Fish Oil for Bipolar Disorder - My Journey
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According to the psychiatric community, I have bipolar 1 with ultra rapid cycling, but I don't take meds anymore. I tried a few different pharmaceutical drug cocktails before I thought 'Now hang on, this totally sucks and what if I NEVER find the right combo of drugs to meet someone elses' definition of normal?'
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Not being on pharma meds is definately NOT for everyone. However, because I choose this way of life, that means I MUST look after my body and my life especially well. To be able to not only exist, but live and thrive with bp and no meds, I MUST get 4 things right MOST of the time; sleep, exercise, diet and fish oil.
I am naturally a night owl, but to get proper sleep I force myself to go to bed at 10.30/11pm every night except once a week on Friday nights, I break ALL the rules and stay up and have an alcoholic drink or two (or 3 or 4 :o) But yeah, that's my once a week break out.
Exercise I get in the form of running every second day (this has started since I quit smoking a month ago woo!) (ahem, update... yes I'm smoking again and running has turned into yoga at least 30 min every second day)
My diet is slowly getting better, forcing myself to eat at least one piece of fruit per day, and I love eating my own organic veges so that makes it easier to get the nutrients I need.
And, tah dah...FISH OIL! This is a WONDER stuff! I first started taking 5ml of liquid fish oil daily approx 5 years ago.
Within the first 5 minutes (I kid you NOT!) I was saying "Is this how balanced most people feel, most of the time?" And this effect continues in the same way even all this time later. Fish oil has removed the 'sobbing-all-day-for-no-reason' days. Thank goodness! It also seems to have taken the edge off the anger in the manic phases too. When I'm manic and hypo manic I don't seem to be as aggressive and 'on edge' I am even waking up less cranky and more able to deal with annoyances first thing in the morning.
I think the fact that I don't swing so far down with the depression, means that I don't have as far to swing back to mania, so even the mania is less severe while I'm taking fish oil.
Please, bp'ers that aren't on meds, get yourself on fish oil TODAY! It's cheap and life changingly worth it! Some places even offer a free trial like Pacific Rim. Just click on the pic to the right and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the free trial :) Despite the name, Pacific Rim fish oil is sourced from the Atlantic Ocean off Norway
The only other thing I have to say is DO IT, DO IT, DO IT because it's a BIPOLAR LIFE CHANGER!
p.s. I was first recommended fish oil by a pdoc, that also put me on a script for meds at the same time. So, I THINK you can still use the fish oil while on meds. I would check with your pdoc first to be sure.
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