Coping with Bipolar

[sweetsymphony]

Hi there mga sis,
This is really indeed a big family issue :-( Any thoughts about this disorder. Pano ihandle? i've been doing research for the past three months about this disorder and indeed i all found this with my older sister. Ibang level ang mood shift. it was really strange lately at one moment ok na ok siya she smiles at you converse with you and even deal with what you're talking about nakikipag kulitan pa. Pero all of a sudden ibang klase din ma depress as in galit at kinaasaran niya lahat ng TAO, BAGAY na makita niya. Nakaka asar lang minsan kasi you try to approach her the nicest way you can be just for her not to be upset pero all of a sudden pati ikaw iba na treatment sayo. diba? sino ba namang matutuwa sa ganon? lahat na ng pang unawa at pagiging malambing ginawa mo na ikaw pa lalabas na masama. Hay, ang mood swings grabe talaga. Badly need your help mga sis. I told my parents about this maybe they're just in the denial stage? ewan ko, medyo nawawalan na ako ng amor sa kanya. malapit na maputol pisi ko. . . Advice naman po mga ate ko dito sa GT 

[ms_balugz]

^na-diagnos ba siya ng doctor as having a bipoloar disorder? or sa palagay mo lang? how old is your sister?

[sweetsymphony]

not yet diagnosed sis, pero as per my observation  sad to say nagtutugma talaga eh. sabi naman nung kakilala ko na psych pwede daw dala ng stress and sunod sunod na problema kaya daw siya nag kakaganon. Pero mas magandang ipa check daw namin sa doctor. kaso ang problema, mag wawala nanaman yun pag pinag hinalaan namin siya ng ganon. Eh sa napaka distructive niya grabe talaga pag sinumpong ng depression as in weirdo niya. Tawag ko nga sa house sinapian nanaman to. . . 

[aquacharly]

You really must get professional medical help for an accurate diagnosis and corresponding treatment.   

Ang problema mo at the moment is... how to bring her to a medical professional without her making wala and all.
The one who will have the answer to that is the doctor/specialist you will be bringing your sister to. 
Go and have a consultation, present your sister's case and ask for suggestions as to how you will be able to bring your sister around...  For sure, sanay na sila sa ganyang behavior... they will be able to give you constructive advice.

[Tigershark09]

maybe something is bothering your sister. baka meron siyang past trauma or a really bad experience kaya siya bigla-biglang nagbabago ng mood. maybe something happened to her in the past na hindi mo alam or kahit parents mo hindi alam. mahirap mag-diagnose ng ganyan. hindi mo pwede basta na lang sabihin na may bipolar disorder siya. careful ka din. baka mas may malalim na dahilan kung bakit siya ganyan.

sa tingin ko lang, may nagti-trigger ng mood change niya. you have to find out what's triggering that. observe her first kung kelan siya happy at kung kelan siya nagwawala. siguro makukuha mo yung pattern at yon ang pwede mong iconsult sa doctor. kausapin mo din yung ate mo about what's goin on with her. make her open up to you. baka may dinaramdam siya. mahirap kasi na basta yayain mo na lang magpa-doctor. baka mag-trigger na naman yung moodswings.

[blue_jade]

hi sis,

mas mabuti talaga to find a way to have her checked by a doctor. i have a friend na ganyan din dati, me depression, mood swings to the point na minsan nagwawala at worst case hallucinations. ayun after consultation sa doctor na diagnose siya with Schizophrenia. 

dapat talaga mahaba pasensya at be positive 

[quennna]

may officemate akong ganyan..
pero sya naman.. aminado na may bipolar disorder sya.. :p

[remilicious]

Bipolar disorder is really complicated especially if the patient is not taking any medications for hormonal imbalance.  Sis, is she seeking psychological and psychiatrict treatment or check ups?  Mood swings are really inevitable because of extreme highs and lows. 

Most people surrounding someone with this kind of disorder really has to have VAST and RIGID understanding of the matter.  Research on the web is not really enough to digest the condition you're sister has.  A medical professional is the best person to explain the condition and how the patient as well as her family and friends deal with it.

