I would love the help! I have no problem with any of you giving me your input, or letting me know about something you pick up on that I've missed. I'm not a China Doll.

I don't think I'm hypo right now though...
I had a couple of good hours in the morning yesterday, but got extremely tired and lazy thereafter. I got absolutely nothing done outside of scooping out the cat boxes and making dinner. I spent half the day with my feet up, and needed my afternoon nap.

Hypomania usually doesn't take a day off. With MS I have good and bad days, but maybe the amantadine is starting to help, too

Hypomania is something well worth watching out for though. It really sucks that I have to be afraid of the same symptoms I'm hoping to get and that there's such a fine line there…

I have my 3rd appointment with the counselor today. I remembered that I have to bring her a letter from my husband that says I'm living a sober life. I wrote up something very simple and brief that he was satisfied enough with to sign. He's BS about the whole thing because he thinks she's treating me like a baby. I agree.
I've decided I'm not going to skip an appointment even though it's going to be a financial hardship… we have tax refunds coming to replace the money that will have to temporarily come out of the savings account. I'm going to have to pay for that session sooner or later, it may as well be sooner so I can get my license back quicker. If I keep up with weekly sessions, I can finish on the 17th. Soldiering on and having a specific end date to these sessions not so far away makes the denouement seem more within reach. But then there are more steps ahead of me to worry about before I finally get there.

I'm glad you guys liked the candles. We burned one last night. My husband was happy.. it does smell like sandalwood! It will be even stronger when we burn it some more because the fragrance I used in the wax to top off the candles wasn't as concentrated as the wax I used to pour most of it.

Katm

It is good that you are not going to skip an appt.
Being steady with the appts shows those people that you are consistent and serious about the program.

Does your husband find the sandalwood "calming"?
http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2014/02...ty-and-stress/


M

I haven't noticed a difference. We don't light the candles until the evening, and he's most prone to his temper tantrums right after he gets home from work in the late afternoon. Maybe I'll light the candle shortly before I expect him home…

That sounds like a good plan!
kay have you ever heard of rescue remedy?
I have heard one way to use it is put some in a spray bottle with water and spray a room. It is meant to help disperse anxiety...the tonic can be taken in a tea to help calm your nerves etc.
I believe you get it in the homeopathic section of a health food store.
might help to spray the room right before he gets home???
bizi

I might try the room spray Bizi, but I'd have to order it online. I know he'd never drink the tea or anything else to help with his anxiety, or help him calm down… that would be admitting there's a problem.

The sandalwood candle isn't calming

He's had a couple of good temper tantrums…

I even had a little one of my own when the pizza place we ordered from sent me the wrong sub and I got someone unresponsive on the phone when I called about it.

(((((HUGS))))
frustrating when things don't work out right. maybe some other person got your sub instead/???
bizi

I wasn't that bothered by the fact that they made a mistake by sending me the wrong sub. It was the phone call that ****** me off. I was exaggerating a little when I said I had a temper tantrum.


I think that the amantadine is working. I'm seeing a few more good days
I'm enjoying more good hours on those days… I'm still hitting the wall, but it's been happening later in the afternoon so I haven't been taking naps. The result is I get really overtired and I fall apart by early evening. I'd like to try taking it twice a day (that's how it's usually prescribed) to avoid that. I'm considering calling my neurologist and asking him if he'll change the prescription.
When I say I'm having better days I'm not talking about earth-shattering change, and it's okay that I'm not seeing results every day (at least not yet), but anything that enhances my quality of life is welcome. It think it has improved my mood, with the exception of when I get overtired.

Kay

I somewhat think your therapist has just picked a subject to see how you
react. If you act like having a drink would be a good idea type thing. And
I'm guessing the MS is the easiest thing to bring up, for asking for help.

I think you might take a list in of the times you have asked for help in this
next week. Even if its just for help on issues you are dealing with and
you post the irritant on here. And people respond.

That is help also.

Donna

I hope you're right and she's just picking away at the MS because it's the most obvious target. I do have a couple of examples of things I asked my husband to do for me over the weekend. They're minor… the kind of help I usually need and ask for. I hope those examples satisfy her.

You're right, I should just try to hold my tongue and post my frustration here, but she makes it kinda hard. She's seen me in action, so I don't know if a major change in direction is a good idea, but I think I can manage an adjustment or two.

The funny thing is she doesn't doubt my ability to maintain sobriety as long as my bipolar disorder is stable.


I called my neurologist's office and he granted my request to start taking the amantadine twice a day. I forgot to ask when I should take the second dose though. I take my meds at 8. I should have been keeping track of when I've been starting to hit the wall. I don't want to take it too close to bedtime because it can interfere with sleep, so I'm going to try taking it at 2 today. I can play with that though.
It seems to be helping in the morning and early afternoon, which are my better hours, but I always go downhill after that. Taking the second dose will really give me a good idea of what this med can do…