Thanks for adding me to your friend's list here. I have not been on here for awhile. I mostly go on facebook as

facebook.com/iris.springflower

Anyway, here is a safe place to share about my Bipolar Type 2 and PTSD as on general sites like Facebook, I notice sometimes others feel uncomfortable reading about the above.

I just added in my Facebook Profile that I will continue to share about "ALL" of me there, though. I have Type 2 Diabetes too and to me, Bipolar and Diabetes are the same, in the fact that there is no stigma in either illness.

I SUPPORT All of you here, by the way.

Take Care All, Iris Yarngal

I mostly write on Facebook and My Space to a general audience, but when I write about my mental health issues, I feel a lot of people who DON'T have them really cannot fully understand, just like it is hard for people with any kind of health problems to truly understand how it feels to have them.

I feel safer here writing about my mental illnesses, which are chronic.

Thanks for having this forum.

I do try to educate people on Facebook and the other forums, though.

I do take my prescribed medications every day and see a therapist.

I do not have much social support because I also have a social anxiety disorder, so on-line support is essenstial for me.

I do have a few close friends though.

I get panicky in a lot of regular, normal group situations.

Take Care, Iris S.

Take Care All, Iris Yarngal

I have been reading your journals again and I want ALL of you here to know I SUPPORT Each and Every One of you here.

I have limited computer time, but I CARE about ALL of you here.

I already knew I have Bipolar Disorder Type 2, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder, plus Generalized Anxiety Disorder with panic attacks, plus Panic Disorder.

I just sent for my in-patient psychiatric records to a local hospital and got them today.

I was hospitalized in there  more than once.

Well, the records also record that I have

Mixed Personality Disorder with Borderline Features predominating

Dependent Personality Disorder

My therapist had already spoken with me about the personality disorders, but I have been in denial about them, due to the EXTRA stigma surrounding personality disorders.

I am NOT suicidal or self-injurious now.

In the PAST I was suicidal and self-injuriuous.

I NEVER hurt other people and WON'T hurt other people.

I still feel the stigma about the personality disorders, and usually hide them, but I feel I can share about them in this forum.

Have any of you had co-existing personality disorders along with your Axis 1  mental disorders?

How do you deal with them?

Take Care, Iris

ps I am in regular therapy and psychiatric treatment.

Have Any of You here done what I did: Get your psychiatric records from hospitals, clinics, and individual psychiatrists or/and therapists for whatever reasons?

I want to know what they write and say about me. It also gives me insight into my conditions.

Thanks, Iris.

I am NOT complaining about my prescribed medications, as they HELP me so much for  the Bipolar Type 2 Disorder  and co-occuring anxiety disorders.

Yet, I do have daytime tiredness, and I hate it!

I find I have to lay down and take a nap around 3 to 5 in the afternoon, or I get so drowsy I just fall asleep.

I take Topomax, Seroquel XR (I USED to take regular Seroquel and had NO daytime tiredness), and Zoloft.

My pdoc says it is best for me to now take the Seroquel XR, which has "less side effects and no weight gain". I wonder if Seroquel Xr HAS DAYTIME TIREDNESS as a side effect? Does it?

I do not want to be taken off of it so I don't want to complain about it to him.

At the same time, I hate the daytime tiredness.

Take Care, Iris S. 

I am NOT a mental health professional. In fact, I have Bipolar Disorder Type 2, PTSD and other anxiety disorders. I am also creative. I am posting this to share a fairly easy craft which enriches my life. It is called loom knitting. You do not have to know how to hand knit with needles to loom knit. It is a frame with pegs (please look at my Profile Photo to see me holding a round knitting loom). You just wrap yarn on it (two strands of yarn held together is best). You can do an on-line SEARCH in any on-line search engine for "Knitting Looms", "Round Knitting Looms" or "Loom Knitting" for more information. The knitting looms are for ages 8 through adult. It is a very relaxing craft and you can make hats, scarves, purses, cell phone holders, and other items on them. I DO NOT sell what I make, but I am not telling you what to do with whatever you make.  My therapist tells me my loom knitting is indeed great physical and mental therapy for me. It helps my self-esteem too. You can buy the knitting looms at crafts stores, on-line, or at certain discount stores. Take Care, Iris S. NOTE: crochet or hand needle knitting are also relaxing and fun, especially if you already do those crafts. You can also search on-line for FREE instructions (just do a search for them).  I do a little crochet (edgings for loom knitted things. Again, I do NOT sell what I make. I tend to donate what I make for/to poor people in need instead, free of charge. I loom knit at my own pace, without any pressure or stress. I do it as a form of "meditation".

Hi. I'm Iris Yarngal. I am glad to be here. I have Bipolar Disorder Type 2, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders.

I am a creative person and I like to do LOOM KNITTING on the knitting looms, and some crochet (mostly making hats and scarves to donate for charitable purposes, for/to poor people of all ages) and I DO NOT sell any craft items that I make.

I do my crafting as part of my physical/mental therapy, to relax. It's also fun.

I also do art journaling, journaling, and art scrapbooking and rubber stamping.

I have had the PTSD (from being severely abused by many different people) and the Bipolar Type 2 Disorder (Major Depressive episodes and mild manic episodes) since around age 14.

I will be age 53 on July 18th, 2009.

I am in professional psychiatric treatment.

Take Care, Iris Yarngal

yes, I love yarn and yarn crafts.