#bipolar tips

[bipolarinitiative]

PSA: Prednisone can cause mood swings!

I’ve never seen a post about this so I figured I’d make my own to spread awareness. Prednisone, as well as steroids in general, can cause mood swings and psychotic breaks in even neurotypical people! I speak from experience - the only time I’ve ever been hospitalized because of mania was when I was on a round of prednisone because of a nasty lung infection. I’m bipolar 2 and had NEVER had such a bad break from reality - I was convinced I was dying and my kidneys were shutting down for no reason (that’s what watching too much chubbyemu gets you I guess lol). Anyways, besides the lapse in reasoning I experienced true racing thoughts as well as both psychomotor impairment and hypersensitivity. I’ve never been so miserable before in my life! 

I understand and respect that prednisone and other steroids serve an important medical purpose, but I feel like the link between psychotic breaks and steroids is often underplayed or overlooked. My GP was fully aware that I was bipolar and still prescribed it to me, and I suffered the consequences. I’m not making this post to demonize the medication or those who prescribe it or to needlessly fear-monger, but I wanted to raise awareness so that hopefully no one else goes through what I did. If you have a history of severe mental illness I highly recommend you talk to your doctor about the possibility of having an adverse reaction if they ever wish to prescribe you prednisone or any other steroid.

Please reblog and spread the word!

[mrbrrop]

Heyo, little advice for my fellow autistic bipolars, that I personally find useful :

If you need to use a mood tracker but can't stick to them because the moods are too unspecific and it takes you forever to figure if this is a "good" "fine" "bad" or "very bad" day,

Find an app where you can modify the moods and here's how I determine what mood I fall into :

• Worst : suicidal (actively making plans to commit)

• Strongly disabled : I can't attend to my basic needs : can't get out of bed, make myself food, shower etc..

• Moderately disabled : I can't attend to my responsibility or superficial needs : can't do work, go to school, go outisde, take care of others

• Negative coping : I can attend to my own needs and my everyday responsibilities but I need to heavily rely on negative coping mechanisms : smoking, self-harming, taking drugs etc..

• Bad Day : I can attend to my needs and responsibilities without relying on negative coping mechanisms, but I still have negative thoughts about myself and generally feel negative emotions such as sadness or anger for extended periods of time throughout the day

• Fine : I can attend to my own needs and responsibilities without negative coping mechanisms, and I feel neutral to midly positive about myself

• Best : Good : Fine + I feel good about myself, negative emotions might come and go but I feel overhaul positive about my day and I willingly engaged in social activities such as seeing my friends, playing a game with acquaintances, etc..

• Hypomania : (you probably already know and obviously feel free to adjust this to you're own symptoms) I may feel superior to others; I'm may be irritable; I engage in impulsive behaviour, such as spending a consequential amount of money recklessly, or doing dangerous actions without thinking the consequences through; I speak unusually fast, I can't stop thinking and any thought I form is cut short by a new one; I started a big project without actually thinking the project and the resources needed through; I feel extremely aroused and feel a hightened need for sex compared to how I usally do etc etc... Hypomania symptoms yk

(You can add Mania, of course, I don't cause I have bipolar 2, but feel free)

Making an observable scale has really helped me actually stick to marking down my moods consistently, I personally also put down if I've taken my meds, separating forgetting to take them and purposefully not taking them

Also added sleep amounts, and what time I fell asleep

Anyways, here was my little tip for a quite specific demographic, but still :)

[bipolarchick79]