Susan’s story
I’m female and 26…been diagnosed bi-polar since I was 17, There were a lot of tests. The end result of all that? I have bipolar with some psychotic features. I can have visual and auditory hallucinations without medication. I also have severe ocd, acute paranoia and dellusions of grandeur.
If I don’t take my meds, I can be a real b**ch, whether I am on the upside or the downside. I am kind of an oddity for my doctor though, because I don’t cycle very often, and I pretty much stay hypomanic all the time regardless of the med levels. Currently I am taking 2000mg of Depekote ER, 200mg of Topamax, 200mg of Lamictal, 750mg of Serequel, and 100mg of Trasydone a day. It keeps me pretty level but no matter what the dosages are, I won’t ever really be closer to what they consider the “normal” range. When I do go through a cycle, it doesn’t usually last long for me, but it is pretty bad. I won’t get out of bed for weeks, and if I do, I won’t change out of my pjs, I have to be reminded to shower, to eat, to do just about anything, because when I’m on the downside I just don’t care.
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