Bipolar Questions Version 5

it used to be saturday. I liked it growing up, as I was at school monday to friday, so saturday was a free day before I had to prpare for school again sunday

now my favorite day is monday. I know monday's are depressing, but my friend introduced me to be good to yourself monday, something to make mondays a little less depressing.

so I do that and it does work.

I have always had a soft spot for fridays, too. always a nice feeling on fridays- what with it being start of the weekend

what things have you done this week to be good to yourself

Hmm. Well, I have exercised, taken some cheery pictures, bought a good book to read. A few things.

If you could visit any city in the world you have not yet seen, what would it be?

I would like to go to Vienna, Austria. It's so close to my husband's home town of Prague, Czech Republic, but I have never been there. Obviously hubby has been to Vienna. I want to visit Beethoven's grave, though I am sure it's a touristy spot.

Q: How old were you when you first went to a doctor (any kind of doctor) for any bipolar symptom?

I was 15 years old i was diagnosed depression .then i was diagnosed generallay axienty disorder when i was 26 i was diagnosed bipolar disorder when i was 32 now i am 33 years old .i was having mixed manic attack. Do you think sometimes you are misdiagnosed

Absolutely! I think I have treatment resistant Major Depressive Disorder sometimes.

How long have you been diagnosed?

I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder over 16 years ago, but didn't really accept it until 15 years ago. I remember when that first psychiatrist told me, he wanted to put me on a moodstabilizer. I basically said "No thanks!" and didn't return to his office until I was in a complete crisis the year later.

Q: If the very first time you sought mental health help was for depression, did you mention that first time any past hypomanic/manic behavior? Did that doctor even ask you about any other type of behavior beyond depression and/or anxiety?

The doctors always ask me about manic behavior, but I don't have any. My diagnosis is Major Depressive Disorder. The docs I've seen like to ask about it because they know bipolar is often first misdiagnosed as depression.

Not sure if this happens to you, but do people around you blame your bipolar when you feel alittle sad or have some more energy or wanna do something outside your comfort zone? My brother does this sometimes and it annoys me alot.

No,my family and friends helped me a lot.they did not blame me.and i understand them it is difficult to know how to behave sometimes with your loved ones because first my dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.then i was.are you afraid of your child having bipolar disorder too in the future?i do not have a child.

Well I do not have any children currently but I do worry that if I do have children that they are more likely to have depression, a anxiety disorder or bipolar. Especially since bipolar is 60 to 80 percent hereditary. I worry more about my brother getting it since he is at the age where I was first diagnosed,

Do you have any relatives with bipolar or depression? .

Unfortunately, my answer may not be that encouraging, given this topic. I have several blood-related family members who have experienced significant depression or bipolar disorder. They include:

- My paternal grandmother (bipolar disorder type 1)
- My father (depression and likely bipolar disorder - official dx soon TBD)
- My sister (official bipolar type 2 dx)
- Me (official bipolar type 1 dx)
- My youngest nephew (official bipolar NOS dx - we lost him to suicide)
- Both of my paternal uncles (depression, at least, my older uncle maybe bipolar disorder. My eldest uncle passed away recently.)
- My eldest paternal uncle's daughter/my cousin (official bipolar disorder dx, likely type 1)

- My maternal grandmother had some kind of psychiatric breakdown after having my maternal uncle. It is unsure if/how that was diagnosed, but she became unable to function for a while.
- A second cousin once removed on my maternal side (official bipolar type 1 diagnosis). It's hard to know if she inherited it from my blood relative side. She was only related to my maternal grandfather, not my maternal grandmother.
- Story has it that my great great grandmother on my paternal grandmother's side had some serious mental illness.

Q: How far back in your family tree can you go?

I can go back on my mom's side to great grandparents in Calabria, Italy.

What's your favorite ice cream? (mine's cookies and cream)

Mayfield used to have a blueberry cobbler ice cream on a test run that I just loved, loved, loved. Delicious! They no longer have it.

What is your favorite food?

It was Maraş ice cream .it is a speacial Turkish ice cream.it is made from goat milk.now i can not eat cream because i go vegan.maybe there is vegan ice cream.but i did not find. Hmmm it is answered my favorite food is fries Do you think being vegetarian relevant with bipolar disorder after being 32 years old meatlover .

I don't think it's related to being bipolar, no.

most (if not all) vegitarians I've met choose that because they have something against harming animals

overall, have you had a positive 2019?

I think I have had a positive 2019. The latter part of the year has been alittle nerve wracking with applying to a new grad school.

What was the best thing that happened for you in 2019?

I have a well-established psych team - finally.

What was the most recent thing you created?

I painted a portrait of my friend in oils but in my head i am creating ghosts and demons from the past and some scenes again and again.ohh i forgot . i wrote a poem for my friend. It was more recent .yes i love my friends very much. Do you like opera if you like which opera do you like most and why?

I have never listened to an opera in full (so like your magic flute and stuff), to be honest, I don't think I'd enjoy it.

I do like some opera though, their's a group called il divo who I quite like

oh and their's another group called G4 who won our version of the X factor. they are good too

what was the last holiday you went on?

We rented a house in the Pocono mountains (in Pennsylvania) near a lake. Before that, we stayed in NY state near the Massachusetts border and attended the annual Tanglewood Music Festival.

Q: Have you in any way started to prepare for the winter holidays (Christmas, other)? What have you done?