I have been recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Does anyone have any tips for how to cope?

Question

My doctor and I haven't found the right combination of medications that work yet, so I'm having trouble sleeping and of course with the inevitable mood swings/manic times/ depression. I would love to hear of any coping strategies anyone has found to be effective while I wait for a (hopefully) successful medicine combination. Thanks so much for your help!

Answer 1

when youre in manic times, eat finger foods. when you're in deppresive times write what you feel... express..

Answer 2

You can get many tips on coping skills at webmd.com  Look at the message board titled "Bipolar Disorder Support Group".  P.S.  Don't get wrapped up in the alternative medication thing the other poster suggested.  They do not correct mis-firing neurotransmitters and although it can take time to find the right combo work with a psychiatrist, not a general practicioner.  Bipolar management is part meds, part therapy and part lifestyle changes.

Answer 3

Hey JB

Finding the right meds combo can take time. It has taken me over 6 months and I'm finally starting to get my BPD2 on track by taking Lithium and Epilim.

Anyhoo, talking with your doc, you can work out together a 'stay well' plan. Sleep is important, but I know that while trying meds or going through the mood swings, it is very difficult.

Can you take some time out from work or school to get well? Find yourself a hobby, take walks, try minimise uneccessary stress... surround yourself with positive and supportive people. They don't have to understand to be supportive, they just have to BE there and accept your illness andhelp you along.

Counselling helps too with the depressive episodes such as cognitive behaviour or rational emotive therapy.

Hopefully your doctor can tell you more about your illness and how to fight it not just using meds. Don't let them keep you in the dark and battle on alone with just meds here and meds there. Request all the info you can into managing your illness, getting on top of it, and living the life you want and deserve.

Visit www.bipolar.com.au  it helped me through. Also www.beyondblue.org.au and www.depressionet.com <--- it's an online forum/discussion board for all sorts of mental illness and is great for you in those dark times when you can't sleep because somebody is always on line.

Good luck to you sweetie.

Answer 4

This disorder is so hard, I know. When depressed, try to have someone around as support or just to make sure nothing awful happens. Talking will help, even if you don't feel like it. I try to solve problems too - it makes you feel accomplished. Math works (although can be VERY frustrating), world issues, personal issues. But nothing too serious and nothing that may bring you down even more. I also like to research the disorder more when I'm feeling down - but I don't know why for that one, lol. Try it, it can't possibly hurt.

I can't give so much advice on the manic side, I'm bipolar 2. But still have someone around, avoid life decisions, put all your energy into something active (like painting, running, etc.). Avoid shopping! Even bipolar 2 have a problem with that one. :)

There are many support groups and therapies that can really help you understand this better. I fully recommend that. Patience is definitely needed for finding proper medications, but don't be afraid to get a second opinion from another psychiatrist - sometimes they miss things that others can point out.

I hope you get through this. :) It'll be hard, but when you finally get to the point where you don't have to worry so much about your moods, it makes the whole process worth it.

Answer 5

Take unisom/benadryl (or the generic for either...all the same thing) 30min-1hour before you should go to sleep.  When im manic it takes 2 for me, but it makes me fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.  Dont do it if you dont have 7-8 hours to sleep before you have to be up.  Forcing myself to sleep is one thing i have found that does help my manic episodes.  Keeping a regular sleep pattern does help with moods some.

Eat healthy, and avoid caffiene or alcohol.  Both are drugs and do effect your mood.  I know i have been drinking some (not much and only once on the weekend) and even just that is enough to throw my mood off for most of the week.....like i had a few drinks last saturday and today is the first day ive leveled out from it (and thats on meds that keep me mostly stable).

Also chart moods (look up mood charts...you will find many online) and journal or blog.  If you do that you will better be able to see how meds are effecting you and if they are helping.  It is a really is a good tool for your Dr to see how you are doing.  Also may help you notice things that trigger moods.  I know i have found a few things that do trigger my manic episodes, and know to avoid them.  And know some things that calm them down (the forcing myself to sleep bing one of them).  The more aware of your moods you can become, you will be able to control them better, be able to see when your meds need tweeked or triggers need to be avoided.  Know things you can do to calm down an episode before it goes full blown.

Also have found journaling and blogging to be a good outlet for my manic episodes.....especially when im raging about something......keeps my episode from effecting anyone else.

Try meditating......It doesnt do me much good, but i know people it does.  If you can find a support group, it can be a huge help.  I know of a few message boards online.   Through support groups or message boards for bipolar you will be finding more people with bp then you will on here.   Email me if you want the links.  Can also just google and find them.

Really just accepting that you have Bipolar and seeking to help yourself is the biggest step.  Many people do struggle with the diagnosis, some just expect the meds to just take care of everything.  It does take work to control bipolar, but it can be done.  It wont go away and even medicated and mostly stable you will have episodes, but it doesnt have to control your life.  It just takes some work.

Answer 6

I've heard that simply monitoring your moods can help a lot. Make up a table with space to write the day, and what mood you're in each day, and additional space for any extra info you feel may be useful.

This way, you can tell where you're heading, and can start to change what you do to cope. If you're getting manic, try to keep your schedule less busy, and if your getting depressed, focus on making sure you get up and do at the very least what you need to do on a daily basis.

This page might help: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/m...

good luck with finding the right meds!

