Posts tagged medications

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Another Good Day in 2012

1 year ago
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I spent some time with my mom and grandparents earlier. I had made roast and vegetables for dinner. It turned out pretty damn good. It wasn’t perfect, but it was only the second time I’ve made a roast. Granny had also gone to the doctor yesterday and got good news. Her defibulator/pacemaker is finally helping. The last adjustment they made worked and the doctor is taking her off some of her . Hearing that was a big relief. With all the loss the second half of 2011 brought, it is wonderful to have some great news for a change. Granny’s is important to me. I couldn’t handle losing her or .

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Male Sexual Dysfunction

Male Sexual Dysfunction, Is it Just in Your Head?

2 years ago
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Guys, we know the last thing we want to hear is…Erectile Dysfunction! I think for some of us that is worse than hearing we are mentally ill!  What is more of an issue is that many of the we might have to take have the dreaded “Sexual Side Effects.”

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ER Visit Reinforced my Disdain for Doctors and Hospitals

3 years ago
in ,

I finally bit the bullet and went to the E.R. about 23 hours ago. I went because the body-wracking coughs haven’t improved, despite antibiotics that were $19 a pill and breathing treatments, as well as several OTC treatments and home remedies. The pain in my side had worsened again, so I was concerned that the Physician Assistant’s1 kidney stone hypothesis may have been correct.

I went to the OSU Medical Center2 E.R. I hadn’t been there since a few years before the name change. I had forgotten it was now associated with OSU and I was wearing one of my OU t-shirts. Oops.

I arrived around 1am and the waiting room was empty. I had a fleeting desire to turn around and leave, but I stayed because no one was waiting and I knew it wouldn’t take forever to see a real doctor3.

Within 10 minutes I was following a nurse to a room in the E.R. He asked the basic questions while building rapport and then began prepping me for vitals. While he was putting the blood pressure cuff on, three people in white lab coats barged into the room and started bombarding me with questions.

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  1. from the minor E.R. [↩]
  2. formerly Tulsa Regional Hospital [↩]
  3. not another damn P.A’s from the urgent care clinic [↩]

Top 10 Bipolar Songs

3 years ago
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Music has often been a lifeline for me, especially when I can identify with the of particular . Not all of these are about per se, however, they resonate facets of the bipolar experience.

10. Chumbawamba – Tubthumpling lyrics (I get knocked down)

Bipolar disorder is a roller coaster. This song serves to remind us that we are fighters and we will survive and get through the . We truly only fail when we give up and stop fighting.

9. Nirvana – lithium

This song describes the Bipolar Battle perfectly. The structure of the song itself is reminiscent of Bipolar Disorder and its irrational thought patterns and short attention spans, jumping rapidly from image to image with little or no connection. It was written by Kurt Cobain, who unfortunately, lost his battle with Bipolar Disorder and killed himself April 5, 1994. Like many of us, he suffered far more depressive episodes than /hypomanic ones. The last several years of his life were spent self-medicating with hard , such as heroin and LSD. He also took lithium to treat his bipolar symptoms. Lithium is the most well known medication used to treat Bipolar Disorder. However, it carries its own horrors. It is relatively toxic and it is common to experience tremors, nausea, diarrhea, lethargy and dehydration. It can cause damage to kidneys and thyroid. It can also leave those who take it feeling tired, dull, empty and lost.

8. Godsmack – Whatever

Irritability, rage and social isolation are common symptoms of an episode, This song describes bipolar rage and isolation.

7. Matchbox 20 – Unwell

Bipolars still face a lot of and . Many people automatically assume we are “crazy” and withdraw from us. We just need a little understanding.

6. Tonic – Tonic – Take Me as I am

After the bipolar diagnosis we are left trying to explain it to those we care about and we hope they can accept us as we are.

5. Placebo – Meds

Medications are often the cornerstone of bipolar disorder treatment. Many bipolars choose not to medicate as they do not wish to lose the manic highs. Or they will take the during depressive episodes but go off of them when they feel better.

4. Aerosmith – Amazing

This song describes the journey through and ideations.

3. Three Days Grace – Break

At one point or another all bipolars can identify with this song.

2. Good Charlotte – Good Charlotte – Hold On

is the leading cause of for those with bipolar disorder. This song is a reminder that we can get through those terrible times and it also reminds us how killing ourselves would affect those we care about. This song has literally saved my life.

1. Manic by Plumb

The most well known aspect of bipolar disorder is the manic episodes; this song is from the viewpoint of someone who loves a bipolar who is in the throes of a manic episode..

Honorable Mention: Macy Gray – Relating to a Psychopath


On MLK, Jr. Day: I, Too, Have a Dream

4 years ago
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I know this was written over a month ago, but I just stumbled upon it earlier. I found it to be a very touching article. I hope we live to see this dream come true.

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In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

I have a dream that one day I won’t hold my breath every time I tell a person that I suffer from bipolar disorder, that I won’t feel shameful in confessing my mental illness.

I have a dream that people won’t feel the need to applaud me for my courage on writing and speaking publicly about my disease, because the diagnosis of and bipolar disorder would be understood no differently than that of diabetes, arthritis, or dementia.

I have a dream that the research into genetics of mood disorders will continue to pinpoint specific genes that may predispose individuals and families to depression and bipolar disorder (like the gene G72/G30, located on chromosome 13q), just as specific genes associated with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder have been located and identified.

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