I sat in The Chair all summer long. I only left the house for therapy/psych appointments, and those were scheduled on the same day or one day apart because I still can only manage to shower once a week...sometimes. I did not drive because my brain could not handle the speed of it, so I had others ferry me back and forth to my appointments. On the rare occasion that I did drive, I had someone with me, just in case.
Over the last several weeks I have titrated my dose of Depakote up to 1500 mgs daily. My side effects are mild and not enough to cause me to discontinue the drug. My once thick hair has thinned, but it's not horrible. I have stomach pain on occasion, but that is usually solved by drinking more water or taking my meds with food. I have gained a considerable amount of weight, but am working to take it off. I still continue to take valium, as needed, for severe anxiety/panic. My psych doc added Zoloft this week to assist with that and depression. I think we are on the right track pharma-wise because I do feel better ... more even. However, I did have a week-long manic episode a couple of weeks ago. I did not sleep for almost 100 hours (over 4 days), spent $2,000 on crap that I did not need or use (all of it was returned), and acted out in other ways that are not worth mentioning here. I did the smart thing and managed to call my therapist and psych doc and they helped to bring me back down.
I do have angry outbursts on occasion, but those have greatly reduced.
Things are better on the depression side. It has been several weeks since my last episode of suicidal ideation.
While I still encounter hurdles along the way, I am improving. The Chair has been replaced with a tidy living area. I am engaged in the workings of my home. We are moving in the right direction with medications. The main concerns at this time are my weight and fear of leaving my home. I told my psych doctor that walking outside felt so expansive - as though gravity had lost it's ability to hold me fast on the Earth. Of course this fear has developed because of my extended in-home stay, so I do my best to get outside and take a few additional steps each time I venture out.
The good:
Meds are working
Moods are more even
Self harm has greatly reduced and is almost gone
Need improvement:
Self care
Overcoming fears / anxiety / panic / frustration / anger
