Invisible Illness week

[matilda36]

I just found out that this week is dedicated to all those illnesses that while debilitating, aren't "seen". So I decided to take the meme to tell people about my experiences:

1. The illness(es) I live with are: Bipolar disorder.

2. I was diagnosed with it/them in the year: 2007

3. But I had symptoms since: The first big maniac episode I can identify happened in 1994, but minor episodes started happining before. Only... I didn't notice them because i didn't know what to look for.

4. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: To realise that only because I have a mental disorder, my life isn't finished or I am destined to a life of misery.

5. Most people assume: That I am a control freak only because I monitor my moods constantly.

6. The hardest part about mornings is: waking up from my slightly drugged sleep.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: it used to be House, at the moment I am not following any.

8. A gadget I couldn't live without is:my computer.

9. The hardest part about nights is:going out with friends, not being able to stay awake after 11 and not being able to explain that with my meds and my problems I need a lot of sleep.

10. Each day I take: Lamictal, Risperdal and Alprzolam.

11. Regarding alternative treatments, I:tried Shiatsu, Bach flowers remedies (still use Rescue remedy) I went to a chiropractor. Everything helped short term, but not in the long term.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness and a visible one, I would choose: No illness.

13. Regarding working and career: I lost a job I loved because of my illness. I took a job below my abilities because I thought I didn't deserve any better. Now I am starting to build a new career for myself.

14. People would be surprised to know: there is a method to my madness.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality is: that this is not my fault.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness was: laugh.

17. The commercials about my illness: none that I am aware of. But I don't own a television.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed: pulling an all nighter to rest myself.

19. It was really hard to give up: nothing, because my life when i was diagnosed was unbearable. I went in because i was suicidal.

20. A new hobby I've taken up since my diagnosis is:gardening.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again, I would: I don't know, because I have never felt normal.

22. My illness has taught me:That there was a reason for what was happining to me.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say (about my illness) that gets under my skin is: when people talk about craziness as something without pain. And when people uses the word crazy to mean something alien or bad.

24. But I love it when people: love me all the same.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: In the Universe of my madness I have a new theory, people can fly.

26. When someone is diagnosed I like to tell ask them: It's the end of the world as we like it, but i feel fine.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: a new found clarity that led to a review of priorities.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: to make me laugh at my illness. yeah I am looking at you barefoot_starz