The last post was 25 March.  It’s been a long time between weeks!  After the last entry my medication was changed, the diagnosis has remained the same, I don”t have bipolar.  I have been put on new medication which  has started working.  During the Psychiatric appointment I took particular notice of his dietary advice.  These medications are hard on your body (particularly cholesterol). In short, I’m to look after my health.

I took this to heart and started immediately on a meal replacement diet and although losing a few kilos I believe weight loss can be managed better.  Also, I have found replacing 2 meals a day with a drink does little to increase my energy levels.  So I’m going to take a different path. 

The plan is simple and will evolve over time.  To start off with, every day I shall walk 15 minutes.  The key here is the regularity.  I’ve been trying to walk around the block for weeks but weather has prohibited it so, it’s 15 mins on our treadmill daily from now on.  I’ll try and eat healthy but for the next two weeks, the main focus is to keep an accurate record of EVERYTHING I EAT.  It’s in capitals because I’m hopless at it.  I’ll see how I go and if I figure out an easy way to do it, will keep you posted.  In the meantime, this step needs to be noted because I want a clear idea of how I eat and two weeks from now will see a dietician armed with the journal and hopefully will be given a clear direction.

Today is Sunday, the first day of a new week and  I’m trying to take comfort in that.  For the past 20 years I have had a mental illness.  Aged 17 I was diagnosed with schizophrenia, then a little while later bipolar disorder.  For the last 15 years the diagnosis has been schizoaffective disorder and within this past week health professionals are beginning to agree it is bipolar after all.  I know this experience is shared by a lot of people with mental health issues, surfice to say, I have a mental illness that responds to medication and the diagnosis I guess is relative.

For 3 weeks straight I have had a high.  As usual I have spent all my money, joined a number of courses and developed a few business ideas.  These are just some ways my illness manifests itself.  Yesterday morning after 3 weeks of next to no sleep I went to hospital and I am spending a period on valium in addition to my usual medication.  Last night I enjoyed a good sleep and I am thankful my head is now calm.

Frequent highs and lows are something I experience on a regular basis.  At best they are bewildering and exhausting; at worst they are humiliating, tormenting and extremely destructive.  With age I have learned a great deal about coping and making my life as comfortable as possible but, I’m sure there is alot more I could do to lessen the blows and improve my health.  One thing I would always recomend is to write.

For as far back as I can remember I have enjoyed writing.  Keeping journals has mended me and provided a form of therapy, making the toughest times easier to bare. With that in mind I have come up with the idea of keeping a blog to discuss mental health issues conserning what has helped me cope and hopefully could help others.

Mental Illness is frightening, painful and frustrating but it doesn’t need to be a life sentence.  There are things we can do to make it manageble and enjoy a happy, good quality of life.  These things involve a wholistic approach to health.  Having a good diet; avoiding drug use, alcohol abuse and smoking; exercising, and keeping stress to a minimum; are all key factors that make the difference between existing in a seeming prison, and having a pleasureable and more stable existence.

I’m not claiming I ace all these areas.  I’m overweight, my diet is fair at best, I rarely exercise and tend to complicate everything (which is always stressful).  I too want better health, and so the blog doubles as a journal of my road to a healthier state than I experience now.

I hope in the comming months both myself and readers can exchange thoughts and ideas and learn to make mental illness a manageble part of life.  I wish you all the best and look forward to writing next week.