Bipolar Disorder & Hair Care

[chiconya]

Thank you so much for this thread. This is not something that I have but two of my very close relatives do and hearing you ladies talk about your experiences has helped me so much more with my understanding. My one relative will go through phases where she just seems to not be taking care of herself; her room is a mess, her hair is not done, she'll walk around for half the day in night clothes.
Reading your responses has made me think a lot about my behavior in dealing with her in this. I have been trying to encourage her by telling her she needed to put herself on a schedule and to just be more productive. To be honest, sometimes it has frustrated me to see her living like this and I have silently accused her of laziness. I think that even though I have always known that it is an illness, I haven't really known how real it is until hearing other people talk about dealing with the same feelings.
So many people are scared to talk about these types of disorders and there is such a stigma attached that not only do the people dealing not know to get treated, the people around them also don't understand. Again, I am very grateful for your honesty.

It is a learning curb at least you are taking notice dealing with bi-polar it is a learning experience for me.

 

[chiconya]

Everything thing in bold agree with you 100%....i honestly understand where you are coming from and what you are talking about

I too believe in God's Kingdom....and sometimes when i do have a downward spiral i don't care if i make it...as long as i helped somebody else get there...ya know?....I can be so hard on myself....but He keeps reminding me and showing me He hasn't left me.

Sometimes my life feels like a sci-fi action movie with drama...and comedy. But most ppl think i;m just dramatic the way i explain things....but thats JUST HOW IT ALL HAPPENS!!...and its so AWESOME!!! To see God's hand actually work right in front of you!....its amazing...nowadays they wanna call stuff like this delusional and psychtic....but there's a very thin line for me as to what is psychosis and what is really real...bc the Bible does not lie...whether you want to say it does or not....but we gettin off topic ya'l.....HAIR!!!!

I am happy to know you have faith in the Kingdom it has been the cornerstone of my success. The Kingdom hope of something better. I am very visual about it my heart can see dim glimpses of the Kingdom. It's going to be super, super exciting imagine all that happiness forever. No more mood swings, dark days, and downs.

My life is definitely a action/comedy/drama flick. Too much for words.

Yes the Kingdom is delusional Dr.s pay your happiness due to religion no mind. Don't get to excited they will write some bad notes on you. Racing thoughts, delusional, hypomania, I saw all my hospital notes so I know not to go there with religion. But I do trust and talk to my therapist she gets it.

 

[SmilingElephant]

You know what's fun? Having a high sex drive with absolutely no boyfriend or social life. Good times. My hair wasn't the only one suffering from tension.

And that was my TMI moment of the day.

Okay?!.....well me and my BF just broke up....but even then he wasn't gettin none anyway.....i'm saving myself for my HUSBAND. I have lots of guy friends but they know not to try me like that bc they will just fail

 

[SmilingElephant]

I will be open..I hope some don't look at me e-funny...being someone who suffers major clinical depression and now learning about my learning disability hair for me is the last thing on my mind..heck I will be even more real I don't even want to bathe,eat,drink,dress,or move out of my bed.When I was working it was a true chore to get myself together since appearances are everything in this damn society..I'm a new mua and most days I don't wear makeup..but when I would get to down I would do a candle lit bubble bath and dc and it would help a bit..Im glad you started this OP hopefully some folks won't judge too much

I can't judge....i went through this too...thats how i ended up on Prozac in the first place....she told me i was extremely depressed. But i wasn't always down like that....i could become extremely happy too.


The embarrassing part for me is when you start crying in public places and you can't stop. My mom actually got mad at me bc she thought i was trying to get attention...and honestly i HATE crying in front of ppl.....and i would do this when i got too happyerplexed....i'm still educating my family about my illness...thankfully i have cousins who also are Bipolar...i have one in particular i can talk to. Whenever i lose control of myself its embarrassing to me....sometimes even on here i'll be manic and i'll post something crazy or somewhat out of character and i'm like.....why did i just do that?!

 

[Truth]

No offense takin

The difference between normal clinical depression and Bipolar Disorder is that with BP....you're not always down and sad and depressed....you can go up and be extremely hyper and happy or hyper and aggressive as well....and either end of the spectrum can last for days, weeks, months or even years.

Manic is usually defined as being in an elevated inflated mood. You may feel that you're the best thing since sliced bread.You feel like screaming at ppl and you most likely will....you feel more sexually driven. You feel so happy...in some cases ppl experience hallucinations or other forms of psychosis like delusions when they are manic. Mania can also cause you to be more reckless with the way you spend money, even the way you drive, you can be manic and become aggressive which is more on the mixed mania side...or mixed episode side...

Hypomania is a weaker form of mania...this is where you experience euphoria and you're floating on air and everything is lollipops and rainbows....for me...i get scared when i get to be hypomanic bc i can easily go up or down

A mixed mania occurs when you are manic or hypomanic with signs of depression....this is where most ppl with Bipolar Disorder have a bigger chance of attempting suicide....not just thinking it but attempting it and probably also succeeding. You feel okay and happy or normal but you also feel sad or angry and you may come down hard on yourself.

But you would have to really experience all of this to really understand this...its more than just a given definition. Its a real illness....like basically all of my emotions are 3 times more extreme than the average person when i'm not medicated.

I heart u!!! Every last one of ladies reading this has helped me a lot with understanding my SO who has this disorder. I will say that doin or playin in his hair does soothe him a bit.Thank u for the clarification.

 

[SmilingElephant]

For those who do not have this disorder....always keep in mind that just because WE have the disorder....it doesn't mean WE always know how to deal with it....its a constant learning experience for us as well

Today i'm in my pjs....jus chillin in the house and i don't feel like doing anything...although i have washed my face and brushed my teeth--->...see? Somedays i get super dressed up full face makeup and will stay home all day....another sign of mania is wearing lots of bright colored clothing ALL the time...lately i can't get enough of wearing yellow and i've been this way since December!!...the way i dress is a sign of my mood.....when i'm depressed bright colors literally make me nauseous...so i would wear nothing but black and navy blue....and i was like that for MONTHS....it seems for me personally i stay in an episode for months on end.....i'm kinda sick of being in a mania now tho....it gets old...i an an errand earlier this morning...yes i put on a black bra tank with what?....my YELLOW skinny jeans.....and was driving and i started laughing for no reason but at the same time i was about to cry....but i was able to stop myself....come to think of it i was doing that last nite....laughing and smiling for no reason.....here i go with the Bipolar babble...so let me stop right now i promise i won't say anything else....except thank you everybody for sharing your experiences and i hope more ppl chime in bc being Bipolar is nothing to be ashamed of....we didn;t choose to be this way...so come on in and tell us how you're dealing with the cards you were dealt!!

 

[Freespirit02]

*just passing through to give a * I hope you ladies stay strong! It's hard being depressed. I will be praying for all of yall!

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

Just dropping by to show the

 

[tapioca_pudding]

I heart you laides.

When im in my depressive stage, it takes all my energy to put on deodorant and brush my teeth. Being bothered with my hair, bah. Ain't happening.

Im in a semi depressive state right now, mostly isolating. Last week i thought i was hot ish and almost got an effn tattoo (which isn't something i've ever wanted).

I was super manic when i did my big chop. Jus did it randomly at two a.m. Then relaxed on a whim abt six weeks ago.

Im getting a satin pillowcase tomorrow so when i can't bother to tie my hair up, at least ill still hav some sort of protection.

I love this thread. Im so tired of the stigma, the judging, the misconception. So nice to be open.

 

[lilikoi]

Yeah...its important to take your meds....even though some days its just hard. I hate feeling dependent on a pill to keep me from getting beside myself

Sometimes i have moments where i just don't care some days i walk out the house and do nothing to myself...but it all come with the territory....but like you said it depends on the severity.....i don't wann know how severe i can get personally bc i've had days where i COULD NOT STOP crying and i was trying to put on clothes and clean up to feel better and it just wasnt happenin so i cried until i fell back asleep.

But....i think i'm gonna go ahead and wash my hair....besides i have the next 2 days off from work. I always look forward to off days...less triggers

I'll be praying for you (and all the other sisters afflicted by this) tonight. {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}

P.S. Be grateful there's something that helps--take your pills.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Prime example today....i'm having a mixed episode. I woke up feelin crappy...my mom made it worse...i've been crying all day....i went to the park threw my hair up in teddy bear ears with my spin pins....and sat at a table and cried my lil eyes out and prayed and read my bible...tried too but i kept cryin so much i couldnt read.

