Bipolar Art: Creations of the Manic Depressive

This is one I put together several months ago. Was feeling pretty mentally ill at the time. As soon as I had the idea for it, like most things, I had to do it immediately. Drew the picture, placed the meds, then Photoshopped it to make the stick figures sexier.

Do you have an artistic creation that sprung out of your bipolar disorder? Leave a comment and let us know where to find your image online.

This post is where I will add any future bipolar art brain farts:

I created this on a very depressed day when i went to the art museum with my oldest daughter. The museum had and interactive room with a giant pin art pallet. After creating this I felt quite a bit better. like I had let some of the depression out. Also, FYI, pressing your face into pin art hurts.













Prozac and Seroquel Smiley Face

I just recently realized that a couple of art pieces in my home really remind me of my "shadow" side, the depression in me. I didn't create these pieces, and, as far as I know they weren't created by an artist who struggles with bipolar disorder or depression, but I really feel a connection with these works of art. 

The picture to the left is a ceramic sculpture of a faceless girl holding a jar. This was my mother's. She collected quite a bit of art, and when this piece was in her home, it always bothered me. This brown faceless girl kind of creeped me out. After my mother died, I kept some of her art pieces and sold others. When I was considering what to do with this one, I stared at it for a long time, and suddenly it looked beautiful and sad to me. Now it hangs in my living room. 

This second photo is of a painting I purchased while on vacation last year in Northern California. It's titled "Grace" by artist Yarrow Summers. As soon as I saw it, I had to have it. The way the woman in blue is staring off into the unknown seemed very melancholy to me. I looks like I feel when I am sad and still.

Songs About Mental Illness

Recently I put together a list of songs that I like to listen to when I am feeling nuts. I have bipolar disorder and frequently swing between hypomania to depression. 

Crazy Cool Songs
Below is the list of songs I gravitate to. Some help me deal with my demons. Some are just fun. Each title below is a link to that song in iTunes. "Do You" by Jolie Holland is my favorite, but Daniel Johnston's (artist with bipolar disorder & schizophrenia) "Funeral Home" can always make me smile. I will continually be adding to and changing out songs, based on what my current faves are.

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson
Do You? - Jolie Holland
Funeral Home - Daniel Johnston
Lithium - Nirvana
Relating to a Psychopath - Macy Gray
19th Nervous Breakdown - Rolling Stones
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads (Remastered)
Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix
I Wanna Die - Jolie Holland

In addition to my picks, here are links to a few webpages that have more general and complete lists of songs that relate to mental illness:

• List of Songs about Mental Illness from Crazy Boards
• List of Songs about Mental Illness from Depression Wiki
• Classic Rock Songs About Mental Illness from Yahoo Music

What is your favorite song about mental illness, or song that you relate to when you are feeling unbalanced?

Hypomania and Depression: The Go & Stop of Bipolar Disorder

Today I have been thinking about the lack of moderation in the (my) bipolar experience. "Slow & steady wins the race," although a good policy for getting things done over time, is not something that comes easy to me.

Charlie Sheen (not confirmed to have bipolar, but certainly acting maniacal in recent stint of crazy-ass interviews), he may have, "One speed. One gear. Go.", but bipolar has "Two speeds. Two gears. Go & Stop."

Most of the time, I am either hypomanic and racing through life (ideas coming faster than I can act on them) or severely depressed and not able to function (depression feels like moving through an atmosphere of molasses...everything is slow and exhausting).

Thankfully right now I have some of the hypomania going and am accomplishing a lot every day, with accompanying feelings of anxiety and pressure, because I can't keep up with my mind. Hypomania is kind of like a bubble of frenzied activity that eventually pops.

How do you experience bipolar disorder? Leave a comment!

Today's Bipolar Stats:

• Level of Mania (on scale of 1 - 10, with 1=none, 10=practically levitating): 3
  
• Level of Depression (on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1=none, 10=can't get out of bed): 0
• Medication Compliance (0 = not taking, 5=taking some, 10=taking all): 10
  

I am recording my mania and depression bipolar data separately because I often have mixed episodes where manic and depressive symptoms occur at the same time.

This blog is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to be used for the treatment of mental illness. If you are having emotional troubles, please see a mental health professional, not a computer. 

My Current Bipolar Disorder Medications

I have been slacking on my daytime meds this week, and am having more problems with depression. I even have a little pill holder for my purse, so that if I leave the house, I have my meds, but it is not in my purse right now. *sigh*. I know better than this! Tonight I will make sure that the pill case goes with me wherever I go. Also started coming down with a cold yesterday. Seem like I always become more depressed when coming down with an illness.

Current Bipolar Medications I Am On: 

• a.m.: Wellbutrin ER 300 mg (have Prozac as backup, but have not been taking lately, and typically don't in summer, because risk of hypomania).

• p.m.: Seroquel 200 mg. Also sometimes take Ibuprofen pm at night 200mg.

Today's Bipolar Stats:

• Level of Mania (on scale of 1 - 10, with 1=none, 10=practically levitating): 4
• Level of Depression (on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1=none, 10=can't get out of bed): 5
• Medication Compliance (0 = not taking, 5=taking some, 10=taking all): 5
  

I am recording my mania and depression bipolar data separately because I often have mixed episodes where manic and depressive symptoms occur at the same time.

This blog is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to be used for the treatment of mental illness. If you are having emotional troubles, please see a mental health professional, not a computer. 

Medications That Manage Bipolar Disroder

...or, at least medications that finally manage mine. I am finally on a medication regimen that is working. Here it is:

AM

200mg Wellbutrin (bupropion)

PM

200mg Seroqul ER

and one non-prescription ibuprofen PM

Finally out of depression! A little freakazoid-wired and anxious (although almost completely off caffeine), but I am functioning. Currently I am able to:

• get up at some point in the morning
• take care of my family throughout the day
  
• go to work teaching college
  
• work on my blog and other freelance writing projects

BTW, What Not to Do: The other night (after a few glasses of wine, which I should not be imbibing with bipolar), I accidentally took my daytime meds instead of my nighttime ones. I was awake all night long. Then I figured out what I did and, at 5am, took a half dose of my nighttime meds and slept a little.

Now all was well.

Hope you all are out there balancing too!

- Moodie

This blog is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to be used for the treatment of mental illness. If you are having emotional troubles, please see a mental health professional, not a computer. 

Bipolar Disorder and Depression: A Patients Experience

I have been recently posting updates on The Manic Depressive Blog about my current quest for bipolar medications that actually manage the depressive side of my disorder. I was diagnosed about 20 years ago, and had a very long period of good mental health with Seroquel + various antidepressants on board.

This July major depression set in ... days in bed (or as much time as possible, while working and raising kids), random and copious crying ... It's been unrelenting, for four months! This total apathy for everything is getting old. Does that mean I am becoming apathetic about my apathy? Anyway, tomorrow I have another appointment with the shrink to continue trying to find an antidepressant that works for me.

I know that we are all unique in our experience of this disorder, and different meds help different people, but I am curious to know what you have used to successfully manage your bipolar depression.

Shouting out a "Help!" to my bipolar peeps. What works for you?

Mood-ie-meter

Manic 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 depresseD

This blog is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to be used for the treatment of mental illness. If you are having emotional troubles, please see a human mental health care professional, not a computer.