During a severe bipolar episode I can only imagine that there must be severe changes of devastation inside a bipolar brain since it can create so much destruction in a person’s life, which is what it did to mine for approximately 20 years until I was truly and finally saved by God.
The changes inside a bipolar brain do not need to last as long as they did inside mine because there are medications that can help stop the changes of devastation going on inside a bipolar brain sooner.
Medications and also electro-convulsive therapy can improve the chemistry inside a bipolar brain and improve lives.
However, I was medication resistant and unable to take most medications due to severe side effects and adverse reactions to most of them. Believe me I think I tried most medications that are out there for bipolar disorder. You name it and I tried it.
With God’s help, I finally found two of medications that I can safely take and that help to slow down and stop my severe bipolar episodes.
One of my medications is for Bipolar that slows down my rapid cycling of my mania and depression and most importantly it prevents my brain from ever reaching a severe full blown manic episode. Praise God for that.
My medication does not eliminate all of my symptoms but has reduced them significantly and I have learned to live with my symptoms successfully.
Lately, I have rarely become severely depressed. I have learned what can trigger my severe depression which is usually related to my PTSD. I have learned to stay away from those triggers as often as I can, which has helped me significantly.
I also believe having over 80 or more electro-convulsive therapy treatments over a 20 year time span saved my life as well. Maybe I finally had enough series of the treatments that it has changed and improved the chemistry inside my brain enough so that I can LIVE and LOVE again.
There have been brain studies showing how a brain changes during a severe bipolar episode and then returns to the normal state after the severe bipolar episode is over. That is fascinating.
I pray more successful research will be done on mental illness so we can save lives.
This is why we all need to keep getting out there increasing awareness and educating, reducing the stigma and talking to all people, especially congress so they will allocate more money for scientific research for mental illness. It is so vitally important.
I pray more successful research will be done on the brain and mental illness.
Then maybe there will be less severe changes of devastation inside a bipolar brain so it won’t create so much destruction in one’s life and create loss of life due to suicides. I pray we can save lives.
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For anyone that has bipolar disorder, remember there is hope and it will get better. I promise.
The most important steps in recovery:
- Acceptance.
- Find a good Psychiatrist that is the best fit for you.
- Find medications that work the best for you with the least amount of side effects.
- Have a good support system.
- Don’t isolate.
- Find hobbies.
- Do activities you like to do that make you happy and can help distract you when you may need it.
- Be patient.
- Be strong.
- Persevere.
- Pray, pray, pray
You can make it. Trust me. I did and life is good now. I know what life and love and happiness are again.
God was always protecting me throughout the severity of my illness. Unfortunately, I just didn’t always know it when I was in the middle of my severe bipolar episodes.
Know God is always with you.
God has saved my life and I became born again.
I may have never become born again or know this love and joy from Jesus Christ if I didn’t have bipolar disorder. Only God knows.
There is a reason for everything.
I praise God for my life and the reasons only He knows for writing my story and journey the way He did.
It is my purpose and passion in life to tell my story and be a voice for mental illness and bipolar disorder.
My Loud Whispers of Hope 