Exhaustion after stopping lithium... how long does chronic fatigue last? At what point does it completely go away? Is it possible for it to persist for a lifetime? How can drugs as harmful to one’s health as Quilonorm—which can so massively destroy a person’s life—even be sold in the first place?

I’ve been buying a blister pack of Pregabalin now and then, but a month ago I bought a whole box. Ran through it quickly so I scored some Gabapentin to try to ease the withdrawals, then I buy a blister pack of Prega and eventually bought some Klonopin to survive the withdrawals and then off.

Do I need to be honest with my psychiatrist about this mess I’ve gotten myself in? I have really bad anxiety which citalopram
used to cover but I’ve been on it 10 years. I DESPERATELY need to calm my anxiety.
It’s constant.

With that said, feeling quite jolly on 300mg Pregabalin and 0,5mg Klonopin.

Anyone else getting warnings from Reddit for their Posts? My bipolar will have me responding to posts out of the ordinary. Then BLAM you get tagged by Reddit with a warning and then after that account restriction then banned. Anyone else having trouble controlling their posts when they are having mania attacks. I have to write slow and delete so much as I catch myself off the rails.

I have bipolar 1 and I am curious about the new olanzapine injection. The old one had a 3 hour waiting period due to post injection delirium/sedation syndrome which sort of took the convenience of having an injection away. The new one doesn’t have the same problem. Would you consider trying it, especially if you’ve had severe mania or psychosis? I’m also curious about the side effects and how it compares to other antipsychotic injections. What are your thoughts?

I have been on 150MG of Lamictal & 15MG of Buspirone for about a year. Recently, my manic episodes & intense rage/irritability, dissociation, and overall depression had gotten to the point where I could barely function and it was tough to even get through the day. I am a stay-at-home mom to a toddler and the overstimulation was drowning me. I have tried countless SSRI’s- Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Effexor. All of them caused me severe sexual dysfunction and other issues that I couldn’t really deal with.

My psychiatric nurse practitioner started me on 50MG of Seroquel two weeks ago. My first impressions were holy sh*t, 15 minutes after my dose and I am literally dead to the world. It has improved my sleep quality, but I cannot struggle to wake up that much. I have to be “ready to go” every day at 5:30am with my daughter. There is no time for a slow going wake-up routine. Here is the interesting part…

The first week of Seroquel I was a completely different person. Things no longer bothered me, I was completely unbothered, pleasant, and patient. I was amazed. My husband noticed a vast difference. I thought, finally. After the first week passed, I had a day where I just completely snapped. I basically had a mental breakdown. S*icidal ideations, extreme rage… you get the picture. My husband had to come home from work because I was losing it. It was like a full factory-reset out of nowhere. My psychiatric provider told me I needed to go to a partial-hospitalization program for what I was experiencing, which isn’t an option, unfortunately. Since that day I have been extremely lethargic, irritable, and just insufferable. I could sleep all day, everyday if it were an option.

What the hell is going on? I am so tired of feeling this way. I long to be stable, normal, and happy. Especially for my family, whom I love dearly, and they need me.

Thoughts? Thank you, everyone.

Problem with finding true love.

I have lived with bipolar disorder since I was 18—essentially my entire adult life—and it has been with me ever since I started dating and entering into relationships. I am 26 and half now.

My disease is untreated.

Every time I meet new men, they aren’t interested in me as a potential long-term partner; there’s always an ex they’re obsessed with, or some other "better" woman.

Why does this keep happening?

Is it because of my appearance?

I am a slim woman with an average-looking face (I’m not beautiful; I have an average face).

Does not having a pretty face mean I’m doomed to be alone for the rest of my life?

I feel like no one has ever truly loved me. At best, they just want to use my body for a while, or they treat me like a free therapist—crying to me about their exes.

I’m tired by it.

I don’t understand—what am I doing wrong?

My bipolar primarily manifests as dysphoric mania or mixed states, alternating with depression. Happy mania is quite rare for me.

Why am I so unlucky in love?

Is my face to blame—do men only want pretty girls?

On dating sites, I exclusively choose "average" men because my self-esteem is low, yet even they treat me poorly.

I try to avoid making prolonged eye contact with people; when I’m depressed, I feel like they’re judging my ugliness. When I’m in a manic state, I don’t want to scare them, as my gaze can be quite intense.

Do you also struggle to find luck in love, or is there something wrong with me?