Answer 7

coping skills and meds. i can help you with those

Answer 8

Be nice to yourself.  Treat yourself to things when you feel crappy - grab a chocolate bar or take a bit of time off.  Make sure you get exercise because it releases endorphins (and burns off aforementioned chocolate ;) )

I know a diagnosis offers relief because it offers a solution, but try not to let the diagnosis take over your life.  You're not a bi-polar person, you're a person with bi-polar disorder if that makes any sense.  Its so easy for people to start identifying with their labels and obviously basing your identity around mental illness won't help you to make the most of your life.

Use the energy of the upswings to be productive.  If you feel like cleaning the whole house, do.  You might not want to again for a long time.  However, avoid making big decisions and commitments when you know you're at the peak of a manic phase.  It might seem do-able from the top of the world, but it'll make Everest look small from the bottom.  

Make sure your liver is being monitored if you're taking mood stabilizers, avoid booze and drugs, and try not to take other meds that could interrupt liver function while you're on them.  

Remember that the downs are temporary and just muddle through as well as you can.  The sun will come back.

Give yourself a hug and know you're not alone!

Answer 9

just think u are normal like all others.

that itself is a great relief!!  

Answer 10

These are all excellent answers.  Combine them with a support group (ask your mental health provider for resources).  In a support group, there are three types of people:

1) people just staring to learn to cope. This will show you that you are not alone.  Feeling that you are the only one that feels the way you do is the worst feeling in the world and knowing that you can feel safe to be yourself is priceless.

2) people farther along the journey.  They can show you that there is hope, that you can feel better, and they can tell you what they have done to get where they are.

3) people who have been "cured".  Don't get me wrong.  They seem cured, but they will be the first to tell you that it is a lifelong journey.  They will show you that no matter how long that journey, and no matter how difficult, it is a day-to-day thing, but you will be able to cope with life, and even live life again.

Equally important,  let your family and friends help you.  Don't keep it a secret from those who love you.  Surround yourself with loving support, and don't let negative influences affect you.  If there are negative people in ypur enviornment, try to love them but keep your distance.

Answer 11

See bipolar disorder, at ezy build, below, in section 10, and take the quiz, if unsure, and if the results are positive, ensure you get an expert diagnosis from a mental health professional, not doctors, who are much better dealing with physical ailments, and don't diagnose complex disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder often enough to develop any real expertise.

          Bipolar disorder usually involves major mood swings, which occur without apparent cause, and often over many months, or a matter of years, rather than days, as with most people (unless rapid cycling). I'd take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements daily, replacing 2 of them with cod liver oil supplements in the winter months, (or, as probably a better alternative to the 2 cod liver oil supplements: 1 teaspoonful of cod liver oil, with a little butter, to ensure its use; I take mine on sourdough rye bread, or toast, covered with fishpaste, and pepper, to mask the strong taste). Those people who receive adequate exposure to sunlight, daily, won't need the vitamin D from cod liver oil, but many people, particularly those in latitudes far from the equator, find this difficult, to achieve.

         If you decide to use allopathy, (modern Western medicine) I recommend trying Lithium Carbonate, or Lithium Citrate. (regular tests are necessary, for these) before trying the other mood stabilisers, but if you aren't good at taking medications regularly, drinking adequate water, and keeping up your salt intake, something else, such as  Lamictal,  or Depakote, may suit you better. Check out "lithium"  at http://www.drugs.com/, and http://crazymeds.us/ and always research medications first, (read, and keep the labels/information sheets) so you will be aware of the risks, and on the lookout for side effects. (Personally, if I wasn't bipolar type 1, and didn't experience hallucinations, or serious delusional states, I know I'd first try the orthomolecular, and Omega 3 fish oil supplements, vitamins, minerals; a herbal remedy, and a mostly raw food diet, for several months. Note: St. John's wort, and also antidepressants, may cause mania, or hypomania, in people with bipolar disorder. I'd aso eat in accordance with my "nutritional type". Enter that term in the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com/  

         If not considerably improved, after a maximum of 6 months trial period, consult your primary mental health care provider: you may be one of those who need medications to prevent this serious disorder from worsening.  If you have bipolar type 1, an antipsychotic medication may also be needed. Everyone should take the Omega 3 supplements, or preferably "krill oil" for its other health benefits: use the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com/ . Some people refuse medication, using supplements, and a selective, mostly raw food diet (I do not recommended trying this, if bipolar 1, unless you aren't troubled by hallucinations, or delusional states).

         Maintain the treatments for the depressive phase, in section 2, at:  http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris  Some topics in section 10 include: treating bipolar disorder with supplements, vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies (except for St. John's wort, which may cause mania, or hypomania).  As with all medications, there are risks, and the possibility of side effects, which is why I inform people of the alternatives, to see if they can cope sufficiently well, without resorting to medications or, at least use less of them. Don't use medications and supplements together, without medical advice, except for Omega 3, which is safe, anytime. It is not unknown for those discontinuing medication, and trying the alternative treatments, (which are not quick to work) to lose their jobs, because of unacceptable behavio(u)r, so I'd start 1 week before vacation, and closely monitor the situation, and use medical advice.

Answer 12

I am bipolar 2 and I find having lots of support is best for me. I sometimes still don't recognize symptoms that I'm starting to swing in one way or the other so it's good to have people around that I can trust who will tell me when they spot the warning signs. Also having a place to chat and talk about the disorder is a great release to me. I have a website you might like...it's be completely invaluable to me and I think that I would have probably been dead if it weren't for that site some nights when I couldn't sleep...going through mania it's so good to talk to others who understand. Good luck and add me if you want to....katefindinghope is my name there.

www.dailystrength.org

Lots of supportive people there and online late at night! lol Like someone else said too be gentle with yourself and try to remember that it's a learning curve to know how to deal with a lot of this stuff.