Everytime i laugh i cry too at the same time....erplexed

Tomorrow i'm treating myself to a bottle of red wine

 

[Janet']

^^^Good for you Smiling Elephant!!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

I have this weird craving to smoke....but i have NEVER smoked in my life. And my sex drive is alot stronger today too...i just feel all messed up.

 

[Lady S]

lol

The closest visual representation I can think of is this smilie and this one :work4sex:

I will be open..I hope some don't look at me e-funny...being someone who suffers major clinical depression and now learning about my learning disability hair for me is the last thing on my mind..heck I will be even more real I don't even want to bathe,eat,drink,dress,or move out of my bed.When I was working it was a true chore to get myself together since appearances are everything in this damn society..I'm a new mua and most days I don't wear makeup..but when I would get to down I would do a candle lit bubble bath and dc and it would help a bit..Im glad you started this OP hopefully some folks won't judge too much

I think most of us in this thread can relate to that. I know I can. I have a lot of hair & sometimes it just takes way too much energy that I just don't have.

I'm probably too open about having a mood disorder. I'm always scared people won't take me seriously because "it's just the crazy talking." But on the flip side, I feel like being open about what's going on may help others feel less embarrassed about confronting their own issues. You'd be surprised at how many people have asked for my psychologist phone number.

 

[Enyo]

No. My hair falls out a lot because of the meds and watching it gather in the drain makes me even more depressed. Especially since, judging by the hair on the rest of my body, it's growing fast. It's a combination of that the sluggishness that keep me from washing my hair when I'm depressed.

 

[MsKibibi]

((HUGS)) I have two family friends who live with bipolar disorder and my heart goes out to you all.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

i've never seen this thread!!!!! HOW COME NO ONE TOLD ME?!?!?


honestly i think this thread makes a lot of sense here as i think that's why a good portion of us have such reggies and "rituals" for our hair... and that being that these routines were less for our hair but our sanity

i personally suffer from depression, anxiety and insomnia (insomnia due to the anxiety) so i'm not bi-polar, but my mom was and my little brother is paranoid schizophrenic (all diagnosed) so mental illness runs in the family

i finally got on meds for the 1st time in my life about a month in a half ago. before the meds the way i would get my self out of the hole (the emotional hole of my depression) was doing my hair. after about a year it stopped working. well, i wouldnt say it STOPPED working, but became less effective once i had a reggie down pact. it was the pj part that seemed to give me that "high" i needed to get out the hole.

after my skala incident i stopped my pj'ism cold turkey which is when my hair "stopped" working for me.

then i started doing my own nails and nail art. this really helped with my anxiety and put my insomnia to good use. it also helped with my depression because the same high i was getting from buying and trying new prods and reggies i was getting when i got new polish and tried new designs.

of course, this method of medicating my self was not fool proof. it all back fired when i wasnt allowed to have my work polish any more (yes, i kept some polish at work and when the anxiety got too bad like right before an anxiety attack i would paint my nails or someone elses) and started to have real bad anxiety attacks at work that was starting to impact my position, job, and career.

that's when i finally got on meds. the meds work great and i have a whole new joy with my hair and nails.


so long story short, yes, i think hair (and nails) can be super beneficial and meditation like for those of us with a mental illness. but we all have to know where our limits are and when to get further help you know what i'm saying?

any whooo, this was a great place for me to let this loose and i'm so glad we are all so close here that we can share such intimate and personal things. mental illness comes with a very negative stigma and because of it a lot of us will not and can not acknowledge it. and with out knowing what's "wrong" we cant fix it.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

woooohhh!!! didnt realize that would be so long lol. i wont fault anyone for not reading such a long post. it was just nice getting it out lmao

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

No offense takin

The difference between normal clinical depression and Bipolar Disorder is that with BP....you're not always down and sad and depressed....you can go up and be extremely hyper and happy or hyper and aggressive as well....and either end of the spectrum can last for days, weeks, months or even years.

Manic is usually defined as being in an elevated inflated mood. You may feel that you're the best thing since sliced bread.You feel like screaming at ppl and you most likely will....you feel more sexually driven. You feel so happy...in some cases ppl experience hallucinations or other forms of psychosis like delusions when they are manic. Mania can also cause you to be more reckless with the way you spend money, even the way you drive, you can be manic and become aggressive which is more on the mixed mania side...or mixed episode side...

