There’s More to Being Lively than Eating Right and Exercising
Being a lively woman means taking care of your whole self, not just your body. That means making time for your emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs — and being sure that those parts of you are healthy, too. For me, it’s meant taking an active role in my mental health.
For what seems like my whole life, I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety, crazy mood swings, irrational fears I just couldn’t shake, and hurtful bad habits (like picking at my skin until it bleeds). Last fall, I finally got to the point where I simply couldn’t take it anymore! I decided that it was time to get help. I started seeing a psychiatrist, who put me on Zoloft to ease my depression and smooth out my anxiety. I also started seeing a therapist (whom I’ve mentioned before) on a weekly basis. And while that was going on, I decided that the best course of action was to get a full psychological evaluation to figure out exactly what I was dealing with and to use as a tool for my treatment.
Yesterday, I got the results:
Bipolar I Disorder and Obsessive-Complusive Disorder, with a little ADHD and some Personality Disorder thrown in for fun.
I can’t say I’m thrilled to be a walking mental health textbook, but I’m relieved to learn that it’s not all in my head. Well, scratch that, it is all in my head, but at least I’m not crazy. Okay, scratch that, too, but at least I know I’m not making it up. (Yes, that was supposed to be funny, and it’s okay to laugh at me. I do find humor in potentially stressful situations, and you should, too, because it’s good for you.)
So where do I go from here? Well, I’m already on the right track with meds and therapy, so I’m going to continue utilizing those tools moving forward. I’m also going to work with my psychiatrist to see if there are complementary or replacement meds that might help me deal with a wider spectrum of my symptoms. I’m also going to sit down and take stock of what parts of my life I want to improve, and work with my therapist to come up with a game plan to work on those items one at a time.
Right now, I’m trying to work on letting myself be imperfect, which is really hard for me. (Perfectionism is one of my OCD things, of course.) I’m also reveling in the fact that most of history’s creative geniuses were bipolar, so this bodes well for my career. (Yes, another joke, feel free to giggle a little.) And I’m trying to focus on how much easier it’s going to be to deal with the things that make me struggle now that I have some kind of context for them.
How are you caring for your mental health?
Tags: bipolar, disorder, Health, medication, meds, Mental health, obsessive-compulsive, OCD, psychiatrist, therapist, therapy, woman, women, Womens-Health, ZoloftRelated Stories
POSTED IN: A Slice of Kristen's Lively Life, Anxiety, Depression, Encouragement, Health, Inspiration, Mind, Spirit, Stress, Wellness
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19 opinions for There’s More to Being Lively than Eating Right and Exercising
Karen Mary Lynch
Jan 16, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Whoa, what a day for you. The good news is … think of all the articles in your future as you learn to deal with all that!
What am I doing for my mental health? Hmmmm … good question.
Diane
Jan 16, 2007 at 9:05 pm
I know SO many people with OCD and Bipolar Disorder, and depression, anxiety, OCD and ADHD run in my family. I have been on Cymbalta for some time now, but haven’t had therapy in YEARS. I seem to be doing okay, and glad you are on the right track.
I know it’s tough. Many people don’t realize how serious mental health is, and many still feel it is all “made up” by the sufferer. I wanted you to know I totally empathize with you, however. (Isn’t it weird that something like 70% of writers have a mental disorder of some type??)
Kristen King
Jan 16, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Thanks for the support, you two! Diane, I was on Cymbalta for about 6 months and was miserable with it. It made me sleep about 16 hours a day, and I even found myself falling asleep in meeting and sitting at my desk at work! It was awful. Then I switched to Wellbutrin, which I liked but which reduced my fine motor skills considerably (translation: no more chopsticks at the sushi bar).
Evidently mental illness correlates highly with creativity. So I guess it has an up side!
kk :]
Christie
Jan 16, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Kristen, I have endometriosis and beyond the physical pain, the mental side effects (depression, mood swings, etc.) have an enormous impact on my life. Nine years after my diagnosis I’m still learning to cope.
You are right, one of the best things I’ve done is given myself permission to be less than perfect. Sometimes this means the floor doesn’t get mopped, or like today, it means I turn down freelance work that I would otherwise take on without hesitation.
Thanks for being open about real life — here and at inkthinker.
Kristen King
Jan 16, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Christie, good for you for turning something negative (and painful!) into something positive — allowing yourself to have boundaries!
And thank you for visiting my blogs.
kk :]
Renee
Jan 17, 2007 at 12:19 am
isn’t exercise supposed to help with your mental health? at any rate…here’s another comment. :D
Katharine
Jan 17, 2007 at 12:30 am
Kristen, you go, girl! Thank you for speaking out.
I’ve been caring for my mental health for several years by taking Paxil for my depression and having my husband’s, one of my son’s, and my father-in-law’s ADHD and that one son’s depression diagnosed and treated by meds and therapy. (My father-in-law’s disorder affects me because he and my mother-in-law live in my home).
This has lessened the stress on everyone around my house considerably!
Kristen King
Jan 17, 2007 at 12:51 am
Thanks, Renee!
K, I think there’s a real stigma surrounding medication, and there just shouldn’t be. It’s true that people are often over-medicated or prescribed the wrong kind of medication but don’t know enough to speak up about the side effects they’re experiencing, and that’s really unfortunate because that’s what gives folks the impression that meds leave you “drugged up” or “don’t work.” If you get the right one(s), there’s a very high likelihood of success.
