Joining A Support Group
If you dont know anyone with bipolar disorder, you can often start feeling alone and isolated.
But youre not alone according to the World Health Organization, 45 million people live with bipolar disorder worldwide. Many people can understand what youre 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:
Bipolar 1 Disorder Vs Bipolar 2 Disorder
There are three types of bipolar depression. Bipolar 1 Disorder is characterized by manic episodes lasting seven days or more and depressive episodes lasting two weeks or more. Manic episodes may be severe enough to require hospitalization. For people who have Bipolar 1, its also possible for them to experience a mix of depressive and manic symptoms in rapid succession.
With Bipolar 2 Disorder, depressive episodes are broken up by episodes of hypomania. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. Symptoms are milder and last for several days instead of a week or more.
Cyclothymic disorder is a rare mood disorder that causes emotional highs and lows that may go on for months at a time, but are not as severe as what happens with Bipolar 1 Disorder or Bipolar 2 Disorder.
Encourage Your Loved One To Take Bipolar Disorder Medication
Medication is the cornerstone of treatment for bipolar disorder, and most people need it to regulate their moods and avoid relapse. Despite the need for medication, many people with bipolar disorder stop taking it. Some quit because theyre feeling better, others because of side effects, and yet others because they enjoy the symptoms of mania. People who dont think they have a problem are particularly likely to stop taking medication.
You can help your loved one stay on track by emphasizing the importance of medication and making sure they take all prescriptions as directed. Also encourage your loved one to speak to their doctor about any bothersome side effects.
Side effects can be very unpleasant if the dose of the medication is too low or too high, but a change in medication or dosage may solve the problem. Remind your loved one that abruptly stopping medication is dangerous.
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Make A Few Additions To Your Diet
A 2018 study found that dietary adjustments, with a focus on micronutrient supplementation, could improve the sense of control and coping for folks who have bipolar disorder.
Dietary modifications can also help you combat other health issues, such as unwanted weight gain, that may contribute to negative body image and depressive thoughts.
Ways To Manage Bipolar Disorder & Depression At The Same Time
Some of the ways in which you can treat the depressive episodes related to bipolar disorder and keep your mood elevated are:
Healthy Routine Leads To A Healthy Mind: Getting attracted to bad habits while you are depressed is very easy. You may face excessive hunger pangs even when you are full or not feel like eating when you are hungry. You may also face sleeping issues. You will either sleep too much or too little or indulge in sleeping at odd hours when going through bipolar disorder and depression at the same time. Unhealthy sleeping and eating habits can worsen the situation. Hence, irrespective of when a depressive episode hits you, having a healthy routine will help you sustain good habits and combat depression and bipolar disorder. Some of the easy to follow healthy habits for a patient with bipolar disorder are:-
- Sleep at least 8 hours every night. Ensure you go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time to maintain consistency.
- Maintain snack and meal timings. Eat at equal intervals and at same time.
- Increase your intake of vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
Knowing your demons well is the best way to fight them. Once you are capable of understanding what leads to a symptom or an episode of depression, you can make efforts at the right time to avoid the episodes or at least reduce its impact to start with. Eventually, you will learn to handle your symptoms.
Take Away
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Enjoy Light Or Dark Therapy
Sunlight might have a role to play in managing bipolar disorder symptoms.
Early research in 2014 found people exposed to higher levels of sunlight during the spring experienced a later onset of bipolar disorder.
Sunlight also helps your body regulate its circadian rhythm, your 24-hour internal clock. Circadian rhythm disruptions are a suspected contributor to bipolar disorder mood episodes.
Sunlight isnt the only light thought to influence symptoms of mood episodes.
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What A Depressive Episode Feels Like
The unpredictable nature of cycling through mood states, being unsure of what symptoms may envelop you next, typically creates underlying anxiety, says Colleen King, LMFT, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating people with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.
People with bipolar disorder can experience mixed states or dysphoric mania, she says. King says her clients experience their dysphoric mania as an excruciatingly difficult mood state that simultaneously combines symptoms of mania and depression, though the typical euphoric feelings are absent.
They also often experience psychomotor agitation, insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness. Sometimes they experience irritability or anger.
You might be especially curt with others and feel like no one understands your experience, says Louisa Sylvia, PhD, associate director of psychology at the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.
You might lash out and not want to interact with anyone, Sylvia says in her book, The Wellness Workbook for Bipolar Disorder: Your Guide to Getting Healthy and Improving Your Mood.
During a depressive episode, Kings clients tell her that they feel broken or dont care about anything anymore.
They say they dont have the motivation or passion for anything except sleep. Her clients say they cry all the time and feel frustrated and helpless. They fear theyll never feel normal again.
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How To Show Support
Your words matter when expressing your support. Helpful things you can say include:
- “I’m here for you.”
- “You are important to me.”
- “What can I do to help right now.”
- “That must be really hard.”
- “I’m proud of you.”
- “What you’re feeling is valid.”
What you should avoid are comments that are shaming, blaming, or dismissive like “Just snap out of it” or “You’d feel better if you’d just do this.”
Learn more about some of the things you shouldn’t say to a loved one with bipolar disorder. For example, you shouldn’t dismiss what they are feeling as “overreacting.” Be sensitive about what you say and make sure you are not dismissing or invalidating their emotions.
Recognize 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 youve 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 triggered 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 prevent a crisis or major episode.
