Coping with your symptoms of #bipolardisorder on your own is possible — even if it can feel really challenging at times.
#Self-care is key in managing symptoms of #bipolardisorder. You can do many things on a daily basis to cope with your condition and minimize any challenges that come up.
The first step to managing #bipolardisorder is getting support from a #mentalhealthprofessional. They can help you create and maintain a treatment plan that works for you.
A combination of medication and psychotherapy is effective for treating symptoms of #bipolardisorder. But you can also be an active player in your treatment by learning coping strategies that you can do on your own to further improve your quality of life.
Here are five ways you can manage #bipolardisorder on your own in addition to getting professional support:
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Learning more about #bipolardisorder
If you received your diagnosis of #bipolardisorder recently, the first thing you can do is become an expert on your condition.
Learning more about what it means to live with #bipolardisorder can provide you with the tools to manage your symptoms and advocate for yourself.
There’s a wealth of information out there about #bipolardisorder including the basics, the research, and lived experiences.
Not all information you find will be useful, though.
Try to look for trustworthy websites that provide accurate and research-based content, or advocacy groups such as the #Depression and #Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
While you’re digging in, consider taking notes on:
- Symptoms of #bipolardisorder. This will help you recognize and understand your symptoms and type of #bipolardisorder. Taking notes may come in handy if you develop new symptoms down the line or things change. It’ll also help you\ track progress if you’re getting treatment.
- Symptom activators. What types of events can lead to mood episodes or symptoms? You can compare the things you find in your research with what you’ve experienced first hand. You can start recognizing what incidents cause mood episodes and start avoiding those.
- Treatment options available. Knowing your treatment options means you can play a more active role in choosing the plan that’s right for you. It also means that if your treatment needs to be adjusted at some point, you’ll have knowledge ready to discuss with your healthcare team.
You may also want to search for the latest scientific data on #bipolardisorder symptom management and treatments. Staying up to date on the research can bring about new treatment opportunities and possible clinical trials to join.
Information is empowering. Educating yourself on everything related to #bipolardisorder will help you recognize what you can and can’t control.
Keeping yourself on track
With knowledge comes power — the power to stay on track with your #bipolardisorder treatment plan and play an active role in making decisions regarding your health.
This means you can do two important things:
- recognize your triggers
- monitor your moods
Remember, things change. What was true for you a few months ago might no longer be the case.
Keeping track of your #bipolardisorder symptoms will allow you to acknowledge changes and measure your progress. It can make managing symptoms on your own much easier too.
This is a process. The more you learn, the more you’ll be able to cope with #bipolardisorder.
Recognizing your triggers and early signs
The goal of learning to recognize your triggers is that you can anticipate how a situation will affect you. This way, you can also lower the chance of having a major mood episode such as mania or #depression.
Start by thinking of the mild or early symptoms you’ve experienced before an episode of mania, hypomania, or #depression.
Questions you can ask yourself:
- Was I irritable a few days before?
- Did I feel more tired than usual?
- Was it difficult for me to concentrate?
- Was I sleeping more or fewer hours than usual?
There might also be some situations that led to a mood episode in the past. For example, a job deadline, seasonal changes, lack of sleep, or interpersonal conflicts.
Not everyone responds to the same triggers in the same way. This is why it can be helpful to recognize what affects you most.
You might need additional support during these times. By recognizing the trigger, you can move to action and better cope with #bipolardisorder.
Monitoring how you feel
Recognizing what activates your mood episodes goes hand-in-hand with monitoring your moods.
Checking in with yourself daily on how you feel is a great self-help strategy for #bipolardisorder. It can help you recognize any red flags or patterns.
If, for example, you know irritability often comes before an episode of mania, you can be proactive when you start to feel irritable. But if you’re not usually aware of how you feel, you might miss this opportunity.
Journaling can be a great tool to accomplish this, and you can go as deep or light as you want.
You could log hours of sleep, your predominant mood of the day, food and drink intake, and the weather, among other things.
You can also reflect on your emotional states and relationships. It’s all up to you and what you find most helpful and practical.
At first, especially early after your #bipolarmooddiagnosis, it can be challenging to tell whether a “high mood” is really the beginning of a manic episode or whether you’re just feeling more confident, creative, and socially at ease.
However, the more you track your moods, the easier it will be to establish a link.
It can be a strain watching out for #bipolardisorder symptoms all the time, particularly when you’re first learning about how they affect your life.
Getting a handle on your condition is by no means instant — it can take some time to figure it out. But in time, keeping track of your health will help you gain more insight into your moods.
This, in turn, can lead to greater self-confidence and better treatment management for #bipolardisorder.
Growing your support network
Having an effective support system might seem like work to you, but it’s worth it if you want to manage #bipolardisorder.
To improve on this aspect, there are a few things you can try:
- educate others about #bipolardisorder
- establish new relationships
- join a support group
- stay connected
Educating others
Strengthening your support system is an effective self-help strategy for #bipolardisorder. It might start by educating your family and friends about the condition and your specific symptoms.
#Bipolardisorder — like many #mentalhealthconditions — is still pretty misunderstood and stigmatized.
If a loved one doesn’t have any prior experience with #bipolardisorder, they might not know what it is or how best to support you.
Once you’ve done your own research, your friends and family can benefit from your knowledge and understanding. Not to mention, you’re an expert on you.
