Can yea have a normal life with bipolar?

Question

iam working shift work in intel and iam all stressed out is shift work making it worse or is it the cause

Answer 1

Bipolar Disorder:
Living a Healthy Life With Bipolar Disorder

In addition to seeing your doctor and therapist and taking your bipolar medication, there's a lot you can do to take charge of your health. Here are some suggestions.

Exercise. Studies show that regular exercise can help improve mood. It can also help you sleep better. Talk to your health care provider about what kind of exercise routine you should try. Start slowly. Take walks around the neighborhood with a friend. Gradually, work up to exercising on most days of the week.
Eat a healthy diet. No, there isn't a miracle diet for bipolar disorder. But a good meal plan can help you feel better and give you the nutrients you need. Avoid fad diets that force you to cut out food groups. Instead, focus on the basics: Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains, and less fat and sugar.
Get a good night's sleep. Being overtired can trigger mania in many people. So get into good sleep habits. Go to sleep and get up at the same times every day. Relax before bed by listening to soothing music, reading, or taking a bath. Don't sit up in bed watching TV. In fact, experts recommend you make your bedroom a calming space, and only use it for sleep and sex.
Relax. Anxiety can trigger mood episodes in many people. So make a real effort to relax. Lying on the couch watching TV isn't enough. Instead, try something more focused, like yoga or meditation.
Reduce stress at home and at work. Ask for help with some of the stressful things in your life. See if your spouse, family, or friends will take care of some of the housework and other hassles. If your job is proving to be too much, think about ways of scaling back some of your responsibilities. Do what you can to simplify your life and make it easier.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and drugs. Caffeine is a stimulant, which can keep you up at night and possibly exacerbate your mood. So cut back -- or cut out -- soda, coffee, and tea. Alcohol and drugs can affect how your medications work. They can also worsen your condition and possibly trigger a mood episode.
Get onto a schedule. Many people with bipolar disorder find that sticking to a daily schedule can help control their mood. Incorporate all of these things -- exercise, healthy meals, relaxation, and sleep -- into a pattern that you more or less stick to every day.

Answer 2

You can live a normal life with bipolar if you learn about the disorfer, work with a mental health professional for medication and understand about the highIt s and lows. I have mostly depression with as little manic. I used to think that I just felt good when I was manic. I can now recognize that and know that what goes up must come down and prepare for that so the lows aren't so low. Hope this helps. It is a chemical embalance within the brain and can become better with the right medication.

Answer 3

Are you sure that you are "bipolar" or are you just suffering from work related stress, that is the question.I was under a lot of pressure when I worked in the electronics industry and I was glad to get out.Have you thought of changing careers?.I know of at least two other engineers who have left after years of it.

Answer 4

Yes you most certainly can. The key things are always take your meds - be kind to yourself and don't take on too much or something that will stress you out and make you unwell - take some exercise if you can and get a good support network be it professionals eg GP, Consultant, CPN, friends family etc.

Answer 5

do not try to do shift work very bad it is hard enough to get on a regular schedule I am bi polar and I had a terrible time trying to work 9 to 5.

Answer 6

"usual" is so over-rated. somebody as quickly as advised me that persons are only like rocks; basic and uninteresting. yet, some get tumbled approximately, worn down, scoured by skill of the abrasive debris of existence, and come out shining, like gemstones.

Answer 7

this is probably caused by a heavy metal overload in the system or a fungal toxicity or both. diet and oral chelation and detox can/may do wonders.do research you,ll learn a lot to help yourself.

Answer 8

Hi

I have worked in mental health for many years now and have organised and supported user support groups.

This is an area of mental health which has many varied opinions, There are many theories as to cause and as to the possible ways of managing and even cure.

Like so many problems in mental health there is not a single 'form' of the condition and it affects people in different way. As a consequence different things work for different people.

There are variations in the degree to which people are affected by the condition (or disorder) and variations as to what is the best way to treat, or manage it.

Recognising this isimportant because the impression is, even from many professionls, that the problems is 'outside' yourself and that it is a condition treatable only by medicin.

All mental health conditions can be significantly improved by improved diet and by other 'lifestyle' changes. What ever weekness we may have in our mental makeup (and we all have them) we often learn to live with them and adjust to them in some way.

There is often and external trigger that set off the problem that has been there for some time, or that has always been there. Undrstanding this and better still, identifying these triggers can help understand how to bring the problem back into some level of personal management.

Basically, if the situation was under control at some earlier point, then understanding the mechanism(s) that trigger the original onset of the problem, or that acts as a stumulus for the repeated presentations of the problem, can go a long way to bringing the problem back under your control.

You may have had the difficulty for some time and are unable to identify this mechanism / causation. That is a shame, but rest assured that there was such a trigger, and understanding this and gaining confidence in the fact that you were able to manage the early onset will help you reduce the effects of the condition over time.

If you believe something is entirely beyond your control you will effectively give yourself up to its effects. Professionals, who only have a partial understanding of the causation and methods on=f management, may give the impression that medication is the only route.

There are some good medical treatments now but some are still quite toxic. People respond differently and with different efficasy, to these various treatment. These can, however, get you to a point where you feel you are in charge of you life again and should be considered as an aid to recovery.

