Lived Experience Forum

[Alialiostrich]

Hi everyone,

i have just joined the forum after having been so moved by your stories. I have had depression for a long time, since at least 2004, but only recently been told that I probably have type 2 bipolar after a rather difficult 12 months but have since been diagnosed with bipolar type 2. On top of that my husband has been diagnosed with MS. My mother is a bit of a narcissist, my sister won't talk to me (she's just not a phone person apparently), my brother thinks I'm selfish and I should just get over myself and my dad recently died. I feel so alone, despite having my family with me.....

I am currently changing meds and feel pretty crappy. I live in a part of the country where mental health services are pretty average and I may now have slight serotonin syndrome thanks to a stupid script error. I have thought of self harming but I do self sabotage much better and have two children to live for. I work in a highly stressful job and have not disclosed to anyone my mental health challenges. I am finding that hiding my problems is becoming so exhausting. I just want to turn the corner but nothing is working. Any suggestions?

[Lunar]

Hello @Alialiostrich

A very warm welcome to the forums, thank you for sharing some of your experiences. I am so sorry to hear about your Dad passing and your husband being recently diagnosed with MS, that is a lot to be managing on top of your mental health issues within the last 12months.

It is good that you are reaching out for some extra support through these forums, there are some other members who have experiences with Bipolar, one member @ROC started a great thread called 'Bipolar', as well as @sleepy_eyes78 has a great thread called 'Bipolar' too. And there is also another interesting thread by @Former-Member called 'Bipolar 2' you might like to read through them if you havn't already.

I look forward to getting to know you better 🙂

Lunar

[Alialiostrich]

Thanks for the advice @Lunar. It has been a tough year and i have found it really hard to put into words how I feel. 

[Amour_Et_Psyché]

Hi @Alialiostrich,

Again, as @Lunar said, welcome to the forums! I'm also sorry to hear about your husband's recent diagnosis with MS, and your dad's passing - those are incredibly difficult experiences to go through. It also doesn't help that you are feeling so alone. Feeling isolated can be difficult enough, but when you have your own mental health concerns and challenging experiences to deal with on top of that, it can be especially hard.

I just wanted to check-in and see how you are traveling at the moment. Is the transition to the new medication getting a little easier?

Kindest,

Amour_Et_Psyché

[Phoenix_Rising]

Hi @Alialiostrich,

Welcome to Forum Land. It sounds like you have had an ultra difficult 12 months. I am really sorry to hear of the loss of your dad and your husband's diagnosis of MS.

I'm afraid I don't have any magic solutions for how to turn the corner - I'm still looking for the corner, myself.  However, I hope you will be able to feel well supported here in Forum Land. If nothing else, this is somewhere where you can genuinely share how you are travelling without fear of the stigma that is so often directed at those with mental health issues.

A good place to start chatting to people around here is on this thread: Good morning There seem to be people hanging out there all day long. Alternatively, you are very welcome to jump onto any thread that takes your interest.

Having a highly stressful job on top of navigating your health issues and caring for your children sounds very full-on. What sorts of things do you enjoy doing to relax? Do you have any particular interests or hobbies?

I look forward to getting to know you better here in Forum Land.