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6726276 tn?1421126668

Have you Self Medicated ?

In order to get more manic,have you self medicated with opioids ?
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6726276 tn?1421126668
Honesty is the best policy. Just like Grandpa said!
Learning new social skills & energy skills & balance,Wow. Better keep my eye on the prize & like Larry said,take Baby Steps !
Your posts mean a lot. Thanks Weaver!
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Avatar universal
Seaside, I can only tell you how I would deal with the coming situation. I would express my stress and potential depression with some of my guest/friends. I would ask for help in specific areas of preparing and sustaining the event. Sharing the burden helps me cope. I had to do these sorts of things in early opiate recovery. I was scared, embarrassed, frustrated with myself, but I had to get honest to get sober. Opiates are living hell, especially for me and my bipolar mind. I told my neighbors about my addiction and MI. I talked to friends about it. I thought I would be judged, but I am still the person they have always known, just some things make more sense to them now. The reduced pressure and support I know is always there has made it so much easier for me. Isolating comes natural, for addicts and bipolar, but that tendency is the single most destructive part of my life. I decided that anyone who can't accept me how I am, can hit the highway. I was surprised that nobody dropped me, actually, people liked my honesty so much that I feel closer to people than ever. Not sure if my experience applies, but that is what it took for me to get off opiates as a bipolar.
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6726276 tn?1421126668
Thanks A. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for caring!
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Avatar universal
It might not work for you, but pretending/acting the part of what you think the perfect hostess should be might help.  One suggestion I've received for nervousness when calling someone else you don't know (like customer service) is to pretend to yourself that you're someone else.  If you think your hostess skills on the norco were good, remember how that person (your former self) acted and then try to imitate it, even if you aren't actually feeling it.  Sometimes acting the part can even change your feelings.

Again, no guarantees, just a suggestion.  Congrats on your tapering down so far.
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1096512 tn?1384889778
http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/the-publication/past-issue-single-view/opioid-use-could-cause-mania/0e8afa0b115d26de65e35849bec3b7f5.html

http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=103202

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1096512 tn?1384889778
I never tried opioids myself because I have seen people who got into worse situations being a drug edict.But to deal with such cases,I most of times think like a maniac to understand to get hold of situation as if I am trying to communicate with them.Being an amateur,most of the times I get back home with different thoughts rushing in my mind(Flight of ideas-the most common symptom in identifying mania),sometimes I have hurt my dearest people.That night would be a nightmare in my family and they leave me alone as they know I am under a lot of stress from work.Later while dining or getting before bed I apologize all of them by making a call or talking to them in private.My family supports me all the time because they know what I am going through.But anyhow because of my cultural background and family set up,I never felt the requirement of drugs to help me be more maniac.I follow ethics :).My teachers always helped me how to come out of stress in such situations.And this forum also helped me a lot to change my attitude on how to talk with people when you do not see them.I am learning.Thanks for everyone's support.
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6726276 tn?1421126668
Hi. I'm the person who posed the question. My fellow BiPolar fighters do know exactly what this is about. I too am completely honest here,or no one would be able to help & support me.
  Because I'm tapering off opioids,I will never have them again. Also I will never go above today's 30 mg top on my taper chart.  That dose is far too low to trigger me up. I've been a 3 1/2 ( DBSA scale1-10) so I'm on the depressive side of BP. One of my coping methods, when I was getting ready to entertain used to be to go up to 100-150mg Norco.
  People are coming next week & I've got to find the skills to be a good hostess.    Didn't intend to ask this question for any other reason. This is a
Forum for BIPOLARS, after all.  Thanks for understanding. Pamela
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Avatar universal
I think you're having some translation issues.  Again, being a maniac is different from having a manic episode.  And being a maniac is never seen as a good thing.

A doctor should ideally be passionate about their job and hardworking, but not manic or maniacal.  
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1096512 tn?1384889778
Thanks for commenting.I appreciate your concern.I was just trying not to give an idea for anyone to try these medications.Since we are all human beings,and its in our nature to exploit or explore our world,depending on motive,I just generalized my comment.Though patently it is a false statement that every one will have a maniac episode in their life time,considering the hair line differentiation between medical definitions and true English meanings,I made such comment.People being admitted into hospitals due to drug addiction or being locked in jail for crime,have serious ill fated history.
However my psychiatry professor suggested me not to see patients as patients and criminals as criminals because it is a part of our job to deal with only body.He also generalized that Medical health professionals should be Healthy Maniacs which helps them in their profession.Doctors are Actors(Do not take these statements,because they do not mean what it means to general public). When we make ourselves into the shoes of the subject,it helps us to concentrate on the main problem and sort a solution.Being a Roman in Rome.Feeling the pain a patient,analyzing a crime scene and predict the next step of a criminal.All such aptitudes help professionals to solve mysteries.So that is the reason I am a Maniac and mostly Bipolar in a broad sense.
I keep my identity open in this community because it is what I am.I am not a criminal,HaHaHa!
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Avatar universal
Because I know of your story, I think I get what you are asking. Short answer, absolutely. I became dependent on manic episodes and tried to keep them going as long as possible. Opiates helped me do that, but as you know, then I paid for opiate and bipolar consequences. Near death experiences being the most extreme. Opiates also made my lows last longer and more severe. As tolerance built, opiates triggered more depression. Drugs also tired me out, so the mania became harder to maintain. What a horrible idea that was in retrospect. 507 days clean and I feel way better than during opiates or before. As for the first response above, I have nothing to hide. Recovery has helped me be honest and avoid games. I pay my consequences and welcome them now, that is the very thing that keeps me honest. Take me, leave me, even judge me if you need to, it all makes me stronger in all honesty.
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Avatar universal
CRSeaside was talking about mania/manIC episodes, not being a manIAC.  Most people who go manic do it by themselves without drugs, but certain drugs can trigger an episode, including opiates, and some people with bipolar chase the euphoria of their manias.  You'd be surprised what people will admit to here, since plenty of people keep anonymous and don't use any identifying info (like yours truly).  

It is patently false that everyone will have a manic episode in their lifetime.  The entire human race is not bipolar.

CRSeaside, if you're thinking of trying this, it's a BAD IDEA.  Depending on how manic you get, you are courting some life-ruining or ending situations, including drug addiction, financial ruin, jail, etc. (again, depending on what your mania looks like).  
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1096512 tn?1384889778
As a matter of fact every one enjoys maniac episodes at least once in their life time.Euphoria,ecstasy,suicidal tendency, psychopathic, kleptomania, perversions, crime, exhibitionism or at least attaining climax during sexual intercourse,list goes on like this,refers to maniac episodes.Someone really need not take help of opioids to be a maniac.
English dictionary defines A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something is a maniac.But these days maniacs are often referred to as public nuisance,in a negative way.Because most of them are drug addicts.I have known,seen people who were never under the influence of drugs to be maniacs.
I have never tried opiods myself but tried myself being a healthy maniac during my classes of psychiatry and forensic medicine in medical school.
Please donot ask such open questions in an open forum like this because no one will tell the truth fearing the negative impression that leaves their profession in danger.
How many Doctors smoke?How many Doctors drink?How many patients died in that hospital every year?How many people drink and d(ie)rive?How many people committed crimes?How many people lie?How many people are honest?How many people have to slept with?How many people have you troubled?Such questions the society gives you the answers by itself.

No offense to all the participants in these forums.We have insight and order of guilt.So we correct our mistakes and move on.Thumbs up if you tried it.
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