Mood Instability (Schizoaffective disorder) - No support
My mood needs managing. I know I have to wait and that's fine but my current psychologist could at least offer me some support in the mean time. I've not heard from E in weeks and she keeps ignoring my text messages. She promised she'd continue to support me until the referral to the psychosis and mood disorders team came through. But she's not.
I don't have a psychiatrist anymore so I'm making my own changes to my medication to try and keep myself well. I'm taking the whole dose of my anti psychotic in the evening now instead of split dose. I feel better for it and less groggy during the day. If I take it all at night I don't nap and get sleepy and waste the day.
I wonder how long it will be before the new team picks me up. I think I need help. I mean, my psychosis is relatively well controlled. I still hear voices and see things but my psychotic episodes are rare and mild. I can fight back and stay grounded during them without losing myself completely and ending up in hospital.
But my mood. Totally uncontrolled. I go from crushingly suicidal to psychotically manic. From planning ways to end my life to trying to jump of buildings because I think I can fly. I don't know how to cope with it. I don't know how to manage it. I don't want to up my medication anymore but I think I need some support learning how to manage it. Maybe therapy would help rather than medication.
But it could be a while. So I have to wait. And hope nothing bad happens whilst I wait.
What do I do? How do I manage? How do I keep myself safe?
It is a little worrying that you are changing your medication yourself. Although switching between split doses and taking it all at once seems small it can impact on the levels of the medication during the day. Taking it all in one go is more likely to give you peaks and troughs in therapeutic doses during the day and can cause mood instability. Obviously this does depend on the medication in question.
My GP can't help me with psychiatric stuff. SHe just says see your psych. Which I can't do until this referral comes through. If it does.
I feel a lot better now that I've switched the dose taking. know I should have waited to talk to a dr but I was desperate. I was feeling awful during the day taking it in the morning. It's not a mood stabiliser it's my anti psychotic. I take my mood stabiliser at night anyway and always have.
Not in a suicidal way. I'm not threatening to kill myself. But in a more emotional way. I simply don't care. I'm taking risks with my relationship and pushing my boyfriend rather than submitting. For once I'm standing up for myself.
Sorry I was manipulative and upsetting in this thread. I didn't mean to be I was just in a bit of a state! No offence intended.
If you could forgive me I'd like to ask you again for support if that's okay.
So I now have an appointment with my new team on the 10th February. I@m really nervous but I know I need it.
At the moment my mood is elevated. The dr prescribed me clonazepam pretty much as soon as I walked in the door before I even said anything. So I've got that to fall back on but I'm worried about managing this episode. I'm already doing stupid things like lying to my boyfriend and making irrational choices.
I don't know how to handle the uncertainty of a new team. I've not had to work with someone new for over 5 years.
Also, E has not been in contact with me this year at all. Not since november. I was the last to text her. I'm worried about her. What if something bad happened? Do I text her?
How do I manage my mood with no support. I've never been taught any of the skills for managing elevated mood so I don't know what to do.
It's understandable to be anxious about seeing a new team but maybe this will be a positive thing. Maybe they will be able to help, to give a fresh perspective.
If you are worried about E then why not text her? It will perhaps put your mind at ease.
I've never had to deal with mood being too elevated, but I do think you may know some skills, just may not realise it yet.
For instance is knowing your triggers (which I know is not always easy!). So like if you were really low, you'd know that certain things would likely make you worse or would be risky. Just this time it's looking at the other end of the spectrum regarding your mood.
So I guess the question is what makes you more manic? What behaviours tend to get worse when you are manic?
'Cause I'll always remember you the same.
Oh eyes like wild flowers within demons of change ♥
Are they some sort of recovery service? If so, I'm with something similar now.
I know how daunting it is to work with a new team after so long with your previous team. I was with the Early Intervention Team for 4 years and moving to another team was difficult but it's a gradual process.
Will you be getting a CPN, SW or OT? Have you got a care coordinator now?
With me, on my first meeting I meet my new CPN and consultant, they give you an overview of the team. They help with mood regulation and medication reviews. They can refer you to groups they feel will benefit you and therapy.
