How many conditions could coexist?

[wondallace]

Hello all,

this is my first post.

I have known about my mental illness for approx. 5 years now. Previous to this, I had no cognitive understanding of mental illness. Sure, I saw the morbidly-vivacious souls present themselves very openly in public, but what did I have in common with them (apparently alot).

I received a slap in the face when the realization hit me that I had been dangerously moody and delusioonal. This led me to find solace (for a time) in understanding bipolar disorder.

a psychiatric evaluation agreed with BPD, later added psychosis, schizoaffective depressive, recently I have realized alot of anxiety and most symptoms of OCD.

I manage my symptoms well without medications, side affects and the weakness of mind are not worth the benefits that meds offer. knowledge and understanding is key, in my opinion.

I guess what I'm asking is: how to define which symptoms crossover between these illnesses.

 

[ThatLady]

While medications might not serve your needs, they can be invaluable to the treatment of some people. It's never a good idea to rule anything out entirely. There are always aspects of treatment that work for one and not another.

Personally, I don't think it's so much a matter of symptoms that cross over, but the fact that there are multiple disorders present. In most mental illnesses, there will be symptoms that are mirrored from one condition to another. Not everyone has all the symptoms of any given disorder, but may have some symptoms from several.

As long as you're managing your symptoms without medication, that's great. Hopefully, as you continue to learn, and continue with therapy, those symptoms will begin to resolve themselves.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

a psychiatric evaluation agreed with BPD, later added psychosis, schizoaffective depressive

But "psychosis" and "schizoaffective depressive" are not diagnoses...

I manage my symptoms well without medications

Questionable, with bipolar disorder, I'd say. There are many with milder versions of this disorder that refuse medication and don't deteriorate badly enough to require it but their behavior tends to be characterized by impulsivity and poor decision-making. My guess is if you've consulted a psychiatrist you were advised to take medication: Did you take it for a time at all and if so what and for how long?

side affects and the weakness of mind are not worth the benefits that meds offer. knowledge and understanding is key, in my opinion.

There is absolutely no evidence that insight alone helps conditions such as bipolar disorder or indeed most other disorders. Indeed, with bipolar disorder, the result of true knoweledge and understanding is increased medication compliance.

Side effects can certainly occur with some psychotropic medications but they are not universal and they can usually be minimized or alleviated with a bit of trial and error and selecting the right medication. "Weakness of the mind" is not a side-effect. (Well, maybe for politicians and game show hosts.)

 

[wondallace]

olanzapine seemed to dull my senses.I took it for 1 year.

I needed the medication. Otherwise I don't think I could have deciphered good emotional response. I suffer from the same condition indeed.

Honestly sir, I was ignorant to the fact that I had been severely depressed and manicly high. I assumed everyone was a basket case.

I remember, as a tottering dummy, I walked into a bar of 100 people, they all stared and then everyone in the room began to have separate conversations about me. I heard all of their postitive and negative comments clearly! Then, I simply reasoned with myself that none of it could possibly be true, though it was real.
I am luckily highly functional.

Is this not a degenerative disease? with no cure.?
It seems that masking symptoms is what some medications are for.
By "weakness of mind" I guess I mean atrophy and declining function.
What happens when I have no crutches and I have become dependant upon them.

"The Idiot" really put life into perspective for me.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

olanzapine seemed to dull my senses. I took it for 1 year.

The sad truth is that many bipolar individuals do feel empowered, energized, and creative when hypomanic and therefore they discontinue the medication because it makes them feel that the result is to "dull their senses". From the standpoint of a third party, though, the creative energy they feel is often seen as irrational and/or impulsive energy which is calmed and therefore channeled more rationally with the medication.

 

[ThatLady]

Degenerative and incurable? Hardly. I'm living proof. I don't think the medications masked my symptoms as much as they allowed me to get beyond the symptoms so I was more able to help myself. Granted, I was primarily unipolar (I did have on major manic episode, and one hypomanic episode...just not enough to be diagnosed, at the time, as bipolar); however, my daughter is bipolar and she has found the same thing to be true, once she got over the idea that her hypomanic phases were how life was supposed to feel.

 

[wondallace]

There is, no doubt, more than one way to look at my condition.
Yes, mood swings prevail and medication definitely helped to minimize them.
For now, I will abstain from medication.

I have been reading more about OCD. realizing obsessive behavior has definitely helped my stress level. It was not clear to me that while "day dreaming", I was stressing myself out, because life and dreamt obsessions are in no way similar. Hey, small steps have improved my life thus far

 

[Debbir5347]

Witout meds

Just wondering how exactly you are dealing with the bpd without meds. My daughter suffers as well and refused medication (unfortunately for other reasons than you have shared) Nonetheless, it would be helpful if you could share some of your coping strategies. Thanks

 

[wondallace]

Re: Without meds

Just wondering how exactly you are dealing with the bpd without meds. My daughter suffers as well and refused medication (unfortunately for other reasons than you have shared) Nonetheless, it would be helpful if you could share some of your coping strategies. Thanks

Hi. I have been doing quite well recently. My depressions have become easier to deal with and less confusing.

The first hurdle, for me, was grieving some things that happened in my childhood, instead of suppressing them as I had always done.

The second hurdle was to face anxiety, which seems to trigger my depressions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, which I have studied and practiced only a little, has had a huge effect. I realize now that the more I try to think things through the more I empower the negative thought process. Over time I have been able to become more positive by counteracting negative thoughts with positive ones.