Category Archives: Rapid cycling

Hospital at home

Posted on April 6, 2019 by purplepersuasion

Trigger warning: suicidal thoughts and planning A depressing side effect of being a seasoned blogger with a fluctuating condition is that the archive makes it very clear that I go around and around, having better times, then having groundhog day … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, GP, Hospital, Inpatient care, Mental health, Mental health services, Mixed mood, Mood disorder, NHS services, Rapid cycling, Suicidal thought, Suicide, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hospital at home

On having a “carer”

Posted on April 4, 2019 by purplepersuasion

By now I am a veteran at completing application/review forms for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). ESA is for people who are too sick to work, while PIP is to cover extra expenses associated with … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Crisis care, Depression, Employment and benefits, GP, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Rapid cycling, Suicidal thought, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On having a “carer”

The pam fam: the demonisation of benzodiazepines

Posted on September 13, 2018 by purplepersuasion

“Diazepam.” A single word tweet. Regular readers or Twitter followers will know what that meant: I had hit an intolerable level of anxiety which I was managing with a prescribed benzodiazepine. One which I am not only authorised but encouraged … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Depression, Hypomania, Mental health, Mental health services, Mixed mood, Mood disorder, NHS services, Pillshaming, Primary care, Psychiatry, Rapid cycling, Self-management, Social media, Stigma and discrimination, Suicide, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The pam fam: the demonisation of benzodiazepines

Roll with it

Posted on August 19, 2018 by purplepersuasion

This morning I managed to shave my legs. It’s the closest to achieving anything that I have reached in days. Because here am I, depressed again. I’m kind of waiting for my CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) to say “I told … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Depression, Mental health, Mood disorder, Rapid cycling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Roll with it

Trigger, no warning

Posted on May 26, 2018 by purplepersuasion

I feel ambivalent about using the term “triggered” regarding my mental health. It comes from the language around Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and refers to being tripped into a flashback, intrusive thoughts or feelings of distress by some external … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Hypomania, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, Rapid cycling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trigger, no warning

Bed/crisis

Posted on May 4, 2017 by purplepersuasion

In past times when I have been very ill a bed has been found at my local unit – and quickly. I think one was sourced within the day the first time around, and the following day at the start of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Depression, Hospital, Hypomania, Inpatient care, Mental health, Mental health services, Mixed mood, Mood disorder, NHS services, Politics and current affairs, Psychiatry, Rapid cycling, Suicidal thought, Suicide, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bed/crisis

Hurdles

Posted on March 31, 2017 by purplepersuasion

I’m not sure what I am writing here, or why am writing here, other than because I feel awful. I just need to let it out, I suppose. In an ideal world I would have an on-going relationship with a therapist, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Depression, Medication, Mental health, Mood disorder, Rapid cycling, Self-management, Suicidal thought, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hurdles

A life in the day of bipolar mixed mood

Posted on December 12, 2016 by purplepersuasion

It would be so nice if being hypomanic and depressed at the same time meant that they cancelled each other out, if the high would make peace with the low so you could find a place in the middle. Instead they antagonise each other, taking it in … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Christmas, Depression, Family issues, Hypomania, Mania, Mental health, Mixed mood, Mood disorder, Psychosis, Rapid cycling, Self-management, Social media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A life in the day of bipolar mixed mood

Mixed mood

Posted on December 6, 2016 by purplepersuasion

I can’t think of a snappier title for this blog, because mixed mood is where I am at and my brain feels scrambled. For four weeks now my functioning has been disturbed, my mood fluctuating but not actually euthymic (normal) at any … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Depression, Hypomania, Medication, Mental health, Mixed mood, Psychiatry, Rapid cycling, Self-management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mixed mood

Who cares?

Posted on November 17, 2016 by purplepersuasion

I’m wobbly and I should be doing the things that might keep me back on track – so why don’t I care? Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Depression, exercise, Hospital, Hypomania, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, Rapid cycling, Self-management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who cares?