Craving a Different Energy

This past Tuesday, a lovely woman named Sarah reached out to me over e-mail.  Sarah, like me, is a US ex-pat trying to find her way in Europe.  And, she has bipolar disorder.  One of the topics we spoke about was whether there was any longing on my part to actually feel again, without the emotional flatline bipolar meds cause.  I answered in the affirmative, answered a few more questions she asked and hit send.

Several hours after I left the computer for the day, I found I was still thinking about Sarah’s question.

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Medication Sensitivity: It’s In Your Genes

In October I had genetic testing to evaluate medication sensitivities. This sort of testing only looks at a few specific parts of your DNA, the bits known to affect the way you metabolize a lot of medications, including most psychoactive drugs. It’s usually covered by insurance when prescribed – even for MediCare, as a matter of fact. There are a number of different testing providers and test structures; I had a full panel test against several classes of drugs.

I had hoped to get this testing since I heard about it. I’m fed up with constantly experimenting with drugs at the cost of my stability and productivity.

A Pictorial History of My Bipolar Meds

Medications are a major part of managing many mental illnesses, but something the general population has a hard time understanding. I’m not even talking about the issues of stigma, accepting “meds for life”, or side effects. I’m just talking about the process of finding the right cocktail to function as normally as possible. It’s hard to grasp without a good example, so here’s the history of my meds over the last two years (keeping in mind that I’ve been on psych meds for over 20 years!)

Mission Impossible

A mother recently asked for my help regarding my personal experiences living with bipolar disorder as well as some hopeful thoughts as though I am some sort of model for recovery.

You see, her daughter has recently been diagnosed with the illness and is having difficulty accepting treatment.  Such as blowing off her therapist, resisting medication (while attending appointments and still taking the meds, just met with much resentment).  Jordan, the daughter, I have never directly talked to as she is very hesitant to talk to me and has never met or talked to anyone with a mental illness.