Is This A Manifestation of Bipolar 1 Brain Damage?

Hey, guys. So, as undoubtedly, you have noticed, my posts are replete with typos, despite my best efforts. For nearly my entire life, I have always written with near-perfect spelling, basically, zero grammatical errors, and almost no typos, like, ever.

Now, and for the past year or so, I am inundated with them. It is as though my fingers must not be doing what I am asking them to do. If I slow way down in my typing, I can reduce this a lot. But I natrually am a fast typer, so, this is hard to remember to do.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me. Could this be some kind of motor function deficit due to bipolar 1 cumulative injury? Am I just getting old (56 now)?

Really appreciate any feedback. It is so frsutrating to have spent my entire life not ever having to even think about these things and now, I am tormented by it. It slows my writing down massively. So frustrating.

Anyhoo, thanks a lot.

Initially for me, abilify increased my typing speed....it was super weird to notice that but before that I was really slow at typing and typically looked at the keys. Anyway I know this is the opposite effect but it’s related.

Ah, got it. Maybe I am just typing too fast for my skill level.

I started taking several new pills and can’t concentrate on much of anything (except here mostly).

My psychiatrist said I had brain damage from prolonged trauma and the meds would rebuild me. I saw the other day someone posted an article here about bipolar and brain damage, which discussed this very same thing. Interesting. Also, I was never diagnosed with bipolar.

But my typing skills are same as always. However, my thoughts and memories are more spacey.

I have had issues like you describe, but things improved over time as (what I say) "brain healing occurred from episodes". That isn't to say that I haven't been affected long-term (or maybe permanently) from years of severe episodes. My guess is that my disability stems mostly from the trauma I experienced from episodes and their triggers. My goal is to prevent severe future episodes and the number of any level episode. Fight the kindling effect.

I have experienced bipolar episodes off and on (mostly on) for about 34 years now. The course of my illness worsened as I aged, and surely because I wasn't properly treated until my late 30s. That's a long period of brain beating! My current meds seem to be the best of the lot, but they don't take away all damage. I have learned that therapy is crucial. I am also better at utilizing it than in the past.

I have accepted that I will likely never be able to do some of what I used to be able to do. I could boo-hoo into my pillow every day about that, but that does no good. I'm past that. But it is not all bad. I have capabilities and wisdom now that I may not have had without my bipolar experience.

Whoops! I didn't read TishaBuv's post until after I wrote the above. Well, I agree with Tisha's pdoc on the damage.

Medications can contribute, but I often feel they are blamed too much and often.

Hi bpc, first of all, I haven't noticed your typos. Maybe you're typing faster than your skill level (I think you mentioned that)? I can type really fast...but I'm a poor typist in that I either hit the wrong keys or my finger will brush the edge of another key while I'm hitting the key I want to hit. That's the way it's been for me with typewriters and with computer keyboards. Also, I always have to look at the keys. It annoys me.

As for brain damage...I feel like my mind is damaged from meds. I've never thought of it as being damaged from BP itself. But yes, it seems possible.

All in all though, with regard to typing, my guess would be that it's more your typing than brain damage.

I am in a very technical job . . . and I have noticed a difference . . . but I am on meds , and 62 . . .. plus I always have been one of the slowest horses in the race . . . .

I've noticed a general slow down that includes slower typing. It has been happening for several years now and my pdocs all say it is the depression that is causing it.

I'm 52 and experience mostly depression with bipolar nos. My depression has been really bad for the past several years.

I cope by rereading what I type, thinking about what I want to say in advance and I use a service called grammarly to double check what I write. I notice that I make certain mistakes often so I focus on those areas as I write. In a way I'm relearning what I used to do well.

My pdocs say that things will improve once my depression improves, whenever that might be.

After being hammered episode after episode for decades I too noticed cognitive issues that I could not attribute to meds. The good news is that since I have been episode free for 15 months (a record for me), and PTSD free for five months I have noticed things improving. This could be solely due to the fact that I was put on a low dose of Ritalin (for this reason, and mild ADHD) two months ago, but I am sensing it is both my brain beginning to heal and the Ritalin.

BP episodes have an enormous impact on our brains. The more severe, and more frequent, the worse it gets. As you have said in the past (if I am not mistaken) that you have had a history like this my guess would be it is the BP episodes themselves that are behind your typing decline. Still, it is best you check with your pdoc and if needed see a neurologist just in case it is something else. I really hope you can keep the episodes at bay and find a return to your previous functioning.