Lost yet another friend

First of all I am sooo sorry.........and I want to give you a big

Having a mom w/ skitzophrenia I have witnessed first hand the social impact a disease like this can cause....ecspecially when others are ignorant to it....

I just want you to know this IS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!!

That being said...I wanted to ask if you had tried any eastern philosophy or homeopathic treatment for Bipolar.....

I myself have dabbled in herbalism....and have in fact taken courses w/ a few renouned herbalists and spiritual healers........

And I have a few suggestions for you........I had a good friend who was dealing w/ bi-polar disorder....His meds, regular exercise, and a good diet were not cutting it for him....so he turned to a more natural way ......He found that a combo of Valerian, st Johns wart, and chamomille really helped him.........

Also w/ what Bi-polar disorder is...I think spiritually you need to find ballance...Once you find a ballance spiritually, you will be able to achieve that ballance physically........

I would obtain a few rose and crystal quartz and place them around your house....also I would keep one of each on you at all times.....cleaning them everyday....to wash away any negativity they collect......Both these rocks are known to absorb negative energy....I really think it may help...........

My other suggestion would be to get sage oil.....and dab some around your house....Not only does it smell good, but it does cleans......And i think thats really what you need a good spiritual cleansing.....

You may think I am out of my mind....and maybe you dont believe in this kinda hocus pocus......But I am here to Gauruntee you that Western Medicine DOES NOT know everything........And that a mix between east and west is essential to everyones health......

I have had to very big events happen in my life where modern medicine could not help and was completly healed my herbs and rocks...and the such........Though I wont go into detail about them here since I dont want to take away from your thread........

However if you dont totally think I am out of my mind and want more suggestions....or if ya just want someone to talk to I am always here to PM........

In anycase I hope you will be feeling better soon.....and that I am sending my prayers your way......

I'm sorry to hear that! We're still your friends!!

Thanks everyone, for your support -- it means so much to me.

Bridget, some of the things you mentioned absolutely make sense. I too feel I need to reconnect spiritually. I am going to work on that. Thanks.

This thread has brought up a lot of emotions for me. Gary and I adopted an older teen daughter last year - she'd fallen out of the foster care system and was a drug addict living on the streets. After getting clean and some rehab, she was subsequently diagnosed as a bipolar, manic depressive, paranoid schitzophrenic. Talk about a genetic burden! Medication helped a lot - but therapy played an important role. Until she turned back to drugs...

You've obviously overcome the most important hurdle in dealing with your disease - you are not in denial. And while medication can help, it is so not the only answer!

I do agree with Susan - true friends are willing to see through the emotional ups and downs. That being said, now that you've lost such an important relationship, I think you really should consider finding a support group to help you through this difficult time. It is so important to be with others who intimately understand the frustration of the mood swings, the lack of control at times, of feeling like you've let people you care about down, of feeling like people you care about have let YOU down... Having a support network, whether it is a therapist or a group, can really help you through the more difficult times your disease throws at you.

No matter how "difficult" you can be, you are obviously a wonderful, warm and caring person, and you're struggling to deal with the emotional handicap you were burdened with. Don't feel you have to fight it alone!

Lots of hugs are coming from me Jenn....: . If you need someone to talk to. Please please do not hesitate to PM me or IM me. My Yahoo im is under my post count indicator. Take care hon .

Jenn, I'm sorry to hear that your friend has acted in this manner. As Susan said, perhaps she wasn't a true friend after all. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions here, and I just want to add that you have lots of friends here who care about your well-being, and recognize that you're doing your best to cope with what life dealt you.

Wow, thanks so much everyone. I appreciate all these caring responses more than you know. I feel privileged to be part of such a genuinely caring community.

I don't have any concrete suggestions for you, Jenn, but I just wanted to come in and add a

I am so sorry Jen - I know it is one of the hardest things knowing that what you thought was a true friend was actually a not so true friend.

But you do have friends here that do care about you and love you.

First off:

Secondly, I know what its like to lose a good friend: It sucks. I lost someone I considered a really good friend about 5 years ago. When we moved in together, she had forgotten to tell me that the friendship had ended a year ago. So I was a little .
Anyhoo, after I was done fuming, I realised that although I treasured the years we had, we both had grown apart. It sucked, I cried and really do have some trust issues towards friendships today because of it. I finally came to terms with the friendship ending though, realising that some people just aren't meant to be in our lives forever.

I'm sorry to hear that she blamed it on you being bi-polar. Some people really honestly don't know how to cope with that stuff. They don't understand that not everyone is happy go lucky everyday of the week and that's what being a friend is all about: being there for the other person.

