Since my sleeping disorder started the only medication not changed (to see if it has effect) is Lamictal. I have long be suspicious of Lamictal... first it was a long time getting to full strength (there was a mix up where I was on less then Dr. *name* thought for a while, plus it takes a long time to be introduced into the system). About 3 months after taking it at full strength I started having sleeping issues. The excessive sedation caused by Geodon covered this up because on Geodon I became narcoleptic.

I know that it takes a long time for a medication to take full effect. It took a year before Lamictal stopped giving me pimples. When I cut back on it I might get pimples again (lol). (Not sure if I will send this to you or post it... only Mom reads my Blog.)

So the next medication in line to be tested for sleeping issues (by decreasing it) is Lamictal, but I got disheartened. I tried to look up a sleep research place that might test me. (Having Schizoaffective Bipolar might interest them). Insurance will not cover a sleep study, but there might be ways around that... like those depression tests that offer free care for months (and money as a plus).

I walked down an Internet path (which I do not completely remember) and stopped at the word somnolence. I read the wikipedia entry and settled on the term hypersomnia. In both cases it can be caused by medication. Some web searching also reveled it can be caused by both Zyprexa and Lamictal.

So once again I am diagnosing myself and pinpointing which medication does not set well with me. lol.

I asked a psychic about my illness (didn't spend lots of money) and they said that it would be cared only if I get all my medication information into one doctor. Yet I am that information. What is there to solve? If decreasing Lamictal doesn't get rid of it there is nothing I can do. Nothing except finding a bit of research that will take care of the sleep study for me.

I'm angry! People are saying that mentally ill people are psychics who cannot swim

For a while I have wondered what the difference between psychic and psychosis is. I took this debate to a psychic forum and some seemed to think that the mentally ill were weak psychics so torn apart by their powers that the negative part took over or that they were simply too weak to handle their powers. After my time in the mental hospital I did think that I had become psychic and couldn't handle it, but I was ill. After I few posts I came up with as follows:

(I know that my post on the forum was not well explained and could also make people mad. I think that the general idea shows through.)

"Sorry to post again so soon, but over cooking dinner an idea popped into my head. Psychics respond to the powers outside the brain while the mentally ill respond to the powers inside the brain.

The brain is a powerful thing and obviously uses many voices (nice and/or seemingly evil). So while the mentally ill are responding to a power, they cannot reflect on anything outside of themselves. Yes, in this state the brain can analyze things outside of itself (words, sound, and sight) in wonderfully creative ways, but the process is extremely internal. You are, in a sense, debating with yourself. (I hope I am not debating in a way only I can understand.)

In many cases those in mania become extremely spiritual and think they are contacting the metaphysical/divine world, but in their state they are still contacting something within themselves.

As you know this is nothing like psychic power."

I thought that this was an insightful comment so I tried to look up 'psychic vs psychosis,' to see if anyone else had said the same. I found a site that said mystics could swim in their powers and mentally ill could not. (Upon reading this site I find it very interesting, but my brain was in no mood to understand it without lots of effort. I do not know if it is how the arguments are written or if it is a problem with myself.)

ANOTHER SITE POSTED: (Link taken down as it is now a reported attack site. Sorry if it caused you any problems.)

"With this in mind, one might ask, "What is the difference between being mentally ill and prophetic?" My own psychiatrist once gave me the answer:

People who hear voices and see things that aren't there can be classified into two groups. The first group are people who cannot cope with these voices and are called mentally ill. The second group are people who can cope with the voices and are called psychic. It is my personal belief that being psychic and being psychotic are the same thing depending upon how you cope with it. Society in general regards people who talk to God as holy. But society in general regards people whom God talks to as insane."

YOU HAVE A STUPID PSYCHIATRIST! OH I HAVE WORDS TO SAY TO THIS, BUT I AM TOO MUCH OF A LADY!

Charity

Charity
As a society, particularly in the city, we have been taught to just walk by those who need us on the street. We realize that giving money to one homeless person can be problematic. They could spend it on drugs, or possibility they are just pretending. So we push it out of our mind. A friend of mine who often visited India once told me that if you give money to one person others asking for help would surround you. Perhaps this stems from our concept of protecting our wealth.

A little education can show society that we do not have to walk away from the homeless feeling guilty because we can give to charities who will make sure the aid actually goes to the homeless, and make sure that it is not spent on drugs. Also, we can learn that giving aid to other countries through reputable charities does not threaten our wealth, but make it grow. Enabling others to make a living helps save their skills and intellect that could be lost to the world. Perhaps we measure wealth a little too much by numbers.

The problem becomes teaching others to aid others, and how to best do it.