Any Egyptians here?

[AnonymousGuy888]

I am an Egyptian with Bipolar Disorder ..... currently going through a severe mixed affective episodes.

If there are any Egyptians - or expats in Egypt - here willing to communicate, talk about our problems discreetly, or even meet and form our very own support group, drop me a line.

[Fayrouz89]

Hello everybody!
well, interesting!!
I read most of the comments here..definitely I'm looking for a support group,,I'm not sure about the definition/description of my case/problem, but for sure I know that there is something wrong with me, but I don't know what it is..I tried to ignore it and pretend that I'm normal person, (well, this technique helps sometimes but I consume a lot of energy while trying, then I find myself with low or no power at all, so I feel so weak and getting worse). However, I don't believe in medication for such mental problems, that's why I am looking for a support group to meet with people who also have mental problems so that we could share our thoughts, feelings and issues with a kind of ease (you cannot share such thoughts with your colleagues or even your close friend cause this might be bothering through time). I was thinking about going to a psychiatrist, but they are going to put me on medication and give me some pills which is likely to make me worse. I mean if you go to a pdoc you will get worse, and if you go to an Egyptian pdoc you will find yourself in the hell.
meeting with people like you might be helpful.

[soha23455]

hi everybody,

i have an egyptian friend who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder & needs to join a support group here in egypt. how to join please?

[Bpegy]

It would help very much , I believe that we only have each other , we all need a safe place to express our feelings and find compassion and support from people who can understand us ( Most of us can't express their feelings even to our family and close friends ),  we want to share our experience and learn from each other how to cope with our struggles , I understand that many are afraid of joining a support group because of the stigma about mental illness
I talked to my doctor and he is willing to organize such a group . I think it will be more safe than meeting in a public place and we can benefit from the doctor's experience
any one who interested please send me a message

[madfrenzy]

That would be a great idea!

[Desert_Rose2]

i have been looking for such groups in egypt all over the past month but invain, all groups are foreigners. i even made an account on facebook to be able to search the whole facebook pages about such groups but also was of no use. only the official pages of psychologists and psychatrists whre they announce their courses and opinions. but I FIND NO ACTIVE GROUP HERE IN EGYPT.
would be grateful and appreciating if we could make a private group.

[NewInCairo]

Hi there, I was thinking of the same thing... i was diagnosed of BP yesterday! yep! im almost 30 and all the symptoms were there as long as I can remember but no one was ever able to pin point the issue including myself! :(

Anyway.. I do feel I need to speak to people who are going thru the same ordeal...

The mixed feelings im going thru right now is just so weird... im glad and relieved I have finally found out what the hell is wrong with me and that I am now on medications.. but also cant help feeling sad for myself!

I want to let people know so they can give me the excuse for my behavior.. so that they can realise that hey, im not a ***** or im not stupid.. its BP! I wanna let my parents, my siblings, friends, work know... but i'm also concerned.. no that is an understatement... i am extremely ashamed for being BP! I feel the response of people, especially my family, will be like "ah ya, so you are a psycho, we knew that!" :(((

[bpegypt]

Hi any advances with this group trying to meet up? Would be nice to meet other people with bipolar in Egypt. Maybe it's easy we plan a day, time, place and take it from there. Any takers?

[PB4mom]

my mom has bipolar and i think it's bipolar 1 but, actually she's been treated for 30 years...i just recognized the name today..i know that sounds silly but, i made some internet search and i really recognized that she's getting worse now she was recovered from it like 5 years ago and here it comes back..and she refuses to take her medications Lithium i mean ... any help suggestions ..plz ..??

[madfrenzy]

Does anyone know if there are some group Bipolar disorder therapy in Egypt ?? cause I want to know more people that share the same problem to talk to, cause other people cant seem to know what we are going through, that's why I think a group therapy will be beneficial to someone like me.

[adel_ezz]

i advise you not to talk about your BP so often with others. Here nobody understands the word, they think you are a spoiled person that''s all. At work especially they may find excuses for you at the beginning but then eventually they get fed up, simply why should they accept a so-called "handicapped" while there are "normal"ones. If you contemplate your colleagues each one of them has a certain health problem, if not diabetes then asthma or else etc...forget about what you have for a while and don't discuss it with others

[AmiraAbdelAzizMahmoud]

assalam alikom everyone,
I am 33 years old, a mother of three children, married. I have Bipolar Disorder, diagnosed 2 years ago after my father passed away. I've been searching for an Egyptian group to share my healing process with. It CAN be under control alhamdulilah. My e mail is ***@****.