Sometimes it may appear as Bipolar symptoms but pwede rin Lupus pala.  I advise seeking medical help.

Hindi kasi basta personality problem yan or mareresolve quickly.  It takes time, even years.  Family support is really needed.  Dapat malaman kung anong root ng problem. I hope I somehow helped you. Good luck sis!

[Perky!]

i know nothing about this except for Britney Spears' history of bipolar disorder, but sweetsymphony, you need to get your parents side here first, its hard to convince your sister to get medical attention on your own, you need your parents to back you up.. if you are that alarmed with whats happening sa sister mo, hindi pwedeng deadma lang parents mo, or like u said, denial stage pa sila. mahirap nyan if ikaw pa ang maipit between your sister and your parents.. like what our sisters said here, family support plays a big role sa cure ng mga ganyang disorder..

 have more patience sis.. 

[chengkii]

Sis - ano na po update sa sister niyo at sa iyo?

[jedainz]

i have bipolar too. i was diagnosed by a psychiatrist. i never thought na i might have it kahit i'm very very knowledgeable about it (i was once a psychology major). I get by but its really hard cause i cannot do routines. Like in school, i always quit in the middle of the sem. i don't have bad influences naman pero i seem to be not motivated at some point even if i really love something. i get swayed by the mood i currently have. its hard.   the doctor said, only medicine can guarantee results. she said that helping myself is not enough because i might end up doing the same thing pag na trigger yung moods ko (which is true).

[jedainz]

I cannot seem to find any "decent" help board on Bipolar disorder so i started one here.

2 mos. ago, i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Hindi naman ako sira ulo or what. I just have mood swings that are beyond normal. Im 20 years old and yet, I haven't finished a single sem of college. Not because i have vices and bad influences around me. Im even top my classes. before I thought that i was just confused on what course to take but it was just during the past months that I was able to connect my poor school life with the frantic anger issues, over the top moods i have. Some say, maybe i just haven't found what i want in my life yet, i thought so too. but kahit pa siguro naging artista ako, i would eventually quit after a couple of weeks! lol. Its really because of this bipolar disorder. there was even a time i really prepared almost a year just to go to school but i ended up doing the same thing. Its really very hard. a time comes that i get frustrated and i cannot find any reason for what i am doing in virtually everything. but there are times that i feel so positive and sunny too.  i had an online teaching job that pays good. its a dream job but still, the same thing happens. i tried to work in a call center which i really thought of for a long time and when i got in, ganun pa rin. now im afraid to take any step baka di ko lang magawa or i might end up being unmotivated in the end kahit dream ko pa gawin ang isang bagay. i have an online business thats doing well pero hindi ko rin maatupag ng maayos kahit wala akong ginagawa. ang hirap talaga. the doctor said i would really end up doing the same thing kasi its not just normal moods etc but there's an imbalance in the neurotransmitters in my brain. so i have to take medicines that are uberly expensive (by the way i support myself). now, i am about to start my medication again for the 2nd time. the first time i took them for just 3 days and stopped because i cannot wake up in the morning because of the effect of the meds (which caused my job, este training pala eventually).

has anyone have the same experience? hows your success rate in taking medicines? i hope there's someone here who has the same experience as me.

[annehall]

hmmm...
paano ba lalabas ang bipolar disorder?
Is it in you ever since you are a kid or is it gonna come out anytime in your lifetime?

share ko naman ang situation ko, well i don't know ah...
when i was in elementary, highschool and college, sobrang responsible ko. and sobrang grade conscious. i received awards and honors, although not every year/semester.
then ngyong i'm suppose to be on my "career forming years",,, grabe i can't freaking keep a job! The companies aren't firing me, i just simply quit. And take note all, as in ALL, of the companies i had worked are huge respectable companies... dream job/companies of any young professionals. There's something in me that when i feel i don't like what i'm doing, i would quit and leave it.
i don't know kung bakit. Maybe because i know na kahit [textspeak!] akong job may enough money ako, or probably because i'm searching for what i really want. Pero gosh diba, it's so not normal. I've been like this for almost 4 years (and 5 companies to boot), soul searching pa  ba yun haha...grabe, i don't understand myself. 

