Question:

Dear Sarah — Welcome to the group. . . it certainly sounds like you have been going through a rough bit for the past while. I must say that your choice of Erik Satie and the tea sounds like a perfect way to get some relaxation for the spirit … Satie’s music is full of wondrous creativity. It is ironic that he went completely mad at the end of his life due to a brain tumour that caused a tremendous amount of inter-cranial pressure … he is know by many classical musicians as the master of the absurd for his inventiveness and creative ingenuity. Much of what you describe "sounds familiar" as being classic behaviour of mania, mania with psychosis, or, in extreme cases, even hypo-mania (I have done some of what you described and I have never been fully manic. . . as far as I know <grin>). This is definitely a group where you will fit in — as well, compulsive disorders are often things that accompany bipolar affective disorder. Some of the anti-depressants, specifically those in the SSRI’s target obsessive behaviour (sertraline is one — Zoloft, fluoxitine is another — Paxil) — however, before taking an SSRI be sure that you are on a mood stabilizer as these drugs can also precipitate manic episodes and be very destabilizing for people with bipolar disorder. As to your question regarding addiction — it is often found, and I have found this true in my life, that people with bipolar disorder have "addictive disorders" and can easily fall into the traps that are out there. I know many bp’s who are recovering addicts and recovering alcoholics. There is no shame in this — it is something to overcome on the road to stability. Self-medication is often the first-course of treatment, and sometimes the only line of treatment that many bp’s will experience. Hemingway used alcohol — and eventually took his life. . . so, is medication better? Many will argue against it — but it has saved many lives, and many people are living lives with a much better level of quality to it because of medication than if they were going untreated. Anyway, welcome again to our little corner of craziness. . . and watch out for the trolls — Phoenix, Fred, SSRIHater. . . they are pretty easy to spot after a few minutes. Take care, Peter — Amsel The ingeniously CrazyComposer They say that genius and insanity are closely related. . . . So, who are "they" anyway?

Response:

You sound manic-depressive, Sarah, with some OCD symptomatology — not uncommon in bipolars (actually up to a 35% comorbidity rate).  You also sound like you’re getting your head back together, but you need to achieve stability. Keep up the good work, and keep posting.  It’s nice to hear from someone coherent once in a while.  =) Viscount – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hey its just started softly snowing here, I’m trying to listening to Erik >Satie drinking Jasmine Green Tea while trying to stay calm after 4 weeks >with no proper sleep and rapid cycling oh yeah and a mere week of complete >psychosis…unfortunately during the week joined AA and NA and decided  to >take all the twelve steps in one week with lots of different sponsors!!!, >Made lots of new friends with compulsive acting out behaviour… I can >recommend it!–Started driving lessons and bought myself a book learn to >drive in two weeks …!!!! scared to go out or to pick up the phone… as >God knows what I’ll next start joining… taking second Master’s degree >(Why?) became obsessed with texting everyone I know!!! Hundreds of times >during day and night even when they were at work or sleeping…just to say >sorry for keep texting them!!!! Sort of stalking by text. Started lots of >new really heavy intense relationships and even managed to resurrected a few >old ones!!!! Became obsessed with spirituality although previously being an >atheist, became a vegetarian boarding on being a vegan….Rang all my family >to apologise for pissing them off ,then got pissed off with them all again >and fell out with them all in my head!!!! The only hope of not being >sectioned is if I get snowed in and all my means of communication all fail >at once so I can’t keep getting high on People, Places and Things!!!! >Does any of this sound at all familiar to anyone or am I in the wrong >newsgroup!!!??? >Does anyone else here worry if they have drug or alcohol problems? Self >abuse through debt, relationships, food in fact everything you can get your >hands on!!!!!Does anyone ever try to self medicate and then abuse their >meds???? >Am I an addict or MD or both???? Where do I belong????? >Does anyone here have uncontrollable compulsive behaviour? Compulsive >washing, tidying, talking, eating not eating,,,, you name it I can never >just be!!!! >Apart from that everything’s fine!!!!!

"Fex urbis, lex orbis" [Dregs of the city, law of the world] — St. Jerome

Response:

Hey its just started softly snowing here, I’m trying to listening to Erik Satie drinking Jasmine Green Tea while trying to stay calm after 4 weeks with no proper sleep and rapid cycling oh yeah and a mere week of complete psychosis…unfortunately during the week joined AA and NA and decided  to take all the twelve steps in one week with lots of different sponsors!!!, Made lots of new friends with compulsive acting out behaviour… I can recommend it!–Started driving lessons and bought myself a book learn to drive in two weeks …!!!! scared to go out or to pick up the phone… as God knows what I’ll next start joining… taking second Master’s degree (Why?) became obsessed with texting everyone I know!!! Hundreds of times during day and night even when they were at work or sleeping…just to say sorry for keep texting them!!!! Sort of stalking by text. Started lots of new really heavy intense relationships and even managed to resurrected a few old ones!!!! Became obsessed with spirituality although previously being an atheist, became a vegetarian boarding on being a vegan….Rang all my family to apologise for pissing them off ,then got pissed off with them all again and fell out with them all in my head!!!! The only hope of not being sectioned is if I get snowed in and all my means of communication all fail at once so I can’t keep getting high on People, Places and Things!!!! Does any of this sound at all familiar to anyone or am I in the wrong newsgroup!!!??? Does anyone else here worry if they have drug or alcohol problems? Self abuse through debt, relationships, food in fact everything you can get your hands on!!!!!Does anyone ever try to self medicate and then abuse their meds???? Am I an addict or MD or both???? Where do I belong????? Does anyone here have uncontrollable compulsive behaviour? Compulsive washing, tidying, talking, eating not eating,,,, you name it I can never just be!!!! Apart from that everything’s fine!!!!!

Response: