Bipolar I plus Psychosis

[scottishbastard]

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever been diagnosed as Bipolar I plus Psychosis? I only know one other person with it and I get along with him better than anyone. It seems like most people don't understand what the hell we're talking about half the time. Hell...We don't even know what we're talking about half the time.

I've met Bipolar I people without psychosis and Bipolar II/Cyclothemia and though they're a bit closer than the average person, they still don't seem on the same wave length.

Another thing, if you or someone you know had it did they take medication? If not, how well did they deal with it. After reading the John Nash biography "A beautiful Mind" and finding out he stopped taking meds at about age 30 and never went back on them made me decide to ditch my meds, atleast for a while. I've been off them for a few months now and all is well. I'm never violent during my psychotic breaks, atleast not towards living things (just walls and stuff).

[Guest]

I'm Bipolar II - no psychosis, no delusions or hallucinations.

But I know what you mean. I can go to a party with 100 people and the one person I end up chatting with is also bipolar. Other people just don't seem fully alive...and they're generally rather dull.

I never ceases to amaze me how we pick each other out in a crowd. And it seems to me bipolars like each other.

As for medications, I could refer you to my AboutMe page: palmspringsbum - about me

In short, I never did the really bad stuff like lithium or haldol (thank god). But they did put me through the SSRIs and tricyclics. That was 20 years ago and I think I'm still recovering from the damage they did to me. Seems it's just now I'm realizing how crazy the pharmaceuticals made me. I've been a medical marijuana patient since 1995 and have used nothing but cannabis since. I do honestly believe if I knew when I was growing up what I know now I could have self-medicated with cannabis and finished college and had a (more or less) normal life and career.

[scottishbastard]

I would never recomend stopping meds and replacing them with marijuana, but when I smoke atleast twice a week I have no psychotic breaks and my mania/depression/insomnia/anxiety are minimal.

I'm only 22 and I've been on: Zoloft, trazadone, lexapro for depression. Seroquel, Abilify, and zyprexa for psychosis. Ambien, lunesta, sonatta, rozeram, flurazapam and halcion for sleep. And Depakote (valproate/valproic acid) for mania.

At this point in my life they just don't work for me. They don't make me feel better, just different.

And yeah...Manics can pick eachother out of a crowd of 100,000,000...Its like where's Waldo...Haha...excep t easier.