My Bipolar experience

My name is Bob, I have two grown children and one granddaughter.   I enjoy cycling, road and mountain, reading and most music.  I work as a Computer Aided Designer.  I am not yet a member of NAMI, but live in the Kitsap area and am considering joining.  I was first diagnosed with Bipolar I in June of 2006.  The diagnosis actually explained a few things in life.  I can remember some things from back then, I was not sleeping at all, I would wake up early in the morning after going to bed very late.  I remember being convinced that a woman I knew was going to marry me.  I remember believing I was rich and needed to pick out a home to spend my money on.  The trip to the psychiatric wing at my local hospital was seen as a way to “hide” me from the people who wanted to harm me.  I did spend a week there, by the time I was released, I no longer felt that way.  I moved in with my parents from the hospital, intending to stay one year, it ended up being closer to two and a half years.  I was on SSDI and wanted badly to go back to work to be a “normal” person.  When the medication was “balanced”, about two years had passed, I went to work only to end up in the hospital again.  I was actually trying to work about 60 hours a week.  I learned the hard way, from experience and from my therapist, that you cannot go from 0-60 like that and expect good results.  I found another job, one that allowed me to work regular hours after that.  In the last 13 years, a lot has happened, but I will try to sum it up by saying I have learned the value of good counsel, and also the value of good medication.  When I was first diagnosed I was not completely sold on the idea of taking medication to help me.  When I realized that it is not much different than a diabetic taking insulin to help a deficiency in the body, that helped me realize that I had a need for chemicals in my brain, that for some reason did not occur naturally for me.  I have found some wonderful doctors during my journey.  The one I have now is so valuable.  I have learned, when it comes to doctors, it is alright to “fire” them if they are not doing their job.  I have learned to be my own best advocate.  I visualize myself as the “coach” of my team, surrounding myself with those who can help me the best.  I have glossed over the events that have happened since my diagnosis in 2006, but my hope is that I can somehow be of an encouragement to someone by sharing my story.