support!

Ashalena

It's another bogus pop diagnosis to keep you dependent on medication and therapy.
Don't expect much support from the so called "professionals" with your health and fitness goals.

The agenda is to keep you on their dole, and self empowerment is not in the cards in their world of emotional exploitation.
You have a chance to shrug off the shackles of whatever label these people have given you to take ownership of your life, reach down and get a hold of your destiny; you don't have to be relegated to the comfort zone of handy excuses for failure.

You can win.
There is something inside of each one of us that won't let us go down if we tab into that abundance.

I wish you well.

I do not have any of the previous diseases mentioned, nor do any of my loved ones, so I cannot speak from personal experience. What I can tell you, however, is that I have spent many years studying psychology on a biological level. Your quote is so incorrect; I don’t even know where to begin correcting you. These diseases are much more than :handy excuses for failure," sir. It is not smart to let your ignorance run your thoughts...