bipolar mom

[veracher]

what exactly brain chemical are affected in BP disorder? is it GABA, Seratonin,dopamine, et al? is it true that there is no cure in this disorder? if yes, so does it mean that im in medication for the rest of my life? I was diagnose with this so called mental illness last May2008 and may doctor has put me in combination of drugs Lexapro, seroquel, and rivotril...i think the side effect of this drug made me anorexic i  lost 25lbs in 2months many of my friends notice the drastic changes in my body im 5'3 and weigh only 95lbs so i decided to stop taking all the meds but the so called relapse had gone into me i started to feel odd again hypomanic at a moment and mild depressive on the other i really dont know what exactly is happening to me so i return to my doctor and she prescribe me depakote ER 250mg im taking it for about 2 weeks now i just notice that i begun to eat a lot after taking depakote ER.....and by the way i learn that Bipolar disorder is a genetic thing thats why im not asking where did got this illness i have a rich history of it in my fatherside......And lastly im a Catholic with a strong faith in god...GODBLESS US ALL BIPOLAR PEOPLE learn the strong side of our disorder and try to minimize the down side we all gonna profit from it...

[arjunkanna80]

For all mental illness are like this only. There is no permanent cure for any kind of mental illness.I am damn sure that mental illness is not like a physical illness. The trace of the path always remains in our mind. Only way to live successfully is to cope up with our disorder. Dont compare us with normal people. They can easily come to our state but we cannot go back to normal state. the path is oneway. There is no such a way other than accepting our illness. happily accept. And try to make urself strategies to manage our illness.Dont ask urself that why i got this disease. Compromise urself. everyone in this world has some major health issue. most of the people has physical health issue, we kind of small group have mental health issue. so everyone has problem. everyone has worries. Suffering is neccessary for our life. Please read the book 'The Road less travelled' by Dr.Scott Peck. Mathematician John Nash managed his paranoid schizophrenia and won Nobel prize. he is the living legend. In olden days most of the people simply made suicide due to very very small mental illnesses.nowadays we have medications, we can live somehow. what we are going to do if we made suicide. let us suffer, and with in this try to do something useful to our community. Dont try to avoid medications. side effects are unavoidable.manageable when compared to death. see Venora [Venora Moonwind] is living successfully with this disease for the past 25 years. we should get motivation from her.

[Venora Moonwind]

HI welcome to the forum.
Its mostly your endorphines Think of your brain like a carburator in your car. The endorphines are fuel. Sometimes you are running too rich, thats the manic side, Sometimes you are running too lean. Thats the depression side. Sometimes your are running normally

Yes bi polar is for life. It can  managed with healthy diet, regular rest, exercise, meds and therapy.
Get your thyroid tested if it hasnt been tested already.Ask for TSH, T3, T4, and your free T's. Thyroid problems will mimic bi polar  symptoms

Remember you are not alone We are here. We understand what you are going through.

I am throidless and bi polar so I have to take 3 little pills the rest of my life . I fought it for a long time but now I take my 3 lttle pils and I have a great quality of life now.
It has taken some time to get where I am. I just wanted you to know it is possible.

Love Venora