Totally awesome on being Smoke Free, that is a major accomplishments!!!!

Hon, don't worry about the "severe" it's just a visual accoutrement that your Pdoc knew would be needed to keep you off the Jury Panel. They use certain key words that they know will work, the first time with no need for further discussion.

Yes, BiPolar is a part of your life, that is something that you need to come to terms with and decide whether your going to fight it or embrace it and fold it into your life, take your meds, work your therapies, do what needs to be done to get and keep yourself Stable. Because Stability can be reached and it can happen for long periods of time. I've battled BiPolar for 26 years now, but had a great run of Stability (for the most part) for 10 years.

BiPolar is not a death sentence, it's a mental disease that has to be managed like any of a dozen other physical illnesses. It doesn't mean everything has to stop. I have 3 College Degrees, I've always worked in one of my Chosen careers for the last 26 years, I was married for 24 yrs. and raised 2 great sons. And my Diagnosis is BiPolar with Severe Suicidal Depression. I've had 5 Suicide attempts, 4 Involuntary In-patient stays and 1 Voluntary In-Patient stay. I've done every therapy there is, including 3 cycles of ECT. If I loaded that up with all my physical illnesses I'd have to add 30 surgeries in the last 22 years and a whole bunch of other fun stuff....

The point is, yeah life can suck and pass out the "Unfair Cards" and some of us seem to get a helluva lot more than others, but you can still have a life. You just have to make a plan and commit to working that plan and weaving your BiPolar into your daily life so that it's all manageable.

Once again, though, quitting smoking is major freaking AWESOME!!!!!

Hang in there,

Kat

Congrats on staying smoke-free, nobody!!! WoW :o

Those weirdos in psychiatry call us Lots of things, but you don't come across here as Severe....(I love the weirdos, btw, wouldn't wanna live without 'em, I just call 'em Names)...

You and I both know that bipolar Is for life; I got Really depressed for, like a day and a half not too long ago because I wanted to volunteer at the hospital and the volunteer administrator required a doctor's note; when she saw the "Bipolar 1" diagnosis she Freaked and came up with reasons why they could Not use me.

And I get it...it's hard to be a Freak, or at least, to be Thought of as one, by the Normies out there. But nobody, those are just Words On A Page, because the only one who defines you as a Person, every day,

Is YOU. :)

Love ya -

MA

I had a similar reaction when my therapist had to fill out a treatment update for insurance so they would continue to cover sessions. I told her that I don't care what she writes, I trust her, but she wanted to do it together for transparency. Anyway, insurance requires diagnoses, and she put MDD - severe. I didn't think I had severe depression....I thought probably moderate....I felt bad about it. The thing is, it is what it is. You're working with your providers to be as healthy and stable as you can. This letter was to make sure you don't have to serve on a jury, it's not a judgement about you.

Don't fret too much, you're no different now than you were before you read that letter. ((hugs))

and CONGRATS on still being smoke-free. That's amazing.
-Sadie

Good for you I know how hard it is to quit im still trying. Its such a stress reliever.

Great big hug for you sweetie...

I agree your pdoc was helping you to not be on the jury... Juries are random and you could have gotten any case....When you look at what some of these people go through it could have triggered an episode....I've seen shows on what jury duty has done to some people and it wrecks havoc on their lives... Several end up with PTSD on the bigger cases... I saw a member of the Trayvon Martin case on Dr Phil last week and her life's been so badly effected she no longer functions as she did before... Her mental and emotional state was badly effected

Great for you being smoke free!!!... I've been at it since January and I still have cravings but not nearly so often.. It does get much better... Good for you....xo

Good job on being smoke free !


I remember when I stumbled across a letter my Pdoc had written for me to my Atty.

It was several years after I was first DXed.
When I read the letter, I was shocked at how severe my symptoms sounded when written out on paper.

Yep...seeing it all written out in black and white puts a whole new spin on it .

You're good , don't worry !
Hugs

I feel like you at times. Having this illness totally wrecks my self-esteem. But then I think of the cool people I've met who also live with this illness and I don't feel so worthless or alone anymore.

Don't worry about the 'severe' label, it's just a doctors note, not meant to be a daily affirmation.

Good job with the smoking! It's tough, I know. But you'll really start feeling so much better..