i think its more of a thoughts leads to feelings leads to actions... and then back round again.

If you can think more positively, it might help you feel more positive which would help you behave more positively...

but, it never worked for me...

A dr once suggested I write down 10 affirmations about myself on a note card and read them out loud to myself everyday 3 times a day. At the time I was having suicidal ideations. After about a month of doing this I started thinking somewhat better. It worked for me. I also stopped telling myself what a loser I was. I just stopped the negative talk. It's not easy, but can be done. That's probably what your tdoc wants you to do.

But how can I just stop that inner voice? What did you do? Just not listen. Just act exactly the opposite of what it made you feel?

x-Bliss-x

I agree with my psycho who says that unless my meds are working, therapy isn't going to be terribly useful. it helps me understand that even though i feel like i'm worthless that it is my illness that is causing my thoughts, but therapy works a lot better when i'm stable on meds.

Sounds like you could use some wellbutrin. Wellbutrin took my suicidal thoughts away.

I hope you get to feeling better soon.

I also agree with positive thinking....but it takes a long time before one sees any lasting effects. Patience is a virtue, xBlissx.

The problem is I was recently in an eating disorder unit and they took me off all my Bipolar meds because they don't believe i have it. They said it's just BPD even though i had been dx with it for 18 months before i got anorexia.
I'm only on Fluoxetine now and they've said they wont put me on anything else!

x-Bliss-x

prozac made me rapid cycle... terribly!! can u see a diff doc?

as did zoloft and wassit called... erm... cipramil or citalopram? summit like that... even on stabiliser.

Not really because I see them for the ED and now they have taken charge of my care.

I don't know what to do :'(

x-Bliss-x

Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are. -Kierkegaard

x, I understand your frustration. I am sorry that you are feeling this way. Bipolar disorder is very difficult to diagnose and sometimes the docs can be wrong. I went unmedicated for quite a while after I was diagnosed and therapy worked very well for me in helping me with negative thinking and learned behaviors. When I was first medicated, I was given Prozac which was extremely helpful for me. I was stable for a couple of years with it. If you do have bipolar disorder they will know better if you go into a manic or hypo manic phase.

Borderline personality disorder is more difficult to treat and they usually treat the depression. Eating disorders are common with BPD.

Your docs advice about changing your thoughts is good advice. I would only add a few things. It is important that you develope talents and skills that you enjoy and that make you feel good about yourself. Feeling good about yourself helps give you strength to think good thoughts rather then bad. Example...."Its hopeless my life isnt worth living" You can think positive thoughts about this and eventually feel better. Our brain really does produce "feel good" chemicals based on positive thinking. However, when chemically depressed it is definately not easy and you wont just get over it. That is why it is important to have things in your life you enjoy and feel good about. Then when you think thoughts of your life not worth living you have counters in your self esteem.

I hope I am not rambling and I am sorry if this doesnt make sense. I worked with this therapy alot at your age and it does work. You are very young and with time this will not seem so challenging to do. Eventually what you train yourself to do is completely avoid the negative thinking because you feel better about you.

This disorder has its challenges but I promise you that the therapy I did, because I remained open, worked well for me. Dont change docs just because you think he might be wrong. Give him a chance to help you. If after a while you dont feel comfortable, then seek another. You are going to have to put alot of work into this and it isnt going to be easy. Hugs

I am sorry that you are feeling frustrated and still feeling blue in spite of a long appointment. If you want more information there's a book on cognitive therapy that you might use to fill in the gaps. It's called the Feeling Good book by Dr. David Burns. I used it in my twenties to recode my negative thoughts which were causing me to feel depressed.

It was hard at first and I wondered why i was doing this but I am a great believer of books. I was very disciplined about it and everytime I had a negative thought I used the book. Eventually I could do it without the book and I still use it to this day twenty years later. I found it a real life saver. I think there is a workbook too now.

The way it was explained to me is that the thought is like a windmill spinning one direction and the oposite thought is like a ball you throw at the blade in the opposite direction after time and many balls the blade slow ande then reverse.
This would be easier if I could draw the picture

Hey everyone. Thank you for your supportive replies, you've all helped me think about things more.

x-Bliss-x

My Psychologist is doing the same thing with me. The other day I thought my husband would be better off with a healthy woman.

So this is what I did: Thoughts:has my husband ever said that, no
Has he read every book there is about BP, yes
When you dont clean the house does he get mad, no
So then why did I think that?

I focused on the positives. It isnt going to be an overnight thing, I just have to change the thinking.

I feel as if I am dissapointing my family because I can not have kids:
Changing thoughts: Have they ever said you were a dissapointment, no
Have they ever said Oh I wish I could have grandchildren, no
are thye helping you with this BP, yes

See how it works

Hope I have helped