Living with a Brain Disorder: Kelly, 41-45, Bipolar, PTSD, Anxiety, Insomnia, Fibromyalgia

Interviewee: Kelly, age 41-45, from Washington was diagnosed with “BiPolar 1 with rapid cycling-PSTD-Anxiety-Insomnia-Fibromyalgia. With Psychiatrist and Rumatologist in February 2000″.

I have done alot of research online and reading books and from my Psychiatrist. I have learned how to tell when I am going Manic and what to do and when I am going into deep depression and know what to do and If I get suicidal I call my Psychiatrist or a friend.

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Before-I drank alot and was very depressed alot, but when I got Manic I was happy and verry uninhibited and was out of control. During-I was afraid to go to a Psychiatrist because I didn;t want her to think I was crazy. After going to see my Psychiatrist, we tried many different meds. SSRI’s cause me to go manic and have tremors. Depakote made my hair fall out. I saw her every 2 weeks at 1st. When I was stable it was only once a month.

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I get into a very deep depression and I don;t want to go to work. I call in and say I have pneumonia or something that is really bad. I stay in bed for days at a time, but that only happens a few times a year. When I know I am going down, I up my anti-depressant or my mood stabilizer according to my Dr’s instructions. When I am going manic, well if I am hypomanic I kind of enjoy it. But can’t let it get in to mania. I have my sister and mom and a friend to talk too.

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I don’t let anyone in my house because it is sooo dirty, I stay alone alot, I get anxiety attacks when I have to leave my house except to go to work. I never go out, I really don;t have any friends to hang out with.

For the full interview, please visit the project page.

The GNIF Brain Blogger Living with a Brain Disorder series of excerpted interviews aims to provide unedited insight into the often mysterious minds of brain disorder patients by publishing interviews and professional commentary with afflicted individuals of mental health and neurological or “brain” disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, developmental disabilities, Parkinson’s, and schizophrenia). The project will encompass the world spectrum of afflicted individuals to identify socio-geographical etiologies, impact of stigmatization, access of medical and mental health information and treatment options, and other features of health promotion.