Managing Your Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is “a chronically recurring condition involving mood swings that swing between the highs of mania and the lows of depression,” according to Psychology Today. If not cared for properly, this disorder can negatively impact a person’s daily life such as family, relationships, or job.
A survey found that 9 in 10 patients claimed to have cancelled social engagements due to bipolar disorder. However, with medication and other forms of treatment, a person can manage their bipolar disorder and live a full, productive life.
Lisa Rabey has been living with bipolar disorder for twenty years now yet, despite her disorder, she has maintained a more normal life. With a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, a career, and long past relationships you’d never guess that she is diagnosed with bipolar 1, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, and general anxiety.
Through her battle with this disorder, she has discovered a few things that helped her get to where she is now. Here are a few steps you can take to help manage bipolar disorder.
- Share you triggers with your support group. Sharing this information with a trusted group of people allows them to help you even more.
- Discover the methods to self-soothe that you like best. Doing this provides a plan for when things get rough. Rabey’s favorite methods of self-soothing include eating chocolate, sleeping with a teddy bear, and singing songs backwards.
- Stick to a healthy diet and exercise. Whether you have a mental illness or not, these two things are always beneficial. This doesn’t mean that you have to go to the full extreme and cut out every sugar from your diet or run three miles every day. This simply means that eating well and doing something such as going on a walk each day or going for a swim can make a huge difference in your mood and overall health.
Keep in mind that these tips are not going to cure bipolar disorder. They are simply meant to help manage the disorder. If you are experiencing signs of bipolar disorder, see a mental health professional who will be able to provide you with the proper medication.
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