Educating others about #bipolardisorder cannot only break down #stigma, but can also build your support system. They may know you’re having a hard time, but not how to help or support you — your knowledge can give them the tools.
Understanding symptoms, triggers, and different ways to cope can give them perspective and a better idea of how to be there for you.
Establishing new relationships
Talking with people about how you feel and what you’re going through can help relieve any #stress you’re feeling.
Having someone to listen — even if they can’t actually do something to change how you feel — can make it easier to cope with #bipolardisorder.
Social relationships and connections are important for all of us. Research in 2014 even suggests that #loneliness and #isolation can worsen #bipolardisordersymptoms.
Set a goal to meet new people (whether in person or through online communities), or strengthen the relationships you already have at home and work.
You don’t need to be looking for the best friendship from everyone. You might find it’s just nice to have someone to grab a cup of coffee with, watch movies, play video games online together, or do anything else you enjoy doing.
Consider taking a class, attending church, volunteering somewhere, or going to local events.
Joining a support group
If you don’t know anyone with #bipolardisorder, you can often start feeling alone and isolated.
But you’re not alone — according to the #WorldHealthOrganization, 45 million peopleTrusted Source live with #bipolardisorder worldwide. Many people can understand what you’re going through and can be a great source of support.
Joining a support group can give you a safe space to speak freely about how you feel, learn from others’ experiences, and receive valuable advice and resources.
The following resources can be a good starting point for your search:
Staying connected
You might not always feel like being around people — and you don’t have to be if you don’t want to. But counting and relying on others can provide you with a sense of safety.
You can stay connected to others in different ways:
- Let people know when you want to be alone, but check in often to say, “I’m okay.”
- Write a letter to someone who you might not have the chance to see often.
- Open up and talk to a close friend or relative about how you feel.
- Call friends and relatives as often as you can. It doesn’t need to be a long conversation every time.
- Find a friend who wants to be a workout buddy. You can join a gym together, go on walks, take a class, or just check in weekly on your progress.
- Schedule a weekly or monthly date with friends or loved ones.
- Update your #socialmedia accounts and reply to comments.
- Send a good morning and good night text message to a friend or relative.
- Ask others to tell you about their day and lives.
- Ask a relative or close friend to check in with you from time to time if they haven’t heard from you in a while.
- Find out if a #counselor or support team member can talk to you at your job or #school.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Committing to a routine
Routines bring structure to our lives and can give us a sense of stability. Setting up routines can help you cope with symptoms of #bipolardisorder.
But the routine itself is up to you — there’s no pressure to follow a routine that’s inaccessible or too hard to manage. You can also switch up your routine on weekdays and weekends, or every few months if needed.
There are many ways to build a routine that works for you. Check out these ideas to get started:
- Get quality sleep. Optimal sleep is essential for #mental well-being, so try to ensure you’re getting at least 7 hours but no more than 9 hours of sleep every day (including naps!). Create a good sleep environment too, by avoiding screens before bed and relaxing about an hour before you want to sleep. Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day if you can.
- Plan to exercise. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Anything that keeps you moving works — from swimming to dancing to traditional gym workouts. On days when you’re feeling depressed, a short walk or indoor stretching can make a difference.
- Make a schedule. Try writing down and following a daily agenda or calendar if you can’t keep too many things the same from day to day. Set up alarms if that will help keep you on track. You can set reminders to switch activities, take breaks, eat something, or call a friend.
- Make time for relaxation and you time. Life isn’t all about work or responsibilities. Save time in your day for socializing and relaxing. It can be easier to include this when it’s a constant in your routine.
Managing #stress
Stressful life events are sometimes difficult to avoid, but having a few #stressmanagement strategies in place can help you cope with mood episodes.
Research suggests that ongoing #stress can trigger mood episodes in someone with #bipolardisorder.
To better manage daily #stress, see if some of these strategies work for you:
- Don’t take on more than you can handle. Ask for help if you need it, whether at work or at home.
- Save time for relaxation every day, even (and particularly) when you’re very busy.
- Do something you enjoy every day. It could be reading a book, listening to your favorite music, taking a bath, playing with your pet, or anything else that makes you smile.
- Learn relaxation techniques. Some effective ones include yoga, tai chi, meditation, journaling, and breathing exercises.
- Pamper yourself. You could get a massage, take a bath, treat yourself to an appointment at a hair or nail salon, or do a face mask at home. Think of all the ways your mind and body feel at ease and try making time for them.
Other self-care strategies for #bipolardisorder
As you learn about your symptoms, how they affect you, and what treatments work best for you, you’ll discover many effective self-care strategies for #bipolardisorder.
It may be a lot of trial and error at first, but what matters is finding what’s right for you.
Some other coping strategies to keep in mind:
- Avoid #alcohol and #drugs, especially if you’re taking #bipolardisorder medications. They may cause interaction and unwanted side effects.
- Limit certain foods, like caffeine or added sugars.
- Avoid too much darkness. Open your windows and curtains as often as you can. Spend some time outdoors every day, if possible.
- Pick a “go-to” person or two for challenging days. Let them know in advance so they can give you their full attention and support when you reach out.
- Keep up with your therapy and medication schedule. Let your treatment team know of any new side effects, symptoms, or issues you’re having.
- Ask for help when you need to.
With a combination of medications, therapy, and self-care strategies, you can live well with #bipolardisorder. There are many options, so work with your treatment team to find the best ones for you.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
