Kitt O’Malley

Excited or Overstimulated?

in , , , , , , , , , , ,

Excited...Over-Stimulated? Life with Bipolar is a Balancing Act

Volunteer training shadowing a Hearing Advocate last Friday either excited or overstimulated me. There can be a fine line between the two. Since then I’ve had trouble slowing down and turning off, and found myself glued to laptop, tablet, or iPhone until past my bedtime. I’ve resorted to taking clonazepam to turn off my brain and fall asleep. Either Saturday or Sunday I slept in past noon. Memory is a bit fuzzy. Do not recall which day. Now I’m exhausted and in a bit of a slump. I will recover. Just need to rest up today. Late this afternoon (or what the character Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory coined “preevening”) I will be attending group therapy. As I was sick last week, my activity with MHA of Orange County as a Hearing Advocate trainee will be news!

Comments

14 responses to “Excited or Overstimulated?”

  1. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Thank you, Diane. I appreciate your insight and concern.

  2. writerwannabe763 Avatar
    writerwannabe763

    From only knowing you a short time.. I’ve noticed how much you do and are involved in… I wonder if you need to take a break from a little for awhile.. I remember a time when I didn’t know how to say ‘no’ …. As I said, I only have known you a short time, so really am not qualified to offer any advice or opinion…. (but I did anyway didn’t I ?) Just take care of yourself.. Diane

  3. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    My son (and the guys at the dirt bike shop) insists that it is more dangerous to ride a bicycle on the road than on “sketchy” downhill mountain single track. I’d say both are dangerous. Those mountain roads are scary. Poor visibility b/c winding through trees.

  4. dyane Avatar
    dyane

    Thanks! I’m fine….but the fear from the experience stayed with me and unfortunately little Marilla for hours. Then, at the end of the day I had to drive back up the highway, at dusk. I was absolutely baffled that there was a pack of 30-40 bicyclists (and one van behind them with a small sign that said “Bikers ahead” – I had no idea what was going on) taking up half of the hwy – it was incredibly dangerous at any time of day for such a foolhardy, IMHO, event, but at that particular time of day it was pretty much a death wish. If that truck was speeding when they were on the road, who knows what would have happened. 🙁

  5. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Excellent idea. I could incorporate some of those strategies.

  6. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Yes. Wait long enough, and you’ll swing there. Actually, I’m currently recovering from last Friday, for the excitement was also exhausting.

  7. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    OMG! Scary. I hope that you are OK.

  8. Sandy Sue Avatar
    Sandy Sue

    Sometimes I don’t see I’m in trouble until I’m in it. But more recently, I’ve tried to be aware of situations that will most likely trigger me (like a new job, getting physically sick, travel) and start preventative measures (more exercise, taking sleep meds). Preparing for the worst seems to be helping me slow down my rapid cycling.

  9. Johnny Ojanpera Avatar
    Johnny Ojanpera

    I would do almost anything to be over-stimulated right now, or even a little excited. I guess that’s the nature of bipolar though; I always pine for the opposite pole. :/

  10. dyane Avatar
    dyane

    I want to go to sleep right now – my adrenalin has been messed up all morning thanks to my near-death-experience with the speeding truck at 7:45 AM today. I so wish I had the presence of mind to get his license plate.

  11. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Watching TV and snacking on lunch. Checked on my notifications, too, though! 😉

  12. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Thanks!

  13. dyane Avatar
    dyane

    I relate to this post all too well. Thanks for writing what I really need to read!!

    Working out between 4:30-530 p.m. helps my brain slow down a bit but not as much as I’d like. I still internet surf in the evening & I eat far too much dessert. I need to cool it with both things & reduce the amount of surfing and sugar-ing. Craig knows how important my early evening routine is for my mental health and he helps me out, usually making dinner for the girls. I used to only exercise in the morning and never imagined I’d be doing it so late in the day, but this schedule works for the time being & I like it.

    At least we’re aware of our behaviors, and I’m so glad you’re taking proactive measures to slow down & turn off. Take it easy and I hope you “de-slump” soon, my sweet friend!!!!

  14. Pieces of Bipolar Avatar
    Pieces of Bipolar

    Rest up and enjoy your group therapy 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.