This is a blog about my journey with bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed spring of 2011 and was admitted into a mental health hospital a month before my wedding. I struggled greatly for the next year and a half going on and off meds, experimenting with different forms of therapy and was readmitted to the hospital at the end of 2012. Since then I have been learning how to re-live my life. Seeing a wise, supportive, kind therapist once a week and emerging myself into Dialectical Behavioural Therapy are 2 of many ways that are helping me recover. I have found deep comfort and much strength in mindfulness practices, taught to me from DBT.

This blog is my way of allowing you to see into the life of someone who suffers from bipolar, depression and extreme anxiety. I want to own my story, and help defeat the stigma. I hope you find some comfort in knowing you are not alone, or learn more about mental illness through the writings of my blog.

Sunday 24 February 2013

Pharmaceutical medications and homeopathy

I've had some people asking what kinds of meds I'm on right now, so I thought I'd write a quick post about that, in case others are interested. Right now I am taking:

AM
1 citalopram 40mg (anti-depressant)
1 aripiprazole 10mg (anti-psychotic)

AFT
1 clonazapram o.5 mg (anti anxiety) I take this dose, as needed

NIGHT
3 lithium 900mg (mood stabilizer)
1 clonazapam (anti anxiety)
1 zopliclone (sleeping pill) but I have recently stopped taking this! Yay!

It's quite the cocktail of medications, and I've gone through many many different kinds like Olanzapine and Quetiapine, Lamotrigine, etc etc, none of which have worked, and all of which have given me terrible symptoms.

With the current meds I'm on, my symptoms (or med side effects) are minor, some tiredness, stomach pains, but the main thing is that I am very very confused a lot of the time. Like I am not able to concentrate on anything for very long, even things like conversations with people are really hard to focus on, especially if there is other stuff going on. I also cannot drive in the city anymore bc of all the distractions, its just too overwhelming. This is partially a side effect of the lithium, but also a symptom of the bipolar.

However, this week I am going to see a homeopath, which is a doctor specializing in natural remedies basically. And then in march I'm going to an iridologist to see what herbs she recommends. I am preparing myself with research in alternative medicine, bc my medications have not been working up until this point. Also, if I were to ever get pregnant I couldn't be on any of these meds, and that would make pregnancy and motherhood extra stressful. So it's planning for the far future, but I think it's wise to think of now already.
I am excited to learn more about natural medicine and herbs and to see what the homeopath recommends!

If you have any other questions about bipolar or me, please ask and I can better know what to post!





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1 comment:

  1. Kira24 February 2013 at 20:52

    It's taken me a few days to be able to put this together in my head, and it might not be concrete yet - but here goes.

    Thank you, Richelle. You are doing a good thing here. It is absolutely not your job to educate the masses on mental illness, but you're undertaking starting the conversation, and I think you're incredibly brave for doing so. Well done, and thank you for trusting me (us?) with this. Much love (and positive energy) coming your way.

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