Ask Me Help Desk - Bipolar, I'm so annoyed!

HI all, anyone here w/bipolar? I've got Bipolar 2 and lately I have been having MAJOR issues. My boyfriend says that daily I seem to be trying to pick a fight with him and he's getting tired of it. I think I'm just feeling really really agitated, easily annoyed, at this point I wish I could get a way from me. I've struggled with my illness for along time, I'm on meds have a healthcare team, it's just, I haven't ever felt this annoyed. I know I'm manic and probably just sitting high on the pedestal I've built for myself and I'm just feeling like everyone in the world lacks common sense, we'll except me. I know you bipolar people understand that.

Any suggestions on how to treat the people in my life better while I'm in this phase, any tips for bitting my tongue before I hurt someone? What do you do when you're feeling annoyed by the world?

I'm not familiar with bipolar but here is something to consider: you may be feeling annoyed because you may believe the world is treating you fairly. Here is a thing called HEALS that may help which was developed by Steven Stosny (Compassion Power): The first thing is to recognize your bodily response to being annoyed ( tightening muscles, clenching teeth, shallow breathing, etc.)
Step 1: Identify your core hurt: a. blame; b. anger; c. depressioin;
Step 2: ID your core hurt - what is your DEEPEST core hurt: a. disregarded; b. unimportant; c. accused; d. guilty; e. devalued; f. rejected; g. powerless; h. unloved - (the deepest).
Step 3. Feel your core hurt for 5 - 10 seconds
Step 4. ID your core value: a. have you done anything important for yourself and others? Do people value you as a human being? Have you done anything of value for anyone/yourself?
c. Are you worthy of love and respect? d. Are you equal to others as a human being?
Step. 5. Love yourself: when you are hurting, nurture yourself (I nurture myself by reading comics/fiction while eating a bowl of buttered popcorn.
Step 6. ID the other's core hurt: (see step 2)
Step 7. Establish their core value: (see step 4).
Step 8. Work on the problem in your own best interest.
In order for HEALS to work, it must be practiced EVERY time you feel yourself becoming annoyed.
For more info check out Compassion power online.

There's a few websites on that topic that put up their own examinations of the book David D. Burns "The Feeling Good Handbook" that look pretty good

Ten forms of twisted thinking

Ten ways to untwist your thinking

Amazon.com: The Feeling Good Handbook (Plume): Books: David D. Burns

Also
H.A.L.T.

Quote:

Originally Posted by truthtrumpsall

HI all, anyone here w/bipolar? I've got Bipolar 2 and lately I have been having MAJOR issues. My boyfriend says that daily I seem to be trying to pick a fight with him and he's getting tired of it. I think I'm just feeling really really agitated, easily annoyed, at this point I wish I could get a way from me. I've struggled with my illness for along time, I'm on meds have a healthcare team, it's just, I haven't ever felt this annoyed. I know I'm manic and probably just sitting high on the pedestal I've built for myself and I'm just feeling like everyone in the world lacks common sense, we'll except me. I know you bipolar people understand that.

Any suggestions on how to treat the people in my life better while I'm in this phase, any tips for bitting my tounge before I hurt someone? What do you do when you're feeling annoyed by the world?

Well some say the truth hurts, but here it is in a nut shell. Jesus is the answer to any imaginable problem. The Word of the Bible has the answer to everything. "Dont tell your problems how big they are, tell your problems how big God is." Get "Saved"... [ from an EX bi-polar, manac depressant ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaykiiiid

Well some say the truth hurts, but here it is in a nut shell. Jesus is the answer to any imaginable problem. The Word of the Bible has the answer to everything. "Dont tell your problems how big they are, tell your problems how big God is." Get "Saved"... [ from an EX bi-polar, manac depressant ]

