Author Archives: moonmindbalance

I find myself asking this question each and everyday. And it’s exhausting….I have forgotten what it feels like to get up each morning and just get on with my day. When you have bipolar you are forever critical of your behaviour, trying to tune in with your body and mind and asking yourself….how am IContinue reading “Am I Ok???”

Because of my bipolar I haven’t travelled overseas but my dream one day would be to go to Canada and Alaska and perhaps do the railway trip and river cruise. I love the cold and would love to see the spectacular sites and sounds. Long haul travelling is meant to play havoc with a bipolarContinue reading “My Bucket List….Travel”

When things start turning south and you feel an episode coming on, there are plenty of telltale signs that are like “early warnings”. Like when a thunderstorm is approaching, you can see it building in the distance, but as yet no thunder or lightening. It comes with time, practice and being aware of your ownContinue reading “An Aching Body and Fragile Mind”

It’s important to have a network of support around you. People that can help you when times are tough. Not just medical support As in doctor or psychiatrist but close friends and family. Family and a small group of close friends who know about your disorder sometimes pick up on a change in your moodContinue reading “Support network… family and friends”

There is no signs of any form of mental illness going back through either side of my family. Plus I think the jury is still out within the medical industry as to why some of us get the disorder and others don’t. My personal opinion is that if you perhaps are susceptible to it, andContinue reading “Is Bipolar Hereditary or Bad Lifestyle Choices”

When you are suffering severe depression regardless of what form of mental illness you have, the fact remains it is so hard to describe your thoughts to anyone. Unfortunately now that I am well I can now clearly remember every negative thought and frustration I felt when severely depressed. Here is some examples: Waking upContinue reading “Depression and the jumbled thought processes”

I can look back and laugh about this story but it wasn’t funny at the time. I was hospitalised for the last time in Sydney about 13 years ago now. Whilst there my mum and sister flew down from Queensland packed up my house, literally threw me in the back of my car after beingContinue reading “Hijacked from Hospital”

It’s a gorgeous evening on the Gold Coast, Australia tonight. Clear sky’s, the stars are out and it’s a beautiful full moon rising from the eastern sky. So that means… battern down the hatches and take some additional medication to ensure I get a good night sleep. I noticed the change last night, it tookContinue reading “It’s a “full moon” tonight….look out”

The above have been my stages or types of episodes in order of sequence when an extremely bad episode appears. Luckily my last one was about 8 years ago and I hopefully won’t have anymore as I am now properly diagnosed, on the correct medications and able to nip any changes of my behaviour immediately.Continue reading “My stages of a bad episode -Normal, high, manic, psychotic, high…depression”

It all starts with a blocked mind. Your thoughts are scattered, it feels like your brain has been cross circuited. One day you will be feeling fine, then the next your thoughts are jumbled. Maybe you had a bad night sleep, or no sleep at all. You continually get forced to get up out ofContinue reading “The first stages of a bad episode”

It’s spring time here in Australia and we haven’t had any rain for about 4 months. So what does that mean you may wonder…. well hay fever is rife. So much pollen in the air, as well as dust storms and smoke haze from recent bush fires. I don’t normally suffer from hay fever butContinue reading “Hay fever……”

Coffee is a must first thing in the morning to get me going. Side affects of meds gives me a sluggish start to the day. I limit my intake of coffee to no more than 4 cups a day and never any at night as it disturbs my sleep. A strong cup of sweet teaContinue reading “Coffee….yes please!”

Along with issues about bright sunshine and lights, another side affect is weight gain. I find one hour after taking my nightly meds, I get really hungry and crave something to eat. Fresh fruit or light snack of cheese on toast of veggies is the best option. I actually can only eat once a day…..IContinue reading “Side affects of medication”

The eyes are the heart to our soul…. clear bright and big reflects all is well. Small, clouded and puffy shows we are on struggle street. It’s a good indicator of how well we are travelling. Bright lights is hard to deal with (a side effect of medication), warmer yellow toned night lighting is best.Continue reading “The eyes can tell it’s own story of how we are managing with bipolar”

Some days it hard to tell which hat your wearing. You can have various moods and scattered thoughts all rolled into one. Just breath….and take it easy….your just having one bad day, things will work out alright in the end. Try and remain positive and take one step at a time.