[jedainz]

hmmm...
paano ba lalabas ang bipolar disorder?
Is it in you ever since you are a kid or is it gonna come out anytime in your lifetime?

share ko naman ang situation ko, well i don't know ah...
when i was in elementary, highschool and college, sobrang responsible ko. and sobrang grade conscious. i received awards and honors, although not every year/semester.
then ngyong i'm suppose to be on my "career forming years",,, grabe i can't freaking keep a job! The companies aren't firing me, i just simply quit. And take note all, as in ALL, of the companies i had worked are huge respectable companies... dream job/companies of any young professionals. There's something in me that when i feel i don't like what i'm doing, i would quit and leave it.
i don't know kung bakit. Maybe because i know na kahit [textspeak!] akong job may enough money ako, or probably because i'm searching for what i really want. Pero gosh diba, it's so not normal. I've been like this for almost 4 years (and 5 companies to boot), soul searching pa  ba yun haha...grabe, i don't understand myself.

the psychiatrist asked me how i was as a child. yung pagiging restless, laging gustong may gawin, irregular sleeping etc, sign daw yan. pero it depends daw sa person kung kailang grabe ang symptoms.

i think in your case, hindi naman siguro. kasi it applies only to your job. as for me, it applies in everything i do. pero its better to seek advice from a psychologist. at saka ka irerefer sa psychiatrist.  4 years then 5 companies? maybe you're just not satisfied or yun nga, you have enough money. kasi in my case, around 2 mos. lang talaga ako. kasi sa bipolar, its a cycle. so everytime negative ako, this happens. may chance na ma quit ko job ko. or gradually nawawalan ako ng gana.

[goodbye_girl]

Ang hirap naman ng ganyang situation coz it's like you can't control what's happening with/to you. Hindi ba makakatulong ang support group or at least an accountability partner? Yung someone who can identify the "symptoms" or signs na ayan na naman umaatake na naman... coz if you're under meds, it should help keep the neurotransmitter "defects" at bay for you to function "normally", tama ba? Otherwise, sayang yung gamot di ba?.

My brother works for PMHA and one of their consumers (they don't call them patients e) has bipolar disorder. Ang kuwento naman niya, okay naman yung girl. She can be trusted daw to do errands for them and matagal na siyang hindi sinusumpong. Sa recovery kasi naka-assign si utol. Sila yung nagte-train o gumagawa ng activities for the consumers to be ready to return to normal, everyday tasks. I'll ask my bro kung ano ba ang coping mechanisms na puwedeng gawin for this.

(sorry i have to use the quotation marks coz di ko alam yung mga tamang terms, baka ma-misinterpret ako e yun yung closest word na naiisip ko)

[annehall]

well, ako rin kasi madaling mawala ang interest sa isang bagay.
well [textspeak!] depression ito?
haay magpatingin na rin kaya ako?
mahal yata charge ng mga psychiatrist dito sa philippines. ...

[sxymnky]

nabasa ko lang....
you need to see a doctor ASAP life long condition eto so ...
you need medication
therapy
educate yourself
and support 

nasasabi nating depression eto pag nasa stage ng depressive mood ang isang tao pero kapag nasa manic stage hindi napapansin from low to extremes lahat.

[jedainz]

Ang hirap naman ng ganyang situation coz it's like you can't control what's happening with/to you. Hindi ba makakatulong ang support group or at least an accountability partner? Yung someone who can identify the "symptoms" or signs na ayan na naman umaatake na naman... coz if you're under meds, it should help keep the neurotransmitter "defects" at bay for you to function "normally", tama ba? Otherwise, sayang yung gamot di ba?.

My brother works for PMHA and one of their consumers (they don't call them patients e) has bipolar disorder. Ang kuwento naman niya, okay naman yung girl. She can be trusted daw to do errands for them and matagal na siyang hindi sinusumpong. Sa recovery kasi naka-assign si utol. Sila yung nagte-train o gumagawa ng activities for the consumers to be ready to return to normal, everyday tasks. I'll ask my bro kung ano ba ang coping mechanisms na puwedeng gawin for this.