[crazy_eve]

Bpegy is creating one, pls contact him http://www.medhelp.org/personal_pages/user/17003808

[ThirdPole34]

Hi MiroMouse, hi angrophobic. I'm a 34-year-old Egyptian with bipolar disorder. I teach Arabic as a Foreign Language at the French cultural institute, although I've graduated from the faculty of medicine, Ain Shams University. I've always thought of reaching out to someone else who is also going through bipolar disorder. It would be awesome if we could get together so we can share our struggles.:)

[angrophobic]

it sure sounds like fun...got some experience in the field since ive been diagnosed 5 years ago and been to a gazillion doctor and didnt get rid of it yet..lol
holla at me

[MiroMouse]

Yes....I was diagnosed last year. I'd be interested to speak to other Egyptians with bipolar

[baraaattallah]

guys im bipolar too my case is not severe but strange can anyone recommend a professional doctor please !? nad im from cairo btw

[Kolstelori]

I am extremely bipolar 1. I have been on 400 mg seroquel 1200 mg triliptal (sp) now I'm on geodon 40 mg twice a day. Plus .05 ativan. You would think I would be knocked out all day, when I'm hyper manic I can't slow down. I have to have  seroquel to slow me down. Sleep is very important, but not too much. That is the crash comes lasts 3-7days of pure hell. You can only try to pick your head up and pretend. Some days staying in bed. I was a highly functional, but the behaviors were still there spending. Hyoersexuality, mean selfish and on and on. Bipolar owns me I don't own it. Anxiety = you care too much Depression = you do not care at all. FYI I was at 800 mg of seroquel for over a year.

[MKatary]

hello Guys,

I am suspecting that my father has bipolar disorder while his doctor diagnosed him as a depression patient, so that thanks to recommend a good doctor in Cairo

[Desert_Rose2]

well, i am interested in the idea of having agroup meeting under the supervision of a doctor to express our thoughts outloud. please let me know if this could be achievd and how?

[Fayrouz89]

I guess so,,but the question is where??

[crazy_eve]

I'm watching "infinitely Polar Bear" right now, I didn't even finish it but I thought to share, "it's about us" :)
I watched 20 min and it seems a nice movie, comedy drama
Enjoy...

[madfrenzy]

Well, I think that reviving this thread is very important, as there are no (as far as I know) support groups in Egypt for BP, although I think that we should have one

[adel_ezz]

Now I read your both letters in detail: I shall comment using my modest view and my ten years of experience in this nasty illness:

you said:because my parents thought I was depressed
You don't go to a doctor because you think you are depressed, depression is debilitating and you can't help it except going to an expertese

you said: I went to Suez to have seafood without my parents
no harm done in that everybody can take funny decisions, I did the same

you said:As for the anti-depressant my mum did not approve to it AT ALL
again it's not a matter of your mum didn't approve of it, when you need it you will damn need it

you said: I had some delusions like hearing things and I have these TONS of teddy bears and I was (guess still am) convinced  difference from what's real and what's a dream
these are more likely hallucinations a psychotic phenomena, delusions like you think you are dead.

you said:I abused seroquel
seroquel should be adjusted and fixed it's not aspirin.

Ok I think you have bipolar 1 and not schiz.. your pdoc is in favor ot the latter because of the psychosis, but considering the personality and behaviors, sudden decisions , etc...you may be BP1 and it comes with psychosis as well when not well treated. you may not a mood stabilizer an intervention that renders you well balanced, if you don't like seroquel there are other antipsychotics like zyprexa but all of them make you gain weight even more than seroquel. some of them they say they don't like abilify or geodon I don't know neither used any of them, but this is a compromise or better sacrifice you have to take an illness is an illness you have to face.

finally there is an illness called schizo-affective disorder, i am not knowlegeable in it, you can either surf the internet about it or PM Mr ILADVOCATE he is an active member in this forum and help everybody including myself

good luck and post anytime

[Deenaawa]

Oh, and another thing, I abused seroquel, like whenever I felt that something was wrong, I took it.

[Deenaawa]

I forgot to mention that sometimes I just can't tell the difference from what's real and what's a dream, and most of my dreams start with something irrelevant to the dream, however it's something I do in reality, as if it's like a trick to convince me that it's not a dream. Something like taking off my earrings before going to bed because they hurt me when I'm asleep, then the dream or the nightmare to be precise begins with something that has nothing to do with that.

[Deenaawa]

Actually I went to see a a doctor because my parents thought I was depressed (and of course they ran out of methods to make me okay) and I started having these HORRIBLE nightmares that messed with my mind, then I become insomniac blablabla. I had some delusions like hearing things and I have these TONS of teddy bears and I was (guess still am) convinced that they are real, like they feel and they know what's going on around them, so my room was like the scariest thing on earth.
As for the mania, let's just say that I did things that I'm not very proud of and I'd rather forget, but the thing is I'm not really sure what to consider mania, sometimes I feel like I couldn't care less about anything and just do whatever the hell is on my mind, does that count? Like this one time  2 years ago, I had the urge to eat seafood so I went to Suez to have seafood without my parents knowing and I'm living in Cairo.

Seroquel drove me crazy because it felt as if you throw a basketball so hard on the floor, now the ball is supposed to jump back up so hard as well, only you put your hand above the ball to prevent it from jumping. It was as if something was controlling my mind, whenever I fell happy, sad, shocked, surprised...etc. as if someone is holding my brain with their hands and telling me to calm down. Plus it made me so freaking fat!
As for the anti-depressant my mum did not approve to it AT ALL.

Right now, sometimes I just switch my cell phone off and stay in my room, and sometimes I just feel like throwing a party, and I hate the feeling that I can't control what I'm doing or how I'm thinking.

and about the current events in Egypt, they do make me anxious especially that it's my field of study.
Talking about studying, I'm afraid that these symptoms will affect my study, because it did back then. So I just wanna know is there a way out of this? Can I have it under control?