My name is Wayne and I am a 40+ year old male. 

I suffer from Bipolar Dis., first diagnosed in 1982, with 
10 subsequent hospitalizations in the 1980's. The following medications 
have been tried for me: Lithium, Tegretol, Neurontin, Lamictal, Thorazine, 
Geodon, Prolixin, Doxipin, Wellbutrin, Imipramine,and Topamax. I have been 
diagnosed as Bipolar 1 with mixed episodes, and for me Tegretol seemed to 
have had the most positive results, with not much success with Lithium (2 
manic breakthroughs with therapeutic blood levels of it). I have tried 
many different things to try and control or learn to live the best I can 
with the mood fluctuations, such as regular meditation, exercise, and 
periods of isolating myself from situations that are to stimulating. The 
help of a dedicated psychiatrist, who I have been seeing regularly for the 
last 15 years has been extremely helpful, assisting me to develop the 
wherewithal to obtain a B.A. and M.S.W. degree, and marry and have a 
lasting relationship, and maintain the same job for the last 8 years. 
Still, daily life can be a struggle, with the mood difficulties, and high 
energy, irritability, and feeling of being different from others in some 
significant way. However, life at this point is better then I ever thought 
it could or would be. Once in my life I never thought it would be possible 
for me to live independently or function as a full-fledged adult, with the 
attendant responsibilities and roles. The struggles through the 22 years 
since I was first diagnosed have shown me that somewhere within myself 
there is a reservoir of strength, and a certain amount of resiliency. Most 
people I have met with Bipolar disorder could say the same thing of 
themselves. When I meet people and I find out that they are also Bipolar, 
I feel an immediate kinship with them, that crosses sexual, racial and 
demographic lines.

My email is: b21wayne@earthlink.net