oh wow.
I never was put in a hospital when I went through this. Just pray and they went away. I had a feeling that it was hallucinations But the church told me that I can see the unseen. And they kept telling me that over and over again. I did not feel special about it. And I am very skeptical. I went through a lot of the Mania in 2004, 2005 and from 2006 on and off. I would hallucinate on and off. The medications I have tried in those years were Prozac, Effexor, buspar.
They must of made me really manic. When I moved to MI to live with my mom I would get the crying spells where i could not stop crying at all. I would cry for many many hours. I was in such a bad stress house hold that my poor brain could not take it any more and I just cried for hours and days. I would sleep for 13 hours or more sometimes I would sleep the entire day away. It was a good sleep. But I know it was not normal. That was my manic right there. As I went to school things got better and I felt better asl well. And so with I tried to go on some meds and had a bad reaction to zoloft and Ativan. So I gave up meds. I refused to take them because of the dangers it did to me.
So that was my experience.

Sharla

Dear Sharla,
Thanks for sharing.
Those medicines were recipes for disaster.

I'm sorry you had to endure that.

Mari

Yeah No kidding! No wonder I was going through all that crap! I was on the misdiagnosed! And on the wrong meds. lol I am ok. You know come to think of it I am a very TOUGH GIRL if I have endured all of that!
All my life my family told me how I am not tough. But you know what? I AM REALLY TOUGH! Shows how much they know

But I have to say I am tired of having to be a tough girl.
I don't have to be tough any more because I have help and I am healing
You all are

Who knows what causes these things. I guess that's why they have a book call Psychosis and Spirituality where numerous pdocs and similar experts debate these issues. I liked Mari's explanation of sleep paralysis and have, in fact, had various forms of this. I just changed churches to avoid having a complete nervous breakdown for reasons similar to those you cite. Bless you and keep on doing what's good for you. billie

I didn't know that talking loud is a symptom of being bipolar. I talk loud when people are around. I've talked loud until I've lost my voice.

I personally don't believe that you where seeing things. I've heard allot about this kind of thing. If it happens again,quote scriptures,and pray some more.

You are not Nuts. It's also a biochemical problem in the brain,mostly. BF

It's good that the seeing or hearing things have passed. Was that before you were on medication for Bipolar?

I need to go back to church, I need to have more faith.

Anyway, as far as the Electric Shock Therapy, I too would think it would be a last resort. I am really afraid of it, I think it was used much more years ago when some of the medications that we have now, we didn't years ago.

What medications did the p-doc change you to? It takes time for the Dr's and your reactions to meds, to get the right cocktail of meds, so hang in there. Tell your p-doc EVERYTHING.

I am BP II so I am more the depressive side. Although, I have had mania and other things before my diagnosis and medication. I still get loud too.

Keep the faith, it seems to help so many people feel good. Keep posting and let it all out, we are here to listen, support you, and give our experiences with many things we all have been through.

Take care.............thinking and praying for you. You will get through this.

Hugs, NIkko

Yeah I was diagnosed depressed and they told me that I needed anti depressants. So they put me on prozac and effexor and buspar and all that crap that gave me mania real bad. This year I was finally diagnosed properly thank good ness

thank you so much!

Thank you everyone. I think I am going to be ok now that I have a better understanding of what is going on. I feel it is less scary now and I also believe there are ways to help prevent certain manic episodes from happening in the first place. Like I can sort of control it better since I am more educated. I have control over my anxiety attacks to the point, I can drink coffee and other caffeinated things with out having an attack. And if I do have an attack it is seldom, and very small and I do not freak out like i used to.

Thank you all for being so supportive to me and helpful. Thank you for sharing your stories with me and giving me information in which I really did need. I had no idea at one point of my life I went through delusions and some psychosis. And to go with out treatment and lose faith in medicine for years because of all the pain it has done to me. I have to tell you that it took a lot of guts for me to take that Lamictal with out worrying about it doing something strange to my body that may cause me to go nuts or scream bloody murder for no apparent reason. I was scared of having those break downs like I had last time. On zoloft and Ativan I got so panicky that I screamed for my mommy. I was 22. My step-father told me to Shut the H### up and grow up! That was so hurtful to me when he said that because I was so scared and he had no idea what it is like to feel what I was feeling. I was in so much pain that I could not cry. And my skin was turning yellow too. My mom saw my skin was yellow. That day forward I told myself Never take medicine again EVER!
I am glad I can trust medicine again. I feel there is hope again in my life.

Thank you all so much
Sharla

You are a very strong woman.
(((((((HUGS))))))
bizi

I really think this thread should have a trigger icon on it. But it's too late.

On the face of it, ECT does sound bizarre doesn’t it? Who would have ever thought that this was a sensible way to treat a mental disorder? But remember the advances that have been made in medicine. This is not One Flew over the Cuckoo Nest. Yes they make you have a seizure but it’s a controlled seizure and with the muscle relaxers they give you it’s like a twitch. And you’re sound asleep through the whole thing. Sure something’s going on because you hurt like heck the day of treatment but it’s all controlled.

Many doctors believe that severe depression is caused by problems with certain brain chemicals. My pdoc told me ECT causes the release of these chemicals and, probably more importantly, makes the chemicals more likely to work and so help recovery. It’s even been said that ECT can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels in certain areas of the brain.

Why would anyone want to have this treatment? It’s simple:

1. several medications have been tried but have not helped
2. the side-effects of antidepressants are too severe or you can’t take them like I can’t
3. your life is in danger because you are not eating or drinking enough
4. you are trying to kill yourself

It is used for people with severe illness who are very unwell and whose life may be in danger. As with any treatment, ECT can cause a number of side-effects. Some difficulties with memory are probably present in everyone receiving ECT. Yes my memory is not good and I have lost some skills but I’m alive.

Depression can for some people be very severe and life-threatening, with extreme withdrawal and reluctance, or inability to eat, drink or communicate properly. Occasionally people may also develop strange ideas (delusions) about themselves or others.

I’ve had ECTs twice and they’ve saved my life. Maybe it was the last resort but it’s gotten me through the rough patches.

Keep in mind that 15% of people with severe depression will kill themselves eventually, and doctors feel that ECT has saved patients' lives, and so that the overall benefits are greater than the risks. It’s not barbaric, inhumane or immoral and I’m not going to let this upset me because it saved my life and I'm not ashamed either.