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The Urban Key Events Group is looking to partner with health and wellness brands for event Hike 4 The Culture taking place June 19th in the Chicago market.
We offer different levels for sponsorship***
Black Millennials will participate in a hike to promote mental and physical wellness. All while experiencing music, guided meditations and community.
The experience will also host yoga as an added boost of clarity.
For more information email me directly at info@theurbankey.com
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Gained 25 lbs in Q. Now finally lost 26!!! 🙌🏼
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I think because I grew up in a house with mental illness, mental health diagnosis just don't phase me. You have a condition that needs to be treated, that's all. You don't need to tell people, or you can tell people.
If you choose to medicate, I highly recommend ending every night with a journal about your feelings. In the early stages of medication, it can be hard to see how your mood or behaviours might change. By writing it down you can reflect on a pattern and decide if a medication is working for you. Remember meds need about a month to be effective - if you have suicidal thoughts at any time, call your doctor and get off it.
Try adding in exercise daily, a 30 minute walk would be just enough.
Last but not least drink water.
great advice. 🙏❤️
I’m BP1. My advice to you besides taking good care of yourself physically and managing the illness with your professionals is: do not tell anyone - Don’t tell your boss. Don’t tell your coworkers. Don’t tell HR. That information will never be used to help you, only against you. Like it or not there is still a stigma and most people do not understand what bipolar disorder is enough to be sympathetic.
I tell my (close) coworkers who share their mental health struggles with me. I haven’t encountered any blowback from it. But I can see how this could be an issue.
I have bipolar II; it’s managed really well with medication. Are you taking meds?
I’m on meds, yes!.
Felt similarly when I went through this - for me really sticking to a routine, focusing on sleep, limiting binge drinking all contribute to a healthy mind-state
Doesn’t it interact with your meds? That’s what I worry about.
My diagnosis was a relief. I had been treated for depression with antidepressants, which was GREAT until I learned (later) that I was just operating 100% on mania. My BPD II is managed really well with medication (lamictal).
I see the effect more in my personal life. The mood stabilizers stabilize the bad but also the good. Took a hit to the passion/sex drive I had while manic. Also it’s really hard for me to cry now? I’m not SO flat that I need to lower the dosage, but the mania made me productive (working out, etc.). But the depressive bouts and unaliving thoughts just weren’t worth having those peaks. And the mania led to a lot of financial and relationship troubles.
Professionally, the diagnosis and my medication have not really impacted my work that much. I still have depressive episodes, but they’re way better & shorter. I’m probably more productive overall. And I’m not as susceptible to a mistake at work/criticism triggering a depressive spiral. I’m also open about my diagnosis because I it’s important to me to reduce the stigma.
My personal belief - totally anecdotal and not based on stats - is that there are way more of us BPD out there who are being treated for different issues (or not treated at all).
I wish you the best!
Lamictal has been a lifesaver for controlling my BPD (not bipolar, but borderline) 🙏🏼
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I’m sorry OP, bipolar can be tough.
Insurance companies require a diagnosis to cover treatment. So I wouldn’t stress too much about the label, just learn and be aware of the symptoms and appropriately medicate.
I agree with all the above advice - especially maintain good sleep, diet, don’t drink, tell your doc about side effects including suicidal thoughts and weight gain, and be patient as it may take a while to dial in the right meds and doses.
My former husband had severe bipolar 1. He was brilliant but was non compliant with meds. 😢.