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…..I just don’t get hungry. I have tried eating 3 times a day and have never felt so uncomfortable and my weight increased dramatically.
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. Sunglasses on a bright sunny day is a must.
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 means of conversing was via writing.
I was basically “off with the fairies” caught in some sort of mental blockage.
It felt like my mind was full. I was unable to take in any more information. My brain felt overloaded. I was totally exhausted, with body aches and pains.
I had what is called a psychosis which I will discuss further another day. Seeing things, hearing things – I had lost the plot completely.
I went incorrectly diagnosed and medicated for 15 years before being finally told I had bipolar and quickly medicated correctly and finally on the road to recovery and knowing what was wrong with me was the battle half won already.
Not before being hospitalised on about 4 occasions during that time. Life was tough.
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 so much variety of locally grown foods. Seafood is also very good. Basically a well rounded diet should form part of your everyday living.
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 every 9 weeks. He has taught me so much over the years, that I am now able to adjust my medications myself when things change. Basically now we have catch up visits and general chat about how I have been and what adjustments I have made.
I have learnt so much about the disorder, medications. He has me on the lowest of doses which allows me to function well on a daily basis, without me being a walking zombie, and I am lucky enough to respond really well when rebalancing my mood swings.
L
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 any other person who has an illness, like diabetics for example. Meds are there to help you, not hinder you. You will no doubt have some side affects but you need to way up the option of what is best, and I choose to remain and have a “clear head”.
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 all that is required to rebalance your system.
Moon Mind Balance