Hypomania is a weaker form of mania...this is where you experience euphoria and you're floating on air and everything is lollipops and rainbows....for me...i get scared when i get to be hypomanic bc i can easily go up or down

A mixed mania occurs when you are manic or hypomanic with signs of depression....this is where most ppl with Bipolar Disorder have a bigger chance of attempting suicide....not just thinking it but attempting it and probably also succeeding. You feel okay and happy or normal but you also feel sad or angry and you may come down hard on yourself.

But you would have to really experience all of this to really understand this...its more than just a given definition. Its a real illness....like basically all of my emotions are 3 times more extreme than the average person when i'm not medicated.

this is like the definition of my mom... to the T! its amazing how you explained this so well so that the average person can understand.

at times i think i may also be bp. i think if i was to every go to far into the rabbit hole (this is what me and my friend who also has depression call it as it best explains it i guess lol) i may become full bp.

my mother didnt always exhibit the illness. not until she was almost around my age. my little brother had his 1st manic episode about 4yrs ago, hasnt been the same since. before his manic episode he was totally normal.

this illness doesnt care about age, race, or gender. when it hits, it hits hard and can devastate the life of the person and people close to them.

i've suffered from depression and anxiety since i was a small child. when my mom passed it got worse then leveled. when my brother got sick it got worse and then leveled again. about april it got worse again and just kept getting worse. i was getting too deep into the rabbit hole and was no longer going in it but was being pulled it. something had to be done...


you know... this thread is very therapeutic. i'm just typing away lmao sorry againg guys

 

[jupitermoon]

This is a good thread. Too bad we couldn't get a mental health forum.

 

[Janet']

^^^Mz.MoMo...Kudos to you for letting it out! Sharing really is therapeutic and I, for one, am very happy that LHCF has such intelligent and understanding ladies so you feel comfortable enough to do so!

 

[Lady S]

Follow up question. . . .

What about letting other people do your hair? It's been awhile since I got my hair did and I've never had my natural hair styled by someone else. For those who have, do you find that more relaxing when it's someone who knows what they're doing.

Or what about doing someone else's hair? Not that I want to leap on my mom's head and force her to let me put in coils. No sir, not me.

 

[tapioca_pudding]

What about letting other people do your hair? I haven't had my hair done in like 2 or 3 years. I would like to go somewhere and get a simple blow out. I like being fancy (lol) at times, but I just never trust stylists due to so many bad experiences. But if I knew of someone who knew what they were doing, I could see how it could be relaxing (if I'm in that kinda mood).

Or what about doing someone else's hair? My two nieces both have the most GORGEOUS natural hair ever. I swear to Moses on my lunch break today, I was itchin to get dem girls under the dryer for a DC and let me do a coil out or sumthin, lol. Doing others' hair really relaxes me and calms me down. I dunno what it is about it, but it helps.

 

[davisbr88]

For me, it definitely does. When I am depressed, it's usually because I am having feelings of inadequacy, but when I hop in the shower and let my hair swing down (while I was transitioning with APL hair), it gave me the feeling that I really was beautiful and could accomplish my goals. Now, I do the same thing but I get a feeling of power from looking at all my little curlies and realizing how proud I am of how I took care of them for so long and I revisit that sense of empowerment from when I cut off the last of my relaxed ends. I felt liberated, and I get that feeling again every time I wet my hair. Maybe that is why I have a hard time keeping my hair dry in the shower. Subconsciously I want to feel that confidence again? Never made the connect before.
Thanks for this thread OP.

 

[davisbr88]

You know what's fun? Having a high sex drive with absolutely no boyfriend or social life. Good times. My hair wasn't the only one suffering from tension.

And that was my TMI moment of the day.

OMG! I hate that! That and spending money are my major vices.

 

[SmilingElephant]

i've never seen this thread!!!!! HOW COME NO ONE TOLD ME?!?!?


honestly i think this thread makes a lot of sense here as i think that's why a good portion of us have such reggies and "rituals" for our hair... and that being that these routines were less for our hair but our sanity

i personally suffer from depression, anxiety and insomnia (insomnia due to the anxiety) so i'm not bi-polar, but my mom was and my little brother is paranoid schizophrenic (all diagnosed) so mental illness runs in the family

i finally got on meds for the 1st time in my life about a month in a half ago. before the meds the way i would get my self out of the hole (the emotional hole of my depression) was doing my hair. after about a year it stopped working. well, i wouldnt say it STOPPED working, but became less effective once i had a reggie down pact. it was the pj part that seemed to give me that "high" i needed to get out the hole.

