Tulpa + bipolar disorder/antidepressants?

[Crescendo]

Hey guys,

 

I've been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and I'll start getting meds because of that soon.

Now I'm kinda curious about how the meds (probably lithium, since it's the common bipolar med?) are affecting tulpas. I know that some of you guys take antidepressants. Are your tulpas affected by that and if they are, how exactly? Or do we even have people who take lithium or anything similar in this community?

My tulpa, Maja, isn't vocal yet, even though she's able to posses me already. It's always been really hard for me to focus on anything, so I've been having a hard time when it comes to forcing - I'm afraid that this might get worse when getting meds.

 

 

Also, I'd like to know if you guys told your therapists about your tulpas? Most of my friends know about Maja, so it's not really a secret, but I guess therapists might just think she's just a psychosis, since it seems like some bipos get that. I'm pretty sure I won't tell my therapist, but I'd really like to know how yours reacted when you told them you're hearing voices inside your head. :D

[Nageki]

I've been on paxil for a few years to regulate my depression and I don't recognize any way it might affect my tulpa. It could be different for other antidepressants, especially ones that are used to treat bipolar disorder. Paxil is an SSRI so its main function is to regulate the levels of seratonin in my brain; it doesn't stunt my emotions or any other part of me. In fact, it helps me function way better than I would have had I not been medicated. This leads me to believe that my antidepressants might actually help me in creating Arro instead of hinder me.

 

As for telling my therapist, I have not. While he specializes in trauma, hasn't judged me for the (many) extremely violent intrusive thoughts I've told him about over the years, and was accepting of me when I came out to him as both transgender and nonstraight, I'm hesitant to tell him about Arro or the (for lack of a better word) "stranger" parts of my life. Part of the reason is probably because I don't know how he views multiplicity.

 

However, I've read about other people's therapists being accepting of their tulpas, and I remember reading one instance where somebody's therapist actually introduced them to tulpamancy as a way to cope. It really depends on the therapist, I think, but given the facts I doubt a good therapist would automatically cry "Psychosis!" after being informed about the subject.

[Crescendo]

Thank you for your answer.

 

Good to hear that it's not affecting Arro. Let's hope it'll be the same for whatever I'll get (I'm kinda scared about this whole thing tbh).

 

and I remember reading one instance where somebody's therapist actually introduced them to tulpamancy as a way to cope.

 

This is amazing! I mean, it makes sense I guess, but I'm really impressed by the fact that a therapist would actually do that.

[Light]

Dracky takes Prozac and Wellbutrin for depression, and I haven't really been effected by it. Considering how he is when he's depressed, it probably helped, since he at least has some motivation when he's taking it.

 

He also doesn't have a therapist, but if he did he says he'd feel kind of weird telling them about me. It's cool that some people's therapists are so accepting, though.

[Nageki]

Psychiatry meds are always intimidating to face at first, but remember that their ultimate goal is to help you regulate your brain chemistry so that you can function better than you normally would have, and if a certain medication isn't working out for you then you can always tell your psych and change to a different med, or stop completely. Just be attentive to your body's response to it (and to Maja's, too) and you should be fine.

 

And I feel the same as Dracky, Light. It's one thing to tell a therapist about ~psychology-approved~ multiplicity, but quite another to tell them that you're creating/have created a headmate. I feel like it would make me sound, I dunno... ridiculous? Unhinged? Something like that.

[Crescendo]

So, almost 2 months have passed and I've been taking lithium for 2 weeks now. I don't have any obvious side effects, so generally I'm totally fine with taking it. But.. I feel like it actually is blocking out Maja. We made a lot of progress in the past 2 months, she's been vocal and we basically were communicating 24/7. But now it's getting harder and harder to hear or feel her, up to the point where I sometimes feel like she's completely gone. Sometimes I can hear a faint "I am here" and a feeling of sadness, but that's it.

Could someone please tell me they had a similar experience and their tulpa came back? Please?

[Metatron]

I am going to be speaking from the perspective of someone who does not take medication, so take it with a grain of salt. Tulpas come from your brain, a sensitive equilibrium of neutrotransmitters and all sorts of finer details that science does not even have the answer to. Medications are designed to alter that equilibrium. What I am trying to get at is that your Tulpa was a product from your previous state. It could be that the medications can make her fade to nothing- hopefully not. On the other hand, it could simply be that since you brain is adjusting, and your Tulpa as a result, both of you are going to have to work through the transition until everything else balances out. For what it is worth, the brain is a powerful tool, and your Tulpa by extension. Both of you will make it out alright, you might just need to work harder for it now. Remember, all this is speculation.

[Nageki]

I'm gonna agree with what Metatron said (though medications are actually supposed to restore a sort of equilibrium in your brain that mental illness throws out of whack). It'll take your brain and body time to adjust to new medication. Usually it takes about a month or two to get adjusted, so it's entirely possible that you're still getting used to the meds and things will sort themselves out in a few weeks.

 

Still, try to stay attentive to how your meds are affecting both you and Maja and keep trying to communicate to her. If, after a month or so, things don't get better or even start to worsen, you may want to either start trying to find new ways to re-establish your connection with her or consider trying a new medication, if feasible.

[Santiago]

When I used to take antidepressants my first tulpa didn't seem to ever seem to get very sad or express emotions other than happiness. As Metatron said, medication basically balances out the chemicals in your brain to make them equal. In my case my emotions were suppressed so I never really felt any sort of extreme happiness, sadness or anger during that period. Since I've gotten off of them, my tulpas seem to experience the extremities in emotion I have mentioned, and so have I. The medication may affect their behavior but not to any sort of extreme.

 

If you keep up your forcing I'm certain nothing bad will come out of the new medication.

[Crescendo]

Thanks for your replies! What you all said makes sense. Lithium works in a different way than antidepressants though, but I guess it makes sense either way. Hopefully everything will turn back to normal soon, if I keep up the forcing. I really do miss her.

 

 

Asking for another med would be kinda weird I guess.

"Could I please get something else, the lithium is great but it's blocking out the alien voice in my head. *gets anti psychotics*" :^)

I'm still at the psychiatry and if the doctors would hear anything about Maja I'll be on the psychotic part of the psychiatry in no time. xD