They should never be seen as the end in themselves. Taking charge of your life and adjusting your activities can also assist the conditionand reduce your reliability upon the medications.

There are some lifestyles that 'feed' the problem, there are others that ameliorate the problem. there are some other 'normal' lifestyles that magnify theproblem and still others that are compatible with the underlying problem.

Once you feel that you have come to terms with the fact that you have a problem which affects your life in ways that you wish to elliminate, you are quite a long way towards resolving the problem with reduced dependency on medications.

Dont reject the use of medications out of hand. That is like refusing pain relief when it has reached the stage where you are not able to bear it and are unable to do anything useful or pleasent.

On the other hand don't just allow yourself to be fobbed off with the Doctors favourit remedy. Negotioate with your Doctor, even if this irritates him. His job is to find the best 'fit' for you. You are an important part of the resolution. He should not exlude your wishes concerns, or proferences.

If you find that lifestyle changes are reducing the frequency and intensity of the problem then negotiate with the Doctor once more for a change or reduction in the medication.

Never go it alone. Withdrawing from medications (even partial withdrawl) can have effects and these are sometimes exagerated 'symptoms' that are similar to thoseof the original condition.

Your body will 'adjust to the presence of medication, withdrawing from it 'will' produce counter reactions. Believe me. make changes slowly with and intelligent dialogue with the Doctor. Take his advice and politely question his knowledge and experience.

Make your decision about what treatments you will accept and accept responsibility for that choice, either way. In doing this you retain control over your life. The treatment is not being done 'too' you but 'with' you.

By taking this approach, developing insight into your problem and anticipating what and when circumstances influence mood and the progress of the condition and its treatment, you will be able to confidently manage your life to the point where medical imput is minimised or eliminated all together.

I have seen this in many instances but it is not always possible. It can be hard work and take some time. In the meanwhile you may get the balance wrong and have recurrences of the condition that are out of your control. Recognise this when you are grounded and stable. Insight at times is posible, insight during and 'episode' of the condition can be virtually impossible.

Doctors will often say that 'insight' into a serious mental health condition is not possible. This is not true. it is more true to say that insight during an 'episode' of the condition is almost impossible for some (if not many) people.

Insight into your problem, when it is under some measure of control 'is' possible and the most important part of 'solving' the problem in some way.

This is insight is extremely valuable. It will allow you to identify the 'precursors' to the episodes, where these exist (and they usually do). This done, it its then possile to take evasive, or premptive action, including medication, if this is your choice.

The reasons that some in the medical profession do not see these 'management' strategies is because they are not looking for them. They believe they are dealing with and 'incurable' medical condition.

In those instances where they do see clear evidence of and apparent 'recovery' they then assume there was a misdiagnosis in the first instance, so the 'evidence' become invalid. You didnt have the condition in the first place.

How successful you are in overcomming, or amelirorating the problem, one thing is for certain. If you feel that you have an influence in your treatment and are able to develop some insight into yourself and the solution to the problems, you will do better on less intervention from medication.

Olso try to avoid the common mistake that people and doctors make. Reduction of sympoms and negaive experiences and not always gained by 'reducing' life stress levels. Sometime people (often with advice) reduce the level of responsibility, or demands, of their work and lifestile.

In the short term this is often good advice anyway. When we are ditressed by any condition, a reduction of stess and demands if often helpful to aid initial recovery. In the longer term though to 'low' stress and demand can also have a negative effect.

To live good, ballanced lifestles we need some level of stress and challenge to keep us healthy. It is again, different for different people according to their personalities, etc. Find your own balance but be honest with yourself.

That balance will very acording to how your general health is, what other challenges there are in your life, your eating and drinking habits, and whether, or not, you take drugs. These variables, of course, will change with time and you may need to find a new balance at these point in your life.

It is healthy to always be 'open' to these variations and the adjustments that are necessary. it is often ignoring the need for a changre that precpitsate us into a mental health crisis in the first place. Get to know yourself better and be honest with yourself, if not others.

As someone who has been over that boarderline of mental health and seen and guided many people through the territory, journey in confidence and learn how to take controll of your life and refuse to let it control you. Provided you are honest with yourself and seek insight, you remain the best expert on you.

Respectfully listen to the opinions of others and give them equal weight in knowledge of the world andincorporate thos things that feel honest and in your best interests.

As to the level of stress in shift work? Shift work does distort your naural rythm and some people cope better than others. Some people thrive on the variation and operating outside the normal boundaries.

Identify where you are in this respect. Do you find it too stressful. If you do then it is a sure bet it will contribut to the 'episodes' that go outside your control (manic, depressive or psychotic).

If you are unsure, ask your intel managers if you could change your job patern for a while. I know intel have a good general reputation for assisting their staff in such health matters.

Most of all, dont be put down by having and 'identified' mental health problem. More people do have than you realise. Some have serious problems and do not realise it and suffer as a consequence.

There are some very famous people who had bipolar conditions and have leared to live with this or live in spite of it. One of these is a famous Psychiatrist, who has written on the subject. I believe his name id David Clarke.

There ar still others who are in acting, comedy and the media in general. It coud be the person working next door to you, or oneof your bosses.

Join the WW survivors network - we are out there and you can join us anywhere and time :-)

Answer 9

no