paperjam Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Hi all, rapid cycling bipolar II here. I'm not sure what to say as to an introduction -- I was diagnosed about eight years ago after thinking for years that I had unipolar depression. I finally got a decent clinical psychologist who figured me out, and a whole lot of puzzle pieces in my life suddenly fell into place. All the crazy pointless fighting with my family, the sudden overwhelming rage fits, the unbelievable insomnia, the long string of unfinished projects (I was particularly notorious for this), the strange impulsive things I did from time to time that I had no explanation for afterwards, straight As in the fall term but Ws and Fs for the winter term, ultra-productive at work one day and having to call in sick the next because I was busy lying in the fetal position on the floor of my basement staring at a spot on the wall for six hours, charming and diplomatic one day, crippled by paranoia and unable to talk to anyone the next.But whereas the diagnosis made my life make sense for the first time ever, the fact that it's a lifelong condition is very demoralizing.I live in a rural area, and mental health services are pretty much nonexistent here, which is very frustrating. I have a med regime which works reasonably well, with no noticeable side effects, but it's far from perfect. The Med Quest continues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Hi, Paperjam. Welcome to CB. I hope you'll like it here and that you'll find answers to your questions.Feel free to PM me or any of the other mods if you have questions about how the site works.Gearhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Getting good MH care in rural areas can be really tough.If you're not super far from a larger city, it might be worth it to establish care there even if you're going once a month for meds in the beginning.Welcome to the nuthouse. Feel free to poke around and as Gear said, let us know if you have questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperjam Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thanks guys. The nearest city is three hours' drive away, so it's not really practical -- especially in the winter. Currently I rely on a clinical psychologist for therapy and a GP for meds, not ideal but a lot better than nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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