(from an ex-christian of 20 years) while I truly appreciate your thoughts, I was a christian, and I don't mean just by name. I actually use to be a minister, went to Seminary, my Dad is a Pastor, I truly thought I would teach Jesus to the world... until I realized that for me there is no "God", there is only truth and I don't think anyone on this earth truly knows what that Truth is. Still being a christain made me feel more alone than I 've ever felt. I think the God most people talk about is one that can't be seen and rarely heard. If I did believe in a God it would be only because God was being 'hands-on' and not letting this world become what it is, not letting people suffer from all sorts of illnesses. My Dad (the pastor) believes that there is not such thing as bipolar, that meds aren't nesseary. Talk about a man in TOTAL denial. Prayer doesn't make a person w/bipolar have put back in their brains the seritonin or nerotransmitters. I also find that many of my chritian friends with mental illnesses believed prayer would heal them and for a time it would work, but as usual the illness comes back to the surface and some of them were forced to realize, if there is a God, God is the one who gave the scientist the knowledge to make the meds they do to help people, and not just with mental illnesses, how about cancer or diabetes. My mother has thyroid cancer. MY Dad prayered for her, the church prayed for her and 4 months later the Dr. said that the caner was gone, that it was a miracle. Prayer healed her, or so everyone thought. Until this last year, 3 months after the Dr. gave her a clean bill of health, now it back and she's been in treatment for almost 9 months. IT's interesting how the christian people who prayed for her and thought she was healed, react, or better yet, just try to ignore the fact that prayer did nothing at all. I feel more whole without 'God" than I ever have in my life and that to be is a blessing.

So while God may work for you, it doesn't wory for me, still I TOTALLY respect your beliefs and I thank you for taking the time and energy out to try and help me with my problem.I'm glad you found something that works for you.

Wow, what a powerful post. While I am Christian, I had cancer, and I am cured. However, I am not cured by the power of prayer, I am cured by the doctors and the scientists. The power of prayer simply gave me strength to get through one day at a time.

No God will not give seratonin or neurotramsitters back, or even repair them, I believe he is resposible for the knowledge that the scientisist have.

My father is bipolar also, I would like to ask what meds you are on or what you have tried, if you don't mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

Wow, what a powerful post. While I am Christian, I had cancer, and I am cured. However, I am not cured by the power of prayer, I am cured by the doctors and the scientists. The power of prayer simply gave me strength to get through one day at a time.

No God will not give seratonin or neurotramsitters back, or even repair them, I believe he is resposible for the knowledge that the scientisist have.

My father is bipolar also, I would like to ask what meds you are on or what you have tried, if you don't mind.

First off, I am so happy your cancer is in remmisson, that is AWESOME!! I have tried all sorts of meds and besides being really easily annoyed this past month or so I have come alooooooooooooooong way. From 2004-2006 I attempted suicide 4 times. The Dr./psychiatrist I was seeing would not listen to me at all, about my symptoms, how the meds weren't working. Now I am on Serequel, Lithium and Wellbutrin. This is a wonderful cocktail, no more suicidal thoughts, my mania has turned into hypomania... I never thought I could be at this point.

Like your Dad, my Dad, who is a Pastor and strick God believer has major depression and self esteem issues. He went to a Dr. the Doc told him he had servere depression and needed meds to help. He stayed on them for 2 weeks (which is not long enough for a change to occur) then he went off them and he thinks prayer is going to heal him from, what he says "Satan is doing to him".

Like you, and I'm sure I said this in my post, but I do believe that God, Truth, whoever, whatever, is responsible for the knowledge that these Dr. and Scientist have.

So, sorry to rant,Serequel 600 mg, Lithium 600mg and Wellbutrin SR 250mg.

And again, waaaaay to go for beating cancer!!

Thank you!!

And Kudos to you as well!!

What you are going through is almost as hard as cancer if not harder. There is no cure like there was for me. I can understand where you come from.

Have you tried Effexor? If so, what did you think?

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

Thank you!!!!

And Kudos to you as well!!!

What you are going through is almost as hard as cancer if not harder. There is no cure like there was for me. I can understand where you come from.

Have you tried Effexor? If so, what did you think?

No, I haven't tried it, but, it's funny that you would mention it, I see my Dr. on Monday. She called me today and said she wanted to talk about introducing Effexor, so I'll have to let you know how that works for me. You've tried this, or someone you know? How did it work?

I tried it. I LOVED it. Got to get through the initial period though. But the way I looked at it

Effexor was Effective.

Do some more research on bipolar disorder. Currently and ALWAYS will be bipolar.