And taking medication at one time doesn’t mean that you’ll take it forever. Sometimes a period of chemical correction is necessary to allow a person to learn new behaviors to deal with their particular issues without being held back by physical imbalances. With a full continuum of care, people can often reduce or eliminate medication once they’ve learned appropriate coping skills.
Given my family history of mental symptoms (isn’t that a nice way to put it?), I’m not particularly optimistic that I’ll be able to just say goodbye to meds anytime soon, but that’s okay. The point is to be able to live my life and feel human instead of just going through the motions and feeling miserable. If taking a few pills is going to let me be the person I’ve always wanted to be and always known I could be, well then, sign me up.
kk :]
Kathy
Jan 17, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Well Gals, you can count me in as another writerly type who suffers from some of these disorders. I’ve struggled with anxiety on and off throughout my life, but not debilitatingly so until I hit my 30s. (I definitely think there’s a hormal connection involved because my turmoil flares right before my cycle each month, and this may be something you could consider addressing in a future article, Kristen.) This past year, following the death of three close family members, I suffered my first bout with severe depression (emotional trauma always sets my bouts off). Unfortunately, my AD is not providing me with much relief (tired most of the time and still depressed much of the time). I had always been one of those people who stigmatized medication. I truly believed it was all about placebo effect, nothing more, and so I really struggled with the idea of taking the pills two medical professionals recommended. My notions have changed *somewhat* but because my first experience has been less than effective, I’m still on the fence. Those of you who have found relief through medication give me hope, but I just don’t want to be a medication guinea pig. I’ve found counseling to not work very well for me either. In fact, I stopped going because I felt it was making things worse. All that said, if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to email me. I’d give my right arm to feel like *me* again, but realize some of my depression is also grief and that I just need to give myself some time to heal.
Cheryle
Jan 17, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Dear Kristen,
Balance is necessary for healthy living.
Moderation in all things. How much sleep are
you getting at a regular time each evening?
Fresh air and PLAY, never stopped being a good
thing. Having people to talk to only helps if
you are not overloading your personal time for
music, prayer, meditation, painting or putting
a puzzle together at a regular and faithful time
of your TOO BUSY schedule each day.Timing,not
TIME should be posted near your computer.Reschedule your activities and watch how
much better you feel in less than ten days. Work
isn’t EVERYTHING and neither is fame. Your health
comes second… (God is first and last>)
Cory
Jan 18, 2007 at 7:15 am
Kristen,
Thanks for being so open about your personal issues, and for inspiring others to do the same.
I think we full-time freelancers especially need to be careful with regard to maintaining balance in our lives, and thus a healthier mental state and perspective on the world. It’s easy to work at home all day and not interact with people other than electronically. Thank goodness for puppies and kittens! (OK, and husbands, too.)
When even puppies and kittens can’t cheer me up, I take Lexapro, at a very small dosage. It’s been helpful in reducing my anxiety and general in-my-head-too-much-ness, but those are traits that make me me and give me my edge, so I’m reluctant to mitigate them too much.
Ah, life! Thanks again for writing about important subjects in such an approachable way. You are such a fabulous writer!
Cheers,
C
Devon Ellington
Jan 18, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Glad you’re taking action on it, and aren’t just content to swallow truckloads of drugs because someone’s willing to write a perscription.
And yes, all those jokes WERE funny, and you’re allowed to have a sense of humor about yourself — it speeds healing. Isn’t there some study about that?
Mental health — yoga and meditation. The best thing for my mental health will be the relocation, getting out of this toxic living environment, which will never get better because of the scumbags involved.
Hmm, I think I might still be dealing with some of that anger I mentioned the other day. What do you think? ;)
Seriously, you’re taking wonderful, active steps to improve your life and I support you all the way.
Dana
Jan 25, 2007 at 4:20 am
We can be OCD together, then. I love your honesty!
I care for my mental health as naturally as possible. Vitamins, mental exercises, liquor. (I kid!) My family has a serious history of mental illness and I seem to have escaped most of it except the aforementioned.
Kristen King
Jan 25, 2007 at 4:30 am
I’ve got some catching up to do on comments!
Kathy, welcome to the party. It appears that you’re in very good company!
Cheryle, very wise words. Balance is key to life, and it’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day minutae that things like eating and sleeping seem somehow expendable, and they’re not. Great comments.
Cory, I’m so glad you stopped by. You were such a big help to me when I made the transition to full-time freelancing, and I always appreciate your friendship and your support! You’re a class act, kid!
Devon, nice to know at least somebody thinks I’m funny! ;] I think it’s all about knowing the difference between good selfish and bad selfish, and being good selfish when it counts.
Dana, I never thought I’d say this about a woman who put “Satan pants” (jeez, I laugh every time I think about that story!) on her children, but you seem pretty darn normal to me! Except for the bandit thing, anyway. ;]
Thanks, all, for commenting and for sharing your stories. Your support and your empathy are so encouraging!
kk
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Sandie Law
Jun 5, 2008 at 10:33 pm
You are indeed in good company. I’ve been struggling with depression since MonkeyBoy was born. Mine is SO not bipolar though…I got to the point where I was sleeping 16-18 hours a day and had nearly completely withdrawn from family and friends.
Keep tabs on the drugs and talk to your doctor and therapist if they’re not working well or if the side effects get bad. I am on my sixth attempt with medication. I’ve taken Prozac, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Effexor, Cymbalta again, and now Wellbutrin and Zoloft combined.
The only good news is that the Wellbutrin and Zoloft are available in generics and are COMPLETELY covered by my insurance. So I’ve gone from paying $300 a month for depression medication to paying nothing. That alone is reason to smile, right?
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