u/JazzyPanda3

hi, for context, im f(18)! 🤍

this is kinda long so feel free to skim!

im not looking for medical advice or diagnosis, just something to think about and bring up to my therapist & psychiatrist.

i've been on ssris (specifically prozac), since 8th or 9th grade, but wasn't taking them regularly until recently! (id forget to take them for months, it was really bad)

i had some mood swings at that time, but they weren't crazy intense, until about a few months ago, around when i started taking my ssris regularly.

after a bit, i felt AWESOME, it felt like i discovered everything that was wrong with me and knew exactly how to fix it. i was eating right, exercising until i was sore, had great ideas, picked up more responsibilities...

but for the past month (until a few days ago), i was so depressed and angry.

i remember having a meltdown 2weeks ago, that was screaming, crying, hitting myself, it was so bad my mom didn't trust me to be at home by myself.

when i get that way, nothing calms me down-

i would wake up depressed and angry, or spend my day numb despite now taking my meds regularly. i slept all day, i quit all my clubs, stopped caring about school, and would have (TW) si.

BUT, ive felt awesome again. i looked into being an au pair and want to leave the country. i researched allll day, talked about it nonstop, going fucking crazy over this idea.

then last night, i was suddenly really paranoid? i thought my phone was trying to make me go crazy so i wouldn't leave the country. i couldn't sleep (and when im really happy or depressed i can't sleep anyway).

i talked to my psychiatrist today because my mom thought i was losing it.

he just gave me sleeping pills?? and said the lack of sleep was making me go crazy

but i think this is deeper??????

ive had weird ocd episodes and the prozac has stopped that, but im so confused about the moodswings. I JUST WANT TO BE STABLE AND TO TRUST MYSELF AND MY DECISION MAKING.

but i make such rash decisions when im like this and it's draining!

i need answers because i feel like the unstableness is taking my life away from me, i can't even go to the college i want bc i don't think im stable enough to leave home.

i don't really trust myself to not tweak for weeks on end and do something dumb.

is bipolar 2 something i should bring up for screening?

does anyone else have adhd and have issues with emotional regulation? how does this differ from bipolar 2?

can sleeping for 5 hours really cause the intense paranoia??? i feel fine now! not great, just... okay.

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u/JazzyPanda3 — 17 days ago

hello! 🤍

for context, im f(18) and american!

for the past 4 years, i've had an interest in the french language and culture. i took french in middle and high school for about three years, but eh.

high school wasn't the best environment for me; i need something more immersive than sitting at a desk all day!

honestly, i don't want to go straight to nursing school (which has been the plan for the past few months). i want to see the world outside of my american town, i want to be immersed in a culture that's not my own.

i'm seriously considering au-pairing in france, so i came to this subreddit for some advice!

i have some experience with fullday babysitting and house sitting and have enjoyed it! though, my experience is very little overall.

** should i get more experience before au-pairing? i already volunteer at the teens section at my local library, should i see about volunteering at the kids section? would that be useful? are there other useful ways to gather experience?

should i study more french? i currently only know how to exchange pleasantries.

how much money should i save up for this?

how do i make friends while in france? are there au-pairing chat groups or something?

i'm going to research more about the legal side of things, but any advice under this post for an american trying to go to france is more than welcome!

i want to make this idea into a reality!

thanks for reading! 🤍

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u/JazzyPanda3 — 18 days ago