(sorry i have to use the quotation marks coz di ko alam yung mga tamang terms, baka ma-misinterpret ako e yun yung closest word na naiisip ko)

wala akong alam na group dito sa davao city eh.. tama ka sis, ang hirap. kasi when i get frustrated, yung to the max talaga. i feel like there's no hope pag anjan ako na state. but after that siguro overnight lang or after a few days, i don't feel as hostile. pero i researched again just today, baka borderline personality disorder pero sabi ng psychiatrist ko hindi daw. that they can really distinguish which is which. BTW, she's one of the best dito sa davao city.. very experienced, at 60 yrs. old. i can run errands rin naman, i mean i have my own business nga eh online pero yun nga, hindi ko mafocus sarili ko like how a normal person would. kung day to day basis lang, hindi mo masabi na there's something wrong. parang wala lang. siguro mas madali lang ako nakakaaway ng mga sales girl etc. hahaha. and makikita mo lang yung flaw sa life ko sa mga long term na gawain like sa school, work, etc. sana makahanap ako like same sa kuya mo. di ko kasi alam san dito eh.

well, ako rin kasi madaling mawala ang interest sa isang bagay.
well [textspeak!] depression ito?
haay magpatingin na rin kaya ako?
mahal yata charge ng mga psychiatrist dito sa philippines. ...

i dont know sa area mo sis. usual dito sa davao is around 800-1000php pero yung sa akin, it was for 1500php kasi magaling yung doctor.  sis if its malala na depression, you should see a psychiatrist. or a psychologist if gusto mo mag pa counseling muna baka its inflicted by a problem etc.

nabasa ko lang....
you need to see a doctor ASAP life long condition eto so ...
you need medication
therapy
educate yourself
and support 

nasasabi nating depression eto pag nasa stage ng depressive mood ang isang tao pero kapag nasa manic stage hindi napapansin from low to extremes lahat.

sis, let me guess, you read this off from the internet? lol. as i have said, pumunta na ako sa psychiatrist. and im taking meds now. truthfully, hindi nakakatulong ang mga links online. they are just pure theory. its nothing like how it is in real life. how it is explained theoretically is not how it is in reality.

[cher.liman]

I am bipolar and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The meds straightened me out naman and regular therapy. I also do my own when I feel I don't want to get out of bed like taking a bath or rewarding myself to go to the spa.

One thing that really sets my mind straight is to organize all my priorities, Im easily overwhelmed kasi. I also try to keep myself as busy as possible but I also stop myself from doing too much na-ooverload ako. Im also OC kasi. I try to recognize my triggers and petty things that seem to make me easily angry or depressed. I avoid negativity as much as I can.

One thing I learned ha there is a social stigma thats attached to being bipolar. People seem to thing you're luka-luka, may sira sa ulo, tama or whatever. Basta ako I set my mind on it that these people are just beneath me in terms of a chicken without a head, kumbaga giving an opinion on something they don't know of. I just ignore them cos most of the time I tell myself Im more successful & accomplished than them which is true in some cases.

Its important to have a competent professional diagnose you. Kumbaga in layman's terms bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain simple as that. Meron kang kulang na something in your brain that is why you're not functioning well.

If you look at history and famous people with bipolar you will see most of them are accomplished and quite normal people. Most of them are artists if Im not mistaken.

I read nga pala btw that being bipolar daw has being next to genius or something to that effect, I forgot na the exact context.

[annehall]

yeah sis... well, i don't know kung anong meron ako: drepession or bipolar case, but i am sure na there's something extremely wrong with me.
kung sa psychiatrist, per session ba yung bayad? Or halimbawa Php 1,500 ang charge niya pero several sessions na iyon?

Gusto ko lang i-share opinion ko. Isn't it frustrating dito sa Philippines na kapag one person needs the help of a psychiatrist sobrang they'll treat the person like a crazy outcast. Well in fact sa other countries, i.e. USA, sobrang normal lang yun. Hindi pa kasi open-minded mga tao dito sa philippines regarding sa mga cases na ganito. Dapat ma-increase ang awareness regarding cases like these here in the philippines for better understanding... yun lang, bow.