1. < Mental Health

Bipolar and ideas of how to help ourselves beyond medication

Posted by healthytoday @healthytoday, Dec 10, 2018

Bipolar, I decided no matter what, I could study it, and get to know it. From there, I added vitamins (especially B and omega3. I felt better. Also, activity and funny movies helped. There are so many things I could do besides medication. I do have the milder form of it and have seem family members with a more severe illness. Meds are a life saver at certain times, and I was put on prozac back in the 1990's for 7 years that helped me get through my teaching career. At that time I needed "the big boys" to help with the heavy lifting, but being retired I rely on life style and not on any psy. agents. What a struggle. Anyone have simple ideas that help? Oh, I did find good coffee a boost against depression, but since my heart abif no more caffeine....: (...but dark chocolate is okay. I do miss coffee. I love beautiful music really can raise my mood. Once a therapist suggested a sad movie once a week to bring on a good cry. Tears release toxins. What else can we do for ourselves?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Mental Health Support Group.

healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @windwalker "@healthytoday Marvelous artwork! All yours? I especially like the embedded coke bottle cactus wall." + (show)
@windwalker

@healthytoday Marvelous artwork! All yours? I especially like the embedded coke bottle cactus wall.

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Thanks, yeah, mine. The saguaro coke bottles was one of the bathroom walls in the earthship house we built in Cibola County, NM. My point is to show my need to express myself artistically which I think is part of my bi-polar and ADHD make up.

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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @gailb "@healthytoday I found out that if I posted photos from my phone, they all were sideways...." + (show)
@gailb

@healthytoday

I found out that if I posted photos from my phone, they all were sideways. Post your photos from a computer and they will be upright.😉

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These were from my computer....hummmm. Even rotating them brought them up at the sideways position. Here I am leaning sideways in a rock cave at Valley of Fire park in Nevada. And it's coming up sideways. Haha. In this photo it doesn't matter. I think there is an error in the code writing on the website.
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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @healthytoday - Thanks for sharing these cacti photos. Did you take your photo using your..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, @healthytoday - Thanks for sharing these cacti photos. Did you take your photo using your cellphone? One of our Connect members, @johnbishop, has mentioned the following about photos appearing sideways: I've had the same problem with images being rotated sideways when I snapped the picture holding my phone in the normal vertical orientation like when you are talking on it. If you take the photo with your phone in the horizontal orientation, the photo will appear normal when you upload it to Connect. You can also fix it on a computer by opening it with an image program and rotating it 90 degrees.

Since it appears you are an artist, @healthytoday, I'd like to recommend you check out this Connect thread, "Art for Healing," when you have a moment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/art-for-healing. @windwalker is also an artist, by the way.

I also wanted you to get to meet @hopeful33250 @gailb @parus, who are very involved in a number of discussions in the Mental Health and Depression & Anxiety groups.

In addition to art, you mentioned an interest in massage. I also go to a local school to get massages from students. I've found it is not only helpful with kinks and tension in my body, but also seems helpful for general relaxation and self-care, which help elevate my mental health. Have you found that massage helps with your bipolar disorder in any way?

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Massage helps my mood a lot, and I think it has to do with the beta-endorphin release as I understand it. Shiatsu massage has oriental understandings which I find quite helpful. I won't go into greater detail since I'm not an expert on the subject, but people can study the benefits online re various styles of therapeutic massage.

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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @windwalker "@healthytoday Stunning photos of the desert. I used to live in Tucson, Az. for almost 20..." + (show)
@windwalker

@healthytoday Stunning photos of the desert. I used to live in Tucson, Az. for almost 20 yrs.

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This is the cacti garden at the Mayo Clinic Phoenix Campus. It's so beautiful reinforcing exercising in beauty.

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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018

More pictures of natural beauty of the Southwest. Hiking in nature at state parks makes my heart feel better. Also, re massage, a type called lymph drainage is very helpful if you retain water as I often do from a weak heart. This method helps eliminate extra fluid causing one to drop a pound. A happy outcome.
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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @healthytoday "Hay Mayo Folks, why are these sideways?" + (show)
@healthytoday

Hay Mayo Folks, why are these sideways?

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I JUST DISCOVERED IF I CLICK ON THE PHOTO IMAGE, IT COMES IN OKAY....??? SO, CLICK ON IT....

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healthytoday | @healthytoday | Dec 15, 2018

Hope I'm not getting to manic in sharing! Anyway, Cacti Garden at Phoenix Campus with Scott who stood by me during heart failure CLICK ON PICTURE TO TURN IT ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE UP.
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Lisa Lucier | @lisalucier | Dec 15, 2018

Hi, @healthytoday - I'd also like to bring into this conversation @iwishiwasanon, who recently joined Mayo Clinic Connect and has an interest in mental health issues. I believe you two have met in another discussion.

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Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Dec 15, 2018
In reply to @healthytoday "Hay Mayo Folks, why are these sideways?" + (show)
@healthytoday

Hay Mayo Folks, why are these sideways?

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@healthytoday and @lisalucier -- saved photos to my computer, viewed, rotated and uploaded again. Really beautiful shots of cactus. One of my favorite accounts when I was working for IBM while living in California was Johnson Cactus Gardens in Paramount, CA.
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9119 | @9119 | Dec 17, 2018
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @healthytoday - Thanks for sharing these cacti photos. Did you take your photo using your..." + (show)
@lisalucier

Hi, @healthytoday - Thanks for sharing these cacti photos. Did you take your photo using your cellphone? One of our Connect members, @johnbishop, has mentioned the following about photos appearing sideways: I've had the same problem with images being rotated sideways when I snapped the picture holding my phone in the normal vertical orientation like when you are talking on it. If you take the photo with your phone in the horizontal orientation, the photo will appear normal when you upload it to Connect. You can also fix it on a computer by opening it with an image program and rotating it 90 degrees.

Since it appears you are an artist, @healthytoday, I'd like to recommend you check out this Connect thread, "Art for Healing," when you have a moment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/art-for-healing. @windwalker is also an artist, by the way.

I also wanted you to get to meet @hopeful33250 @gailb @parus, who are very involved in a number of discussions in the Mental Health and Depression & Anxiety groups.

In addition to art, you mentioned an interest in massage. I also go to a local school to get massages from students. I've found it is not only helpful with kinks and tension in my body, but also seems helpful for general relaxation and self-care, which help elevate my mental health. Have you found that massage helps with your bipolar disorder in any way?

Jump to this post

Could anyone help with finding a good psychiatrist that takes Medicaid? I had good insurance but lost my job from my condition of pain and anxiety . I did CT scan for 6 yrs and my life feel apart. Now I am on Medicaid, can't work and the system is so unhelpful. Please reach out to me, I want to feel good again

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