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Ways To Support The Person After An Episode
- Some of the things the person might need when trying to get well are rest, routine, something to do, something to look forward to and love and friendship.
- If the person has ongoing symptoms or is finding it hard to cope, ask them how you can help .
- Do things with the person rather than for them, as this can help to rebuild their confidence.
- Try to be available to support the person , without being domineering or overindulgent.
- Encourage the person not to try to get everything done at once. Initially it might be easier for them to prioritize essential tasks and do less stressful activities.
- Let the person recover at their own pace, but actively encourage or invite them to do things if they find it difficult to become involved in life again.
- If the person finds it hard to make a start on things, encourage them to set a small manageable goal.
- The period after a bipolar episode can be a high-risk time for suicide. There is a list of warning signs of suicide attempts to look out for in the section on helping to prevent suicide.
- When possible focus on wellness and positive behavior, rather than illness and problem behavior .
- Offer assistance if the person has difficulties with remembering things or concentrating .
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Complementary Bipolar Treatments: A Few Words Of Caution
“The reality is that there is not a lot of data on complementary therapies for bipolar disorder,” Muskin says. “That doesn’t mean these products shouldn’t be used, but when patients try to find out about them, they shouldn’t expect to be able to go to like The New England Journal of Medicine and download a lot of articles.”
Muskin recommends ConsumerLab as a reputable site where people can go to research complementary therapies. “You can find out whether or not the product you’re buying really contains the product you think it does, as well as what it’s indicated for and whether it has contaminants,” he says. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements also provides an extensive online database of dietary supplements that includes detailed product and manufacturer information.
Most of these therapies are safe, and there is limited evidence of negative interactions with prescription medications. Regardless, patients and their family members should actively research these products and discuss options with a psychiatrist before taking them, especially because complementary therapies do not undergo the same strict review process as pharmaceutical medications.
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Learn Healthy Coping Strategies
There are plenty of coping strategies that can help you process your emotions in a healthy way. Try activities like:
- Keeping a journal. Use a journal to write down your thoughts and feelings, both the negative and positive.
- Exercising. Exercise releases chemicals that make you feel good. Find a way of moving your body thats fun for you without judging your fitness level.
- Trying a new hobby. Creative hobbies like painting, drawing, writing, or singing can help you express your feelings in a new way.
Accept That Your Friends Symptoms Might Affect Your Relationship
Treatment may help manage a persons symptoms, but it cant offer a cure for a persons mood changes. Its a chronic condition. Your friendship may be one of the most stable aspects of their lives, says Dr. Singh.
Part of that friendship involves understanding how your friends symptoms may affect your bond. A friend who can weather those ups and downs will likely be someone who truly understands the condition well, Dr. Singh says.
This is another time when its important to remind yourself that your friends bipolar disorder doesnt define them. They can cancel on you last-minute without it being a sign that theyre isolating themselves due to depression. They can become easily irritated with you for reasons besides entering a manic episode. Do your best not to immediately chalk everything up to their bipolar disorder, and set and reinforce your friendship boundaries when necessary just as you would with other friends.
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What Is The Outlook Of Bipolar Disorder
The prognosis for bipolar disorder is often poor unless its properly treated. Many people with bipolar disorder who receive appropriate treatment can live fulfilling and productive lives.
Bipolar disorder results in approximately nine years reduction in expected life span, and as many as1 in 5 people with bipolar disorder commit suicide. An estimated 60% of all people with bipolar disorder have drug or alcohol dependence.
This is why its essential to seek medical care and stay committed to treatment for bipolar disorder.
Regular and continued use of medication can help reduce episodes of mania and depression. By knowing how to recognize the symptoms and triggers of these episodes, theres a better chance for effective treatment and finding coping methods that may prevent long periods of illness, extended hospital stays and suicide.
Avoid Drugs And Alcohol
Its not uncommon for people with bipolar disorder to rely on drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Substance abuse is often a co-occurring disorder in people with bipolar. However, using drugs or alcohol when you have bipolar disorder can cause adverse side effects and consequences.
Drugs and alcohol can change how your medicines work. They can make symptoms of bipolar disorder worse and can even trigger a manic or depressive episode.
If you feel like you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, this needs to be addressed with your support group and treated along with bipolar disorder.
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Conditions That Can Co
Many people with bipolar disorder also may have other mental health disorders or conditions such as:
- Psychosis. Sometimes people who have severe episodes of mania or depression also have psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions. The psychotic symptoms tend to match the persons extreme mood. For example:
- Someone having psychotic symptoms during a manic episode may falsely believe that he or she is famous, has a lot of money, or has special powers.
- Someone having psychotic symptoms during a depressive episode may believe he or she is financially ruined and penniless or has committed a crime.
Some bipolar disorder symptoms are like those of other illnesses, which can lead to misdiagnosis. For example, some people with bipolar disorder who also have psychotic symptoms can be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Some physical health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can mimic the moods and other symptoms of bipolar disorder. Street drugs sometimes can mimic, provoke, or worsen mood symptoms.
Tip : Monitor Your Symptoms And Moods
In order to stay well, its important to be closely attuned to the way you feel. By the time obvious symptoms of mania or depression appear, it is often too late to intercept the mood swing, so keep a close watch for subtle changes in your mood, sleeping patterns, energy level, and thoughts. If