OMG you are so Bipolar

Empire is coming back this Wednesday September 23^rd and I am super excited to see how everything unfolds.As we approach this new season, I, Dr. Rosché, a licensed clinical psychologist, recall the many important and real issues that arose this past season.

Have you ever heard or even said "You are so Bipolar?'

Most people say “Bipolar” to represent someone being happy one minute and mad or sad the next minute. I know it makes sense to us to say they are bipolar because they go from one extreme to another at a drop of a dime. However, Bipolar disorder is a very serious disorder that causes mental duress for the individual and the family. Contrary to us commonly using this term in everyday conversation, the symptoms are not indicated by rapid shifts in mood that occur within an hour or even a day. The symptoms last for minimum 1 week or more until mood stabilizes. Bipolar Disorder aka "manic depressive" in a simple form is a combination of a manic episode and a depressive episode that can interfer with functioning.

Most of us are familiar with depressive symptoms

Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

Fatigue and decreased energy

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

Irritability, restlessness

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

Overeating or appetite loss

Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Depression alone can lead to extreme difficulties. When you begin to feel a sense of hopelessness it can often lead to isolation from our support networks, discontinuing engaging in the activities that gave us joy, or suicidal thoughts and potentially suicide completion. We witness this as Andre no longer has interest in the family business, which initially brought him great joy and pride; he struggled in his connection with his wife; and one severe result of major depression is Andre's suicide attempt.

Another aspect of Bipolar that is less common to most of us, Manic Episode.

Grandiosity-you think you are on top of the world with unrealistic beliefs or powers

Little Need for Sleep

Hyperactivity and/or impulsivity

Racing thoughts that also may express as rapid speech

Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable

Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers

Highly distractible, unable to concentrate

Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)

Some major consequences that can occur during manic episode can be increased spending, drug abuse, hypersexuality, risk taking, psychotic features such as hallucinations or delusions, etc... For clearer understanding, it could look as if the person is high off of a drug such as crack cocaine or methamphetamine (ecstasy), but they haven’t even taken the drug. Ultimately, the brain is chemically unbalanced and treatment is needed to regulate the mood. It is common when you suffer from a mental disorder to self-medicate using common depressants (marijuana or alcohol) or stimulants (crack cocaine or methamphetamines) to attempt to treat oneself and regulate your mood. When you need a pick me up, use an upper or if you are too high and need to come back down use a downer.

Quick Treatment Tips

Seek Professional Advice-You Can’t do it alone and this blog or a Google search will not suffice

Medication is very common to stabilize mood and may need to be ongoing throughout the person’s life or at least until they are triggered by extreme emotional events.

Therapy can aid the person in medication compliance, understanding mood shifts, identifying triggers,

To learn more about medication first seek professional advice but to learn more you can review Medication Education Blog

Check Out other Blogs like Don't Do It Andre, Change Your Thinking, OMG You are so Bipolar

Empire Therapy is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, or psychotherapy. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any health symptom.

If you are in the Bay Area, you can contact

Dr. Rosché at 510-629-9362

For more Empire Therapy please subscribe and follow me for updates. 

For additional words of encouragement, follow www.DrRosche.blogspot.com

Follow Dr. Rosché fan page on Facebook

 

Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life

Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life

Dr. Rosché Brown

Here are some steps to change your thinking from negative to positive...

Step 1: Identify Your Irrational Thoughts

                  What I struggle with most is…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                 

The Belief(s) I have about this situation is(are)…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 2: Validate Feelings

                  This Belief makes me feel…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 3: Dispute: Confront and Challenge Negative Thinking (present moment)

                  A better belief would be…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 4: Affirmations: Strengthen your way of thinking (ongoing)

                  To think more positively I can say daily…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                 

Affirmations

Health

                  Loving myself heals my life.  I nourish my mind, body, and soul

                  My body heals quickly and easily

Abundance

                  I prosper wherever I turn and I know that I deserve prosperity of all kinds

                  The more grateful I am, the more reasons I find to be grateful

Love

                  Thank you God for your Love because of you I know I am lovable

Thank you God for accepting me because of you I know I am deserving

I know that I deserve Love and accept it now

I give out Love and it is returned to me multiplied

I rejoice in the Love I encounter everyday

Romance

                  I have a wonderful partner and we are both happy and at peace

                  I release any desperation and allow love to find me

                  I attract healthy relationships

                  I will express my needs and feelings with clarity

Weight Loss

                  I choose to make positive healthy choices for myself

                  I choose to exercise regularly

Self Esteem         

                  I am valuable because I am worth Jesus

                  I know I am worthy because God you gave me another day

                  I accept and approve of me

                  I am Alive, I am Important, I am Changing

-List above a variation from affirmation website.  

