Serious mental illnesses aren't easy. These many things are just our options.

Antipsychotics, which help with mania, usually help with sleep.

I know! I feel stereotyped and unheard. Seems like they study it, master in it but have NO true idea to form their reasoning. Bugs.

You know what is working for me is going to be really early. I eat my dinner and I take my medication about 6pm, it doesn't start working until 8 or so. I've had a huge success with weight loss. With me it's eating anything after 6. I sleep long and hard. I wake up look at the scale and finally, Viola....I lose about 2 pounds a week.

I'm sorry, I hate for anybody to tell me about weight loss. I'm struggling with weight too.

Best Wishes my friend, God Bless you.

The net isn't probably a great place to get info about bipolar other than the very basics.

There is alot of stuff written by medical hopefuls, people who actually want to sell you stuff, people that just feel the need to write stuff for the sake of "helping", people paid by the word. Alot is copied from other stuff on the net and when you check that original information wasn't valid.

Bipolar is a serious illness with serious meds and they are far from perfect. So bipolar is still there and you deal with the side effects. So even if you are on "the right meds" you are still always having to watch for signs of bipolar and live daily with serious side effects - like as you say weight gain.

Possibly one day there will be treatments that means we are completely symptom free and have no side effects. We are not there yet.

So in short, yes, you are right, easier said (usually by people who are not bipolar and not professionals) than done.

Are we considered having a "Serious Mental Illness"?
I always thought that would be schizophrenia.
Are we really that bad?

It can indeed be tough dealing with medicines that cause weight gain. Trouble sleeping is a symptom of bipolar that we have to deal with.
You are so right about communication.

That about sums it up "easier said than done." People who do not have bipolar just don't get it. I always have to hear about going to sleep early and waking up early. That's not the way it works.

Alot of managing your BP symptoms can come down to just keeping yourself on a schedule. Doing the same things at the same time every day. Going to bed and getting up at the same times, help you regulate sleep and help you get more sleep. If your having a period of insomnia there are several herbs/vitamins that can help that aren't addictive. Healthy foods don't have to be expensive, plain old fruits and veggies are healthy foods. You don't have to buy all the fancy stuff. Whole grain cereals like Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Chex are all high in Fiber and give you the grains you need, they aren't expensive. Yogurt is a good source of Calcium, vitamins and Protein, if its Greek, it's not expensive. There are plenty of food choices that can be made that aren't expensive, it's a matter of training yourself to eat the right thing. The things that you can do to manage your Bipolar do sound easy, mainly because they are all pretty normal things, it's a matter of having the will to do so, and to follow through. BiPolar is a life disease, it takes managing your daily life combined with its interactions to keep it under control, along with meds and Therapy. If you can do all that, it is possible to be stable....but it is work, and not necessarily easy.

thank you for your replies. this is wonderful stuff. sorry it took me a few days to get back. the computer is basically in my son's room and he's been sick and sensitive to noise.