WELCOME ALL

[bernie40]

Hi and welcome to the Bipolar Disorder forum.  Whether you are newly diagnosed or been living with this disorder for some time, or maybe you are living with someone who has the disorder - all of you are welcome.  This forum is a great place to meet people who are living with BP.  You will find support and kindness in abundance.  We offer our support by sharing our own experiences with each other, whether that be about the condition itself, its impact on loved ones, medications we have been prescribed etc.  All we ask is that you remain respectful of your fellow members, even if there is a difference of opinion good manners cost nothing and it is because of our respect for each other that this forum runs so well.

None of us are medical professionals and we advise that any queries relating to medication are also raised with your health care provider.  We can certainly tell you of our own experiences but you must NEVER stop taking your medication without consulting your health care provider.  Neither do any of us advocate the use of illegal drugs and we request that nobody posts a thread relating to the use of illegal drugs over those of prescription medication as these will be removed.

Bipolar is such a complex disorder/illness that as well as consulting the MedHelp health pages or posting on the Expert forum there are many information websites that can help.  

This link will take you directly to the healthpage which lists a few of the more popular websites :  "Useful Bipolar & Depression Webisties" -

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Mental%20Health/Useful-Bipolar--Depression-Webisites/show/523?cid=105

You are advised to never put your private e-mail address, telephone number etc on an open forum and advise caution if you decide to give these out via your PM facility (private message facility).

Please take a moment to read the numbered paragraphs below which will help you navigate your way around the forum a lot easier.

We're so glad you have found us here and really look forward to getting to know you better.

Bulldozer (Helen)
Community Leader
and on behalf of all our current members



1)  Be sure to check out the "Health Pages."  The link is in the upper right hand corner of your screen.  “Health Pages” address topics relevant to bipolar disorder.  Among the pages is list of common bipolar acronyms, a great resource!

2)  Please join the community.  Once you have had a chance to look around, why not create a profile and tell us a little about yourself?  Your profile can be as simple or as complex as you like.  In any event, you will meet people from around the globe!  You will have the opportunity to learn from others who share your concerns.

3)  Consider posting on a current thread or staring one of your own.  Don’t worry - you’ll get the hang of it very quickly.  You’ll find that you will want to come back often to check up on your new friends.  If you’ve got something on your mind, please don’t be shy.  There are no dumb questions and we are all here to learn.

4)  Get acquainted with other members.  There are several ways to “Add a friend” but one of the easiest is to scroll over the member’s name and click on “Add a friend”.

5)  The Mood and Sleep trackers.  You can add these to your profile by clicking on "My MedHelp" (top) and then click on "Trackers".  Follow the steps to add the tracker and begin using it today!  Keeping track of your mood and/or sleep is a great start to managing your mental health!!  There are other trackers that may be relevant to you - there is no limit to how many you can have.

6)  Consider keeping a journal.  Your journal can be private, public, or available only to those people you have added as a friend.  Journals are a great way to share your story, frustrations, experiences, history, etc.  You will probably find there are others who can relate to your story.

7)  Want to speak privately to another member?  Send a private message (PM) by scrolling over the member’s name and clicking on “Send Message”.

8)  Only have a minute and want to welcome a member, or send good luck wishes?  Scroll over the member’s name and click on “send a note.”  Unlike PMs, everyone can view “Notes”.

9)  Once you’ve created a profile, click on “My MedHelp” (indicated by a little red heart at the top of your screen) and check out the many great features and setting options.