Posted by karen_kay on May 16, 2004, at 20:47:14
In reply to Any other new members with same/similar diagnoses?, posted by Caper on May 15, 2004, at 2:04:22
hello caper, i'm karen. i'm not very new, as i've been posting since september, but i wanted to welcome you to babble. i really hope you enjoy it here as much i as i do. i know that babble has really helped me to keep my moods stable (with meds of course) and the support and information is so helpful.
i'm really happy you decided to post. and please don't feel that you should only post here, on the newbies' board. there are plenty of other people on other boards that would love to hear your input and knowledge as well.
about your question, i'm dx bipolar I and also ptsd (as well as some other dx too). i know that before i was on proper meds (or even dx with bipolar disorder) i was put on several antidepressants that just weren't working for me. and while going through that 2 year struggle, i developed a quite nasty pill habit. i know it's quite common to self medicate when you aren't on the proper meds, or just not feeling well. and i think if you post this on social, you'll find many others who have done the same thing. (remember that only newbies and greeters can respond here, so if you'd like to get more answers, you can always post on a different board, where others are able to post)
my ptsd wasn't caused by my 'pill problem', as it stemmed from my childhood, but please don't beat yourself up for something that happened. it wasn't stupid to think that alcohol could take away bad thoughts without consequences. you were in pain, and tried to find a solution, and that's very common, i promise!
as for medication, i've been on topamax for almost a year and i call it my prince charming med. it works for me, but of course it may not work for you. and the funny thing is, i talked to my doctor aobut it when lithium wasn't working (the second time i tried it) and i read about it on babble. he said it was highly unlikely it would work, but that's what i take and it does work! however, when i stop taking it (as i had to do because of my screwy insurance) i did become depressed. but, i also had some other factors going on too. but, once i started it again, and at a higher dose, my depression went away! (knock on wood)
and i've been in therapy with my current therapist for a little over a year now. he recently (maybe a month or two ago) switched me to group (which i HATE!!) instead of individual sessions. therapy (cbt is what he does) has been a very important part in my ongoing recovery. it's funny to read some of my posts when i first started posting here, compared to now. i can honestly see the ways in which i've changed, and that's a huge reward for me. and mostly what we've worked on is uncovering past childhood trauma that i didn't even realize happened, which ultimately caused me to have memory loss today and severe anxiety. plus, i've worked very hard to love myself. and i honestly do.
so, if you want some more responses (other than just me, a few other 'oldies' and newbies) you can post on psycho-babble psychology, which is about therapy. you should get some hits there. or, if you have questions about certain medications in particular, you can post to psycho-babble (just plain psycho-babble), and there are a whole lot of knowledgable people over there too!
and, of course, i'll keep an eye out over here and keep chatting with you too :) again, i'm glad you stopped by, and i hope to see you soon!
poster:karen_kay
thread:347035
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20040420/msgs/347578.html