My mental health issues began about 26 years. I was hospitalised for what was termed back in those days as “a nervous breakdown”. Work stress was my initial trigger. For the first day or two I was unable to speak. That was truly scary. I could hear, see and understand others but my only meansContinue reading “A Nervous Breakdown….or is it something more”

Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and a balanced diet is wonderful for a healthy mind. Be it juices, salads, roast dinners and healthy barbecues give you a good source of vitamins and minerals. There is so much focus out there at the moment about healthy eating and we are blessed in Australia with soContinue reading “Nutrition”

You need to have a support network of medical experts to touch base with from time to time. A regular appointment with either of the above is a must. My go to doctor is a psychiatrist who is the most highly trained in mental health than any of the others. I see him about everyContinue reading “General Practitioners, Psychologists, Psychiatrist”

You may have a lot of medication to juggle on a daily basis. Unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast. It’s better to be medicated and have a healthy mind, than live on struggle street. Its just not worth the risk to stop taking your meds. You need them for a reason, just like anyContinue reading “Medication, medication and more medication…..”

Sometimes hospitalisation will be required when things have spiralled too deeply out of control. Never be embarrassed, this can happen to the best of us. Just remember there are a lot of help and services out there to assist you to get back on the road to recovery.

You need to limit any forms of stress in your life to maintain a steady mood. The first signs of stress is normally crankiness, irritability, you may find your mind is overactive whilst trying to fall asleep. Remember to be kind to yourself. Sometimes a mental health day off work to rest up is allContinue reading “Say No to Stress”

Living on the beachfront is awesome. Where I live there is a fabulous walking track ideal for riding bikes, a casual stroll, skate boarding and general people watching. I get to see wonderful sunrises and sunsets over the ocean.

I try to take holidays religiously every six months. One or two weeks away is a must for me to recharge my batteries. I don’t travel overseas as this can cause major mental health issues with my bipolar. People don’t understand that flying over numerous times zones can reek havoc with mental health issues inContinue reading “Holidays….taking time out for yourself”

I find the above caption so true. I am an avid reader and yes it does relax me after a long day at work. Excercise and me aren’t the best of friends. I can be quite lazy in fact, and as they say “excercise is beneficial to leading a healthy life” but living with bipolarContinue reading “My love of reading”

Depression is the absolute pits. Extremely hard to deal with, to live with. The cycle can be long winded but perseverance is a must because there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have had numerous bouts of depression some lasting 6 to 12 months. One time when i went to the pharmacistContinue reading “The Shrowded Fog Of Depression”

I won’t sugar coat it but living with bipolar is like riding a roller coaster at times. You need to ride the ups and downs of this disorder, but with experience, knowledge, and the power in your own hands to medicate and adjust meds when needed, makes for a stronger person in the long run.Continue reading “Tough times never last….hang in there”

Everyone loves music for one reason or another but those with bipolar do need to be careful. To much loud music over extended periods of time can push you into the dreaded “high”. Once again it’s about balance and moderation. Pink is my favourite go to rock chick music. Her words resonate about her ownContinue reading “Music to my ears….”

We all have our good and bad days but unfortunately with bipolar it can be at the extreme end of the equation. When we have a bad day it can end up on a down hill run very quickly. It’s hard for normal people to understand the difference from a down day and the depthsContinue reading “A Positive Mindframe”

I haven’t had to deal with anxiety in a long time, probably due to the mood stabilisers I am currently on. It is very debilitating when it comes on, your mind worries about the most trivial of things, sweaty palms, heart races, you don’t feel like leaving your home and facing the outside world…..luckily todayContinue reading “Anxiety”

Spring has sprung already in Queensland. The days are getting warmer and slightly longer. My mood shifted last week, the first sign was difficulty with falling asleep as the temperature starts to rise. I must admit I much rather the mild winters than hot summers. Medication plays havoc on my body and heats it up,Continue reading “The sun, moon and the sea”