STEPHEN FRY

as bipolar

I felt really upset about it at first and annoyed, after watching the documentary about it I feel a bit better, im not looking forward to being stuck with this darn illness my whole life and am still very apprehensive about taking medication (especially after seeing those american teens on the documentary).

Anybody have any words of encouragement, it would be helpful as I feel myself going on a bit of a down.

Georgia .

Hello and welcome Georgia

The good news is that my Psychiatrist told me a diagnosis earlier in life can render the condition easier to manage.

There are also a lot more medications and combinations of medications available than the documentary suggested. I just kept trying different ones till I found the most effective and 'comfy'.

Whilst there are those who choose not to take pharmaceutical medications, I can say that they have improved my life a great deal and I really feel a lot worse without them. I found that side effects tended to lessen over time, and if ( like me ) you take small amounts of different medications instead of an elephant dose of one, it seems to feel nicer.

I also went through the denial/anger/struggle phase, therefore it seems quite natural to hear that you did.

The consequences of living with it for life may not be as bad as you think. Unlike other mental illnesses, we at least have transient phases- so if you don't like the way you feel this month, there will be different mood along soon !

It also seems to confer certain gifts with it. It is a double edge sword. Just look up the list of famous people with the disorder - and you will realise you are in pretty good company as far as history , literature, film and music are concerned.

The good thing is that ( as a good first step ) you have got a clear diagnosis and accepted it. From here you can move on and live life in parallel with your Bi-Polar episodes.

Life can still be very sweet, perhaps even sweeter than if you did not have this extra sensitivity. Don't be tempted to chase the hypo-manic highs though, as
( in my experience ) they seem to drive the lows still lower.

I feel confident that you can learn to steer a positive outcome from what seems like an early setback. Try and find a supportive G.P. and a supportive network of people you can trust for the more challenging times.

Stay healthy, try and sleep regular hours and rest assured you are not alone...

All the very best,

F.F.

hey Georgia,

Of course it's horrible to have MD, I empathise with you, but it's better to know it as early as possible. As FF already mentioned, the prognosis is better, but on top of that, maybe you will learn to know what you really think/want/... and what part of your thoughts, desires, ... are more related to your mood. Don't you think this could spare you some mistakes and disasters? (I try not to make important decisions that I can't undo, when I'm either depressed or manic, the things I regret most are due to emotional decisions, when I was feeling bad or euphoric).

Don't worry too much about the American kids,
Firstly, SF did have to go all the way to the states to find such an exaggerated example, and secondly, you know, they're Americans hyper hyper

I was myself shocked by the older lady in the supermarket. It troubled me for a couple of days, but then I realised that of course documentary makers use interesting, extreme, vivid, shocking, ... cases when they make a point. (and this is no criticism or anything, he had a variety of different stories)
He surely wouldn't interview me - 32 years old, 9-5 job, relationship, kid, house, dog, a couple of hobbies, a couple of friends to invite on a BBQ
and 3 lithiums a day that keep the doctors away

Hope you will be able to find a good balance,
Take care of yourself,

Sofie

I was diagnosed with Bipolar at 16. I had been so very depressed and pananoid before, and had gone to every doctor around Maryland trying to figure out what was wrong with me, then when my father got a government assignment in England, I spiraled up up into mania and my Mom knew, - Bipolar what her grandmother had and several of her siblings do have in one form or another, and got diganosed. Everyone knew I had it, they had seen me get to that manic crash state, I didnt think I had anything wrong, I had never heard of the condition before I was diagnosed. And family and friends got informed back home too. However as I have moved around in my life and made new friends I have had the opportunity to not let everyone know. from time to time. I got REALLY sick end of 2005 though so everyone got to know again but that was extreme and not my doing, but the NHS Health system which if those who use it they are good to you, you are lucky. I was not.
But enough of that I could write a long essay on my feelings about that.

Your friends, your true friends will like you no matter what. Mine do and none of them except my husband has it. You dont have to dash out and tell them right away but you will know when you can. If they need educating, have them watch the documentary Stephen Fry did on YouTube ( I found it there)
They will see that even famous people him and Carrie Fisher and Robbie Williams have it, as well as folk like you and me at ages like you and me . I will be 31 next month but convincing people of that is another story, I seem to have stopped ageing at 16 ( though I know I have)

Hang in there, take your medicine, and dont let anyone or any doctor tell you to do anything which is against your better judgement. You know what is best for you at the end of the day.

Hey guys thanks so much for replying. I am worried about the fact that I lead a pretty normal life now and the addition of drugs will just make my body build up a dependence that it may not need. Then if i ever wanted to come off them I would feel worse than I did originally!

And how do you know if you actually definetly have it?!! Im so worried of a wrong diagnosis effecting my life, that I kinda want to wait to see what happens. I know that seems illogical as I could perhaps go completely off the rails, but the times when I feel fine, it all seems a waste, and then when Im down, it just seems like depression.

Sorry if I'm going in circles, but I find it hard to know what to say to the docs and feel like I cant talk to my friends about it.

Georgia xox


PS. This may sound superficial but is it true that lithium = weight gain, I have a self-esteem problem as it is!

Just three further observations based on the above questions Georgia, based on my own experiences and reliable professional advice I have received and later tested:

1) Anti-depressant and mood stabilising drugs do not have the ability to create an addictive habit, unlike certain tranquillisers, illegal drugs and alcohol e.t.c. The fact that we feel worse when we stop taking them, is not a sign of addiction, but an understandable ( short term ) chemical withdrawal period ( similar to the potential discomfort of the uptake period ) - and also the fact that the illness is returning harder in their absence over the longer term. I have also found that ( as a prescribed tranquilliser user) - one either has or has not got an "addictive personality". I can have a cupboard full of tranquililsers and only take an occasional one when really needed, whereas I have known "well" people that self medicate almost endlessly on alcohol, cigarettes and class A/B drugs.

2) The diagnosis is easier to make than you might think, because there are millions of us out there acting in a similar manner - therefore producing reliable data to compare us to.

3) Most mood stabilisers and anti-psychotics do produce some weight gain, but we can still take more exercise, eat cleaner - and after all, once one's depression is managed better, low self esteem issues lessen too. Finally, the long term benefit you will feel from having this thing managed properly far out weighs any short term weight or self esteem issues.

I have become much more stable ( we're still working on it ) - but put an extra 15lbs + of weight on over three years. I still have no regrets, and intend to loose that weight by lifestyle modification. If I had watched my "comfort eating" and activity levels from day one , I feel that gain need not have happened.

Just remember that that finding the ideal combination of medications for YOU can take a few years sometimes. This is only the start of feeling better.

And finally, the giving of drugs, then withdrawing, then apparently feeling "worse than before" (if it happens) - is often the result of the medication having been so effective that you had forgotten just how bad you used to be.

Yes, there can be severe "wobbles" between changes/trials of different medications, but the end result is very worthwhile.

All the best Georgia !


F.F.

My friend was diagnosed after two one-hour sessions when she was seventeen. It depends on the location, I'd imagine.

I was diagnosed at 18 and so I know they can but they didn't start me on lithium until 19.

Personally i think that (for what it is worth) been diagnosed should not mean you feel worse. No one becomes Bipolar over night, in accordance to this, you were Bipolar before diagnosed. Knowing you are Bipolar should not make you worse, on the contrary for many people.

And some i imagine take some solace in the manic side of Bipolar.

The thing with Bipolar is, it becomes you, but you often want it to.

I suppose that is both good and bad.

Anyway i hope you are doing ok.

Peace from England.