The “Holy Grail” of Medications
Finding the “Holy Grail” of Medications
It is up to each of us to push the limits of our medications in order to find the “sweet spot” where we are mentally sharp and focused; have plenty of get up and go, a positive attitude, and no bipolar symptoms; and are happy with ourselves and our lives.
This isn’t easy by a far stretch. It would be awesome if the first time you are prescribed medicine to treat your bipolar illness, the medicine worked great, suppressed your symptoms, and kept you from having future bipolar episodes. However, this is rarely the case, and it is more likely that adjustments will need to be made to your medications as time goes on. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks in making changes. You don’t want medications to make you feel mediocre; you want them to make you feel great!
What are the steps involved in finding the “Holy Grail” of medication to treat your bipolar illness?
The most important thing to remember is that while medication is the foundation of bipolar disorder treatment, therapy and self-help strategies also play huge roles. You can help control your bipolar symptoms by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating right, monitoring your moods, keeping stress to a minimum, and surrounding yourself with supportive people. Living with bipolar disorder is challenging. But with medication, healthy coping skills, and a solid support system, you can live fully while managing your symptoms.
Tips for managing your medications:
1) Strive to find the best combination of medicines to treat your disease just as heart patients or cancer patients search for the right medicines to treat their disease.
2) Learn to monitor yourself closely and keep an eye out for bipolar symptoms daily.
3) Collaborate with your psychiatrist regarding the medications. Communicate your exact symptoms and how the disease is affecting you to your psychiatrist. This will help him or her prescribe the best medication for you.
4) Learn how to rate your medications and tweak the dosages based on how you feel mentally and physically. Tweaking the dosages of your medications as well as knowing when to go off of a particular medication is a skill as well as an art form. You are the judge, jury, and victim when it comes to whether your medications are working and working well.
“Laugh Your Laugh”
Personally, I know I have found the “Holy Grail” of medications for treating my bipolar illness if laughter is in my life. Not just smiles and chuckles, but to Roar with laughter and “Laugh my Laugh”. It happened the other day for the first time in a long, long time, and I hope it happens again soon. I added a new medication about a month ago, and have been ramping up the dosage trying to find the “optimal dose”. This medicine seems to be helping.
Best of Success,
Troy Gillem