Check Out other Blogs like Don't Do It Andre, OMG You are so Bipolar
Empire Therapy is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, or psychotherapy.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any health symptom.  

 If you are in the Bay Area, you can contact

Dr. Rosché at 510-629-9362

For more Empire Therapy please subscribe and follow me for updates.  For additional words of encouragement, follow www.DrRosche.blogspot.com

Follow Dr. Rosché fan page on Facebook

Don't do it Andre!!!: Black People do struggle with suicidal ideation?

 

Empire is coming back this Wednesday September 23^rd and I am super excited to see how everything unfolds.  As we approach this new season,  I, Dr. Rosché, a licensed clinical psychologist, recall the many important and real issues that arose this past season. 

 

In particular with the oldest son Andre who is struggling with a very serious mental illness, Bipolar disorder.  As part of this disorder, a person can have a manic episode or depressive episode, or even a mixed episode where they experience both the manic and depressive states.  The depressive state can bring about feelings of hopelessness, sense of worthlessness, and a sense of no longer wanting to be alive because things seem to never change.   The diagnosis of bipolar carries a lot with it including an increased risk of suicide.

Sometimes as African Americans we can believe that suicide doesn't impact our community but there is a rise of suicide attempts and completion within the African American community.  “According to the American Association of Suicidology, in 2005, 1,992 suicides were completed by African-Americans and that suicide was the third leading cause of death among African-American youth.  The Centers for Disease Control reported that between 1999 and 2004, young African-American males had the highest rate of suicide (Blackdoctor.org).” 

We see these feelings creep up as Andre begins to discuss with his father how he feels less valued out of the sons because he does not share the family talent of singing.  Often our minds can play tricks on us and make us forget about all of the other ways we are important.  Clearly, Luscious wouldn't have had the type of success he had without the aid of his son's determination, intelligence that combined book smarts and street smarts in protecting his father.  Even though he has many great strengths in his time of depression his negative self talk becomes more salient as a reminder of how he feels he doesn’t compare to others in his family.  These depressive thoughts are common among all people.  

Have you ever felt you were not enough? Ever wish you had more talents? Ever feel others would be better off without me? Ever feel that life is unfair? Ever believed you were worthless? Ever felt like a failure? Ever felt unloved? Unaccepted? Rejected? Lonely? Hopeless? 

These are common cognitive distortions that maintain our feeling of hopelessness and can be worse if suffering from the symptoms of mental disorders such as Bipolar.  Many times in order to relieve this suffering and pain a person will consider that “ending it all” through the means of suicide is the only way to stop the emotional feelings.  It is highly likely that females will use more passive means of suicide such as overdosing on pills while males choose more lethal measures such as Andre did through using a gun.  Once we are in a very low place it can be difficult to undo some of this negative thinking but IT CAN BE DONE!  You can get better with HELP!!  

Before, During, or After one of these depressive episodes take some effort to undo your negative self talk. 

Be Mindful of your thoughts

Examine the evidence

Challenge your negative thinking

Get support from family and friends

Overall Seek Professional Help

Say Affirmations to Change Your Thinking

I am Alive, I am Important, and I am Changing!!

~Bishop Keith Clark

** If you feel you or someone you know may be at risk for suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or go to your local emergency room immediately. **

Check Out other Blogs like OMG You are so Bipolar, Change Your Thinking, Don't Do It Andre,
Empire Therapy is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, or psychotherapy.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any health symptom.  

 If you are in the Bay Area, you can contact

Dr. Rosché at 510-629-9362

For more Empire Therapy please subscribe and follow me for updates.  For additional words of encouragement, follow www.DrRosche.blogspot.com

Follow Dr. Rosché fan page on Facebook