Everyone is unsure as to what's exactly wrong (diagnosis) with me (therapist, psych). I eventually want to stop lamictal which i originally requested instead of my psychs suggestion of AP. I'm trying to look at this from every angle because it took a long time to get on and even everything out. I would hate to get off of it just to take forever to get back on or even risk it not working next time and needing something else. For reference, I have heard the terms "possibly early or mild". 2-3 hours of sleep, skyrocketed anxiety, unable to "mentally" and maybe physically (?) Sit still, paranoia, feeling watched or drugged but also aware that made no sense, hear things when attempting to or falling asleep as well as vivid disturbing images in my head (while awake also), mood all over the place, etc. Not looking for psychiatric advice, just want thoughts and views of other people who've experienced similar. In theory, if I feel like my normal self with dips in mood, like I was before all of that happened, could it indicate it could be in fact bipolar since I feel like my normal self? Or maybe that's just what a mood stabilizer would do to a normal person as well as one with bipolar? Not looking for diagnosis, psych advice, etc. Just thoughts and opinions.

ive been really down in the dumps recently and its been affecting my academic performance so bad how do i manage this

I absolutely HATE being bipolar. I hate feeling this way! I hate the shame, embarrassment, and all the other negative feelings that come with an episode when you realize what you have done. And I am medicated and medication compliant! I still had a really bad episode from Wednesday last week to Tuesday this week. I am STILL in a mixed episode.

I am crying all the time, sleeping 4-6 hours a night, I have so much energy my bones feel like they are vibrating, racing thoughts, intrusive thoughts, I am either talking too fast or too slow, I feel absolutely miserable.

I almost ruined my 10 year relationship, hell i can't even say 'almost', in actuality I probably did destroy it. Fuck paranoia. I was convinced he was going to break up with me, so I had to do it first. I just KNEW he was cheating. I just KNEW he was going to tear me down and watch me fall apart for his own sick enjoyment. So I had to do it first. Get to it before him. And guys, there was NO REASON for me to feel this way! He even invited me on his trip! I , me, said no. But it got twisted in my head. Hell a lot of our talking and texts I took and twisted.

I am overwhelmed with guilt, shame, and embarrassment. I worried a lot of our friends and scared the crap out of my SO. His fear is what somewhat bought me lucid. All I could think is: What have I done? Why am I ruining my life? I didn't even have a plan. Just pack up what I could, pack the cats and drive. Maybe to my parents for a week, before going wherever. My parents live in an RV. Less than 28 feet. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking.

I just hate this. I hate that its a cycle that it feels hard to break. I hate hurting the people who are close to me. I hate making them worry. I hate not being normal. I hate not having a normal life. I hate that I can't be the partner my SO deserves. I just hate it. And days like today in a stupid mixed episode? I feel so tired and rundown. That I deserve all the hate, the guilt, the shame, and embarrassment.

I was just diagnosed 5 years ago. It was suspected since I was a child/teen, but never officially diagnosed. Looking back, it was so obvious I had bipolar. I wish I could/would have gotten help then. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have fucked my life up so bad over the years. ALL my relationships have suffered, so has work and home.

I just want it to stop.

Anybody else feel completely, utterly misunderstood by everyone around them? I NEVER open up to people about my struggles with mental health, or atleast I don't reveal to them how serious it is or give them more than a self deprecating joke. The last year has been living hell for me. Everyday has been a battle. I tried talking to my boss today and baguely alluded to struggling mentally/ experiencing ""burnout"". He pretty much told me its the name of the game and everyone feels the way I do. It feels like a kick in the stomach. There's just no fucking way that everybody could feel this way. Unless I'm just weaker than everybody around me. Idk. Tough day.

Has anyone ever noticed increased suicidal thoughts or depression on Vraylar or Gabapentin (for me some slight crying and a lot of hopelessness) with an increase in dosage of either of these meds? Not seeking medical advice just experiences. I literally just had a doctor appointment last week or two weeks ago I think with my doctor increasing these but I might make another appointment sooner anyways. Certainly at the regular monthly frequency. I can handle thoughts ok usually but it’s worse than usual and a little troubling.

Is this a thing?

Im visiting psychiatrist tomorrow.

It got worse during last 7-10 days. Depression started 3 weeks ago.

Edit:

I think im going manic. Suddenly i again have the urge to laugh out loud at 3am WITH NO REASON in bed and im holding it in. I cannot sleep. Im tired but not extremely sleepy. Idk what is going on with me.

Is there anyone who’s stopped going to therapy after awhile? I’m kinda tired and bored of it and not wanting to do it anymore.

I haven’t had any attempts or ideations in a very long time, stabilized on a mood stabilizer and antidepressant, and having pretty “normal” days for the most part. I’m starting to dread going every week now, I’ve learned and practice all the coping skills I can do atp. It’s almost feeling like a waste of time.

Any opinions or experiences would be nice from anyone who’s stopped going. Also, how long has it been? Do you just go periodically for check ins? How often is that?

For the USA.

I got my first job and I’m feeling okay about it. I’m just worried that I could go into mania. I’m also afraid I’m in it because life is going good lol. But I’ve been working for this so it really could just be real change from all my therapy work.

What happens if you go through an episode and can’t work? I know you can file for FMLA or something but do they just fire you after you come back for whatever reason? Because my state is an at will state which allows employers to be protected if they fire someone.

Like my boyfriend filed for FMLA at a warehouse and when he came back they gave his job to someone else, made him work nights where he couldn’t compete with the Coke heads, so he had to quit.

