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ePaper created 2014-12-04, 01:15:59 | version 1.33.01
8 Taking Medication “But I’m feeling much better now! I’m not depressed. I’m not hyper. I can go to work. I can take care of my daily responsibilities. Why should I have to take regular medication?” Oh, my young naïve bipolar outpatient, you are new to the ways of this disease. The reason you take the medication is to avoid a relapse, and I’ll tell you why. With bipolar disorder, everything can be going absolutely peachy. Life can seem like one big box of chocolate. Then, in comes the dreaded beast…STRESS! Something can happen in your life, like a relative dying or losing your job, or possibly marital stress. Then the walls come crashing down. All of the work you have put into managing your emotions and watching your behavior don’t mean a hill of beans because now you’re flying again. Your emotions are going up and down like Space Mountain and its only a matter of a couple sleepless days and then you find yourself in the hospital again, even if its been many years since your last visit. However, guess what? There are a number of wonderful medications that can keep that sort of thing from happening, as well as help you enjoy life a little more. These medications have TRULY changed my life and allowed me to do a host of things that I never thought possible right after I was diagnosed. I take a few pills in the morning, a few pills in the evening, and even when life gets EXTRA hairy, I still don’t get so out of whack that I have to go to the hospital. And trust me, if I never have to go to the hospital for the rest of my life….that is fine by me! So take your meds. They help. And if you feel like your meds aren’t working for you, talk to your psychiatrist. In today’s world there are many different options and if one med isn’t working for you, another can.