after my skala incident i stopped my pj'ism cold turkey which is when my hair "stopped" working for me.

then i started doing my own nails and nail art. this really helped with my anxiety and put my insomnia to good use. it also helped with my depression because the same high i was getting from buying and trying new prods and reggies i was getting when i got new polish and tried new designs.

of course, this method of medicating my self was not fool proof. it all back fired when i wasnt allowed to have my work polish any more (yes, i kept some polish at work and when the anxiety got too bad like right before an anxiety attack i would paint my nails or someone elses) and started to have real bad anxiety attacks at work that was starting to impact my position, job, and career.

that's when i finally got on meds. the meds work great and i have a whole new joy with my hair and nails.


so long story short, yes, i think hair (and nails) can be super beneficial and meditation like for those of us with a mental illness. but we all have to know where our limits are and when to get further help you know what i'm saying?

any whooo, this was a great place for me to let this loose and i'm so glad we are all so close here that we can share such intimate and personal things. mental illness comes with a very negative stigma and because of it a lot of us will not and can not acknowledge it. and with out knowing what's "wrong" we cant fix it.

woooohhh!!! didnt realize that would be so long lol. i wont fault anyone for not reading such a long post. it was just nice getting it out lmao

this is like the definition of my mom... to the T! its amazing how you explained this so well so that the average person can understand.

at times i think i may also be bp. i think if i was to every go to far into the rabbit hole (this is what me and my friend who also has depression call it as it best explains it i guess lol) i may become full bp.

my mother didnt always exhibit the illness. not until she was almost around my age. my little brother had his 1st manic episode about 4yrs ago, hasnt been the same since. before his manic episode he was totally normal.

this illness doesnt care about age, race, or gender. when it hits, it hits hard and can devastate the life of the person and people close to them.

i've suffered from depression and anxiety since i was a small child. when my mom passed it got worse then leveled. when my brother got sick it got worse and then leveled again. about april it got worse again and just kept getting worse. i was getting too deep into the rabbit hole and was no longer going in it but was being pulled it. something had to be done...


you know... this thread is very therapeutic. i'm just typing away lmao sorry againg guys

For some reason the thing deleted what i already posted.....but thank you for sharing Mo

 

[SmilingElephant]

I am really upset that we couldn't get a mental health forum. I currently visit BpBabble.com when i need to get stuff out. Its for ppl with Bipolar disorder but others can come and visit to learn more about it and there's a chat room. Its somewhat active but they would appreciate more traffic

 

[Hersheygurl]

Thank you so much SmilingElephant for this useful topic! My sister has BPD and has said doing her hair relaxes her and brings her up again. I never realized it before but I can almost correlate her hair to her mood now. I remember her chopping it all off during a low before and instantly regrretting it. Brushing her hair is one of her soothing rituals.

I always feel more relaxed after I CW, massage my scalp, or sit under the dryer with a good book.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

my close friends and family could tell where i was mentally based off of make up, hair, and clothes. now that i only wear buns they go off of my make up and clothes lol

now that i'm on medication though, they're having trouble figuring it out though. i guess eventually they'll see a pattern that makes sense lol. i never notice the pattern until its pointed out to me though

 

[Shinka]

Hi OP:trampolin I i have BP2.

My hair is like my obsession, it's the only thing that keeps my level through my ups & downs. The process, the end result, the smell of products, shopping for products ( i have decreased this greatly..hypomania=money=broke), and playing in my hair makes me so happy.

When I am in a deep depression, I don't pay attention to it cause I am usaully in bed and focusing on overeating sweets..lol However, My hair is usually wrap in a satin scarf. When my mood increases enough for me to get out my slump the first thing I do is my hair.

Like another posted stated, when my hair is done, I feel beautiful. In the past few years when I am at the height of anxiety, I have cut off all my hair cause i wanted to feel free and new. This has happen about 7 times.

Now, i am giving up the BC's and short cuts and I am growing it out. I want long flowing har partly because I think it will make me feel better. It won't be the source of happiness, but like I said my hair makes me feel pretty. I enjoy at every length.

I have been having this constant depression for a few months, my psych. even suggested I color my hair and change up my routines to shift my moods. So i put a black rinse in it i do feel fresh and new.

Glad to see all the ladies with bp. Nice, cause sometimes is a lonely illness