I just can’t get fired from my first job. Thank you for advice.

Coming on here because I really need any advice, words of encouragement, or just straight up honesty. I've been diagnosed Bipolar 2, and I just feel like no matter what I do or what I try, whether it be therapy, medication, meditation, exercise, etc., that nothing ever feels like it's gonna get better in the long run. I don't understand how I'm going to live like this. I just can't imagine being successful in work, having a family, or maintaining a serious relationship, because I don't have a single close relationship in my life right now for one reason or another.

Even when things get better for periods of time, it feels like no matter what I always get back to the same point, like just an endless spiral that feels like it will never ever go away. I just want honesty, or words of advice, and I have truly no one else to talk to about this. Any type of reply or response is deeply appreciated.

I promised myself that if I ever made it out of this horrible episode, I would come back and share something positive.

I have schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and I recently went through the worst depressive episode of my life.

For three months, we tried medication after medication, and nothing seemed to work. I developed akathisia with every medication we tried, which made everything even more unbearable. After trying around seven different medications, I had completely lost hope. I was suicidal and genuinely couldn’t imagine ever feeling better again.

But then I started lithium, and everything changed!!!
My suicidal thoughts have almost completely disappeared, and for the first time in months, I can genuinely say that I’m happy to be alive. The psychotic symptoms of my illness have also improved tremendously thanks to quetiapine.

I never thought I would feel this good again, especially after everything I’ve been through.
So, if you’re struggling right now, if you’ve tried countless medications and feel like nothing will ever work, please don’t lose hope. Sometimes it takes a long time to find the right treatment, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

I know how hopeless things can feel, and I just wanted to share my experience to remind someone out there that things really can get better.

Good luck to everyone fighting this illness. It absolutely sucks, but there is still hope. ❤️

after a hiccup with insurance (just a PA issue, all good now), i'm finally officially on vraylar after trying out the samples the dr gave me for 2w. saved me from my roughly tri-monthly manic episode which frankly has been life and job-saving. the only bad thing i've noticed is that i've been eating like a motherfucker.

every time i get the craving to eat when i know i shouldn't be eating (meals won't be skipped, don't worry), i just pop a stick of gum in and it seems to offset the craving. will i have to do this the entire time i'm on this medication? i went through a whole pack the other day just trying not to eat :') how do you guys avoid WG on vraylar?

when I was 20 I had my first episode and my life has been on stand still every time I found the energy to get medicated it would quickly leave me and i lost motivation to even pursue anything better because i didn't believe i really had this im now. 25 and realize i have to be medicated my whole life and im at peace with that. Yesterday i finally got lithium carbonate 300mg to start off with, I had a episode 2 days ago. i took it last night and woke up and feel a difference i could never achieve on my own. My dosage will probably increase overtime but honestly i have hope again and feel more stable I haven't felt like this really since I was 19. I posted on here and said I was gonna get in lithium and finally heal at the being of this year and through all of my episodes and maniac nights, even psychosis i did it! it's possible to heal stop beating yourself up💯

Basically, ive been having terrible mood swings, days of feeling terribly angry, depressed and worthless and starting to think that I may have bipolar. What/who made you get checked or how did you come to learn you had bipolar?

I used to take the shot but I’ve been exploring not taking it the past few months with guidance.

The issue is I’m very emotional the week leading up to my period, but I am feeling overall maybe more level the other weeks off the birth control.

So here's something that has bothered me ever since I was forced into the hospital for baselessly claiming that I would be the man who would save the world. (I still claim it's aspirational and therefore unfalsifiable until true and therefore not delusional, but anyway...)

Many wealthy and successful people claim (and I've witnessed that behavior in my own parents) that they got to where they were at by working 22 hours a day for weeks on end.

It's claimed that bipolar is as much a sleep disorder as anything and I can understand why and I personally think that it's pretty obvious that there are people in positions of way too much power that seem to regularly engage in behavior that could be construed as manic.

I guess my question is... do you think bipolar (and other serious mental disorders that operate similarly) are massively undiagnosed?

How do you measure sanity in an insane world?

thought i was mixed i was i think still am but took klonopin and its not doing what i thought like my head is still going but my body isnt ??
i was in the kitchen and then i was here and i woke up but i wasnt asleep so i dont know when i got here or why i was there
i took some and then i think i took it again but i cant rember if i did or if i was just thinking about doing it before. Im just trying to get help.
im so tired im going to pass out i think but im racing still and i cant stop the thinking but i cant think either its like im running but im not moving

sorry i cant get the words in the right thing like i know what im saying before i say it and then its not that
is this about the klonopin or the bipolar i think i took a fine snoumt but ofc im scared a little
i was just awake and then i woke up agian

I went for my lithium and kidney testing today, and my kidney functioning is way down. I also have a higher lithium level, indicating that my kidneys aren't clearing it as efficiently.

I am so frustrated. I finally got a medication regimen that works for me and things are going wrong already.