Answers??!

[Mstrube]

I'm just now finding out that i have been having my first manic episodes. It is causing me to loose my house now because of the splurging. My husband is understanding, bc my doctor explained to him what i was doing and that it was part of my disorder. I'm really scared this will continue and didn't even realize until now, it may also be too late, that i was doing this. With a few simple answers to my docs questions he diagnosed it and then explained to me that he needed to change my meds to Seroquel XR. Is there anything out there that can help me in my situation??! I would love to be able to keep my house, I just recently had a baby and thats part of what triggered this. I know i need to get this under control b4 anything else goes wrong!!!!! My doctor says i'm on overload, and that scares me too. I also need more answers on my newfound part of my disorder please!! So that me and my husband can watch out for anything new or figure out anything old. Thank you!

[Alex_X_18]

the first manic episodes always seem to be the worst only because it is hard to figure out what is going on.....
if I have any advice its that with bipolar you need to be organised
keep a calendar and a jounal as well as lists and reminders with all the stuff that you need to get done
goals dates passwords because it can be easy to loose things espically when you are manic.
   Also journaling about your moods can be a huge help because it can help you relaise when you are becoming manic or depressed.
Be sure to take your meds at the same time every night to help prevent futher manic episodes I set an alarm for my medications its really a good idea when you have bp.
    It can be hard to deal with this so suddenly alot of times its a shock
to both the person being diagnosed and the surrounding family members
but this is a really good website it helps to know that you are not alone

[zzzmykids]

Dear Mstrube,
I am sorry for all that you are going through.  I will say with all the others first your health is important, then balance and then stability.
I used to overspend, I haven't fallen off the wagon in almost twenty years..maybe once or twice.
Manic can also come in the form of anger to rage or sexual oddities or really out on a limb, these are harder for a hubby to forgive than money loss.
To keep from overspending, I cut up all my cards, do not have access to the checkbook, though my name is still on it, I started with the envelope system, car/gas, kids/necessities, grocery/dinner out, extra for fun with friends...healthy fun and so on.  Then I went to the grocery, dept store and got their cards to use at their places and then dinner out cards and movie cards.  
A little over ten years I was diagnosed.  I already had in place a supportive women's group, the money issue was being handled by hubby and me.  And my true friends let me know if they think I am manic or spending too much time in bed.
The house, I am sorry about that.  I am happy about you having a baby and that your Hubby is forgiving.
Don't beat yourself up this is a bizarre disorder and because we look so Normal, people sometimes don't want to excuse the  behaviors.
Nami, local philanthrapist group, church, salvation army or Tye P. Extreme makeover might want to help....they just did a house down the street.
Mstrube, we are smarter, more resiliant, more creative and more resourceful than any other group of people. Take the anvill off around your neck, breathe fresh the air around you, nurture your baby and husband and most importantly, nurture the real you, the one without tags.
Sincerely,
zzzmykids

[ings81]

I lost everything cos of this bloody illness but noone explained to my hubby why i was doing things that i wouldn't normally do. sorry having a **** day good luck and hang in there. I splurge all the time too i know how you feel. Seroquel will sedate you so make sure you have help at night with your baby. I just stopped taking seroquel cos i was to out of it and was worried i wouldn't hear the kids I have 2 yr old twins and i am on my own. Good luck hang in there

[farraway]

All very good advice above....
Just to add some comments:-

Nothing is more important than your health.

Try and get an educated and understanding team around you.

Financial problems can be addressed later - health is first!

It's not your fault! - go easy on yourself.

[ILADVOCATE]

I would have a meeting with your psychiatrist and husband together to ask about coping solutions. Obviously bipolar is a life time diagnosis but also the psychiatrist should be able to explain whether the moodswings will lessen in time. When I was in the psych. hospital in 1991 (long before my curent recovery) starting on medication a woman came there who was having extreme moodswings who had just had a baby and she was stabilized on medication in a short term. Its not uncommon for events like this which change the hormonal balance to temporarily worsen bipolar though medication is usually needed for life. Its a matter of how long it will last and what the psychiatrist thinks is the best course of action. Talk therapy and support groups such as NAMI are good as well.

[bastet56]

I understand how you feel, as do most of us, if you can return what you bought, do it or have your hubby do it, I've had to do that before. Get help with the baby, either a grandparent, sibling or friend to get the pressure off and to help you so that you are not overwhelmed. There are mood stabilizers that your dr can prescibe, and once you can sit and read, read everything that you can about BP. Educate yourself as best you can. Learn to watch out for the signs of trouble to come, either ups or downs. Don't be hard on yourself if you get caught off guard. I still do and have had BP for decades. Use this site and post when you need to talk. Good luck to you and your family.

[bernie40]

Hi, welcome to the site and I'm so sorry you're going through this.  I also went manic after the birth of my first child - it was the anti-depressants for the PPD that did it!!!  Enough about me.

If you click on the "Health Pages" link at the top right of this page you will see a listing for "useful websites".  Make use of these to learn as much as you can about the illness.  You will find yourself doing an awful lot of reading now.

The seroquel should help calm your mind and bring you down from your mania.  It is important that you maintain your medication.  Never come off your medication without supervision from a Dr.  You will need medication now in order to remain stable.  It is tempting to stop taking it when you start to feel better - trust me we've all been there and done that.  Sadly you will have another episode if you do.  It may take a few weeks it may even take months or years - but it will happen and more than likely worse than the time before.

I'm not trying to scare you I'm just wanting to get across how important managing your medication is.  A healthy diet, proper routine, good sleep routine (probably difficult with a baby) and exercise - these are also important in maintaining your wellness.

This probably all sounds like an awful lot to take in so take it one step at a time.  It sounds like you have a really supportive husband, so maybe the 2 of you together can read through the information.

On here we a have a mood tracker.  It would be a good habit to get into to start tracking your moods on a daily basis as you will find this useful, especially when seeing your Doc.

There are lots of books out there also, however to start with I think you'll find the list of websites a good place to start.

Overspending is something that is also relatively common, hand over all your debit and credit cards to your husband for the foreseeable future.  I know this seems hard but it's the only way to avoid another "big spend".  Your husband needs to be strong about not giving in to you on this.

Good luck and ask any questions you need.

:-)