My Bipolar Journey

Once you are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, your family and friends look at you from a different perspective. First, you may have done something to hurt them during a manic episode. Even though you didn’t know the difference between right and wrong, you still made a negative impact on their lives. The vast majority of people that you hurt in some way, shape or form will forgive you. They are perceptive enough to know that there is a difference between the real you and the manic version.

However, once you have recovered through medication and therapy, you will still be looked at through a different set of eyes. For example, a friend asked me if I had my lithium levels tested recently. Another group of 3 friends showed up at my place one day to talk, I called it an intervention. And my son suggested that I was unhinged because of a rant that I posted on Facebook about King Charles. They only acted out of concern  but I was nowhere near manic. My lithium prevents me from getting high. Lithium is a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for bipolar disorder and a potent “add-on” (augmentation) therapy for treatment-resistant unipolar depression, often reducing suicide risk. It works as a mood stabilizer, generally requiring1 300–1800mg daily, monitored via blood tests to maintain safe levels (0.5–1.2 mmol/L).

So it’s disconcerting that any upbeat, happy moments can be perceived as mania. At the end of the day, their perceptions are based on a genuine concern for my welfare.