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Posted 6/3/2010 9:23 AM (GMT 0)

How do you know if you are making a good decision?  idea

How do I know what to say and what not to.  When my BP takes over I find it hard to work out what is a good decision.  I feel if I stop myself from reacting on things, it only builds up and makes things worse. 

Am I best to hold it in an hope that it will pass - but it wont be long till I will be back in the same spot again.  Or let it out and take a little of the stress off but then hope that it doesn't come back to bite me. 

Posted 6/3/2010 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
I have learned after much trial and error that i feel certain ways when i am BP depresssed and when i am BP manic. Each has certain "Calling cards" that i look for. Like if i start thinking about searching for sex on the internet and feel myself drawn that way i know i am entering a manic phase and need to take extra of my meds. When i am BP depressed i feel like getting out of my relationship, daydream about being alone and single again, just dumping the responsibilties of life in general. THen i take some anti depressant to help me thru that stage.

When i am feeling either of these ways i never make any big decisions in my life. Even the small ones i take a good hard look at. "Lets see happy meal number 2 or number 4 and do i supesize???? " LOL LOL LOL

Thats just me.

Bill
Posted 6/4/2010 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hey only-me,

Good decision making is such a good topic for living with this illness! When I'm feeling the extremes (depressed or manic) decision making should be off the table completely. However, with this illness sometimes we don't control things the best, in fact it seems like we can't control our decisions at all. I agree with Bill. We should really make an effort to acknowledge where we're at in these times and accept that we need to leave that decision for another time when we are feeling well (if possible). If something comes up in my life where I need to make a fast decision and I'm dealing with symptoms all at the same time, I think of my symptoms and put them up against what I am feeling. For example, if I am trying to decide whether to spend money that I don't have on something I don't really need....and I'm manic...I go through my mind and tell myself, that I am in a manic state and and I need to put the item back and walk out of the store and go home. I remind myself that I will actually feel better driving away knowing I did the right thing for my health. Another way to look at it would be, perhaps it's an item I could buy later down the road and take peace in knowing that. Not sure if I'm making sense.

They key is to try and not make big decisions when experiencing symptoms (like wise bill said). It comes down to you really knowing this illness, how it works and its consequences and what you need to do to battle and help yourself be well.

Great topic, best to you,

Mogs. 

Posted 6/4/2010 2:57 AM (GMT 0)

Sometimes a mood swing will empower me to make a bold decision that I wouldn't ordinarily make, or at least act on.  Most of these are not necessarily imulses, but things that I've wanted or considered over time (years) but never could quite do.

I wait.  I'll often fill an online shipping cart, come back to it a few hours later and decide not to buy it.

For big decisions, waiting is the way to go.  I wait a month and a half.  That way I know I'm not being influenced by hormones or by mood.

I write it out on paper.  I summon the left (logical) half of my brain and work it through.  I ask myself what I would do if emotion was not involved.

I have a very close friend that I can ask for feedback.  My sister, and my SO for sounding boards also.

I am thankful that I am a fairly inhibited person, and these habits give me more of a safety net.

But in general, how do you know you are making a bad decision?  You don't... until you regret it.  :(

Posted 6/4/2010 6:25 AM (GMT 0)
When I am at the high end of depression, I put off all major decisions because my judgement is clouded by the depression, almost always if I happen to make a decision when I am depressed, I regret it. Here are some of the off the wall decisions I find compelling to make when depressed: Sell my horse, because I have lost interest in him ( loss of interest in things= symptom of depression): divorce my husband of 42 years (I want to isolate); quit work and sell my business (I am a crummy counselor and don't derserve to be successful)....well, you get the idea. Not one of those decisions would I even consider making when in a better mood.
Try to hold off on manic decisions simply because they are usually expensive and I regret doing it. For me, one of the hardest parts of being BP, is finding a time I can trust myself enough to make a good decision.
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