I'm sorry that you have to deal with the weight of losing this friend, in addition to the already heavy burden of Bipolar Disorder. Sending you many hugs, you obviously have the support of all of us here at TCS!

I read your post and I felt like crying for you. It's hard when you're down to have bad things happen. Let your thoughts shift from your friend to this thread and all the people wishing you well here. I'm sending lots of good thoughts your way.

I would look to see if there are any support groups in your area.
It sounds like you need a few new friends who understand your illness.
I think you are better off without your so called friend. Friends don't do that to one another.

My mother has bipolar disorder and by choice prefers to be alone (has allienated many friends and relatives). She still has my aunt and my sisters and I to do things with, but it would be nice if she had a life outside the family - to take the pressure/guilt off our shoulders of having to ask her to do things with us (like coming along on our family vacations).

Hang in there.

Thanks again for all your caring words and thoughts.

Today I went to gym and worked off a lot of stream, but have a massive headache, so tonight I'm just going to lay low.

The hardest thing about this is that this "friend" knows I'm all alone in the city. I'm also not close with any of my family, at all. I've been estranged from my mother for years, my father is deceased, and the last time I spoke to my brother was to tell him about my diagnosis. He hasn't spoken to me since.

I do have one close friend left, who lives a couple of hours north of the city, and she treats me like a sister. But she is also a social worker/psychiatric nurse so she understands my illness. She's older than me, and has been a great mentor. So at least I have her as a friend.

And of course, I have all of you here. Thanks.

Hi Jen,

Me and the herd are sending
I have a niece who was diagnosed bipolar several yrs ago-she went through some rough times, hooked up with a couple guys who weren't the best for her but produced two wonderful children. She is doing ok-has been in a pretty steady relationship with an older guy for a few yrs now and I think that has helped.
I'm a tell it like it is kind of person-sometimes that has caused problems but hey if someone asks my opinion I'm going to tell it.
Since my office closed I have not had lots of contact with my ex-coworkers, being in the country not many neighbors so I rely on DH and my mom for conversations. Plus TCS. Oh and all those strangers I talk to in the grocery store-I'm just so chatty!!!
But feel free to pm me and I can talk about any number of useless topics.

Take care.

BTW only a half of bag of chocolate?????

Originally Posted by Nebula11

That being said...I wanted to ask if you had tried any eastern philosophy or homeopathic treatment for Bipolar.....

I myself have dabbled in herbalism....and have in fact taken courses w/ a few renouned herbalists and spiritual healers........

And I have a few suggestions for you........I had a good friend who was dealing w/ bi-polar disorder....His meds, regular exercise, and a good diet were not cutting it for him....so he turned to a more natural way ......He found that a combo of Valerian, st Johns wart, and chamomille really helped him.........

Also w/ what Bi-polar disorder is...I think spiritually you need to find ballance...Once you find a ballance spiritually, you will be able to achieve that ballance physically........

Click to expand...

I am a psych nurse who used to work for a doctor of alternative medicine. If you want to try any herbal medications or supplements, please check with your MD first. Sometimes things will interact. Like I have read studies about St Johns Wort...it is effective for mild depression, but has similar side effects to Zoloft. So it is a less effective treatment with similar side effects. While St Johns Wort may be a great option for someone with mild depression, on no other meds, someone with severe depression or taking other medications may have trouble with it. By discussing it with your MD, you will have less chance of interactions. Or if they occur, your doc will have a better idea of how to treat it.

There is another anti-anxiety herb that interacts with klonopin...but I am pretty certain it was not valerian. I can't really speak to the stones...except to say that they certainly cannot hurt. And the beauty of trying them would be that if they do work, you would see the benefit, right?

And as a Christian, I would encourage anyone to pay attention to their spiritual side. If you were raised in or believe in a particular faith, that could be the place to start. Just like we can't ignore our physical needs, we shouldn't ignore our spiritual or psychological needs, either.

We have talked before, and you know I am always here for you!! I am sorry to hear about the ignorance of your friend. The same thing happened to me a couple weeks ago... Keep your head up. Also, try reading self help/spirital books. I just started doing this, even though I dislike reading and am not very good at it. It has helped a lot!

You are all so amazing! I see so much kindness and compassion. Thank you all so much for your genuine concern.

Becky, I am taking 4 psych meds (Klonopin/Clonazepam is 1 of them), so I definitely won't take herbal stuff due to possible contraindications. But yes, I do believe I need to take care of my spiritual self, and will be working on that more now.

Sending big hugs and warm snuggles your way, Jenn!

Jen,
No advice or suggestions from me.
I'm just so sorry to hear that you're going through this. I know how it feels to loose an important friendship. Big hugs and lots of healing thoughts going your way.
Take care of you, and know that you're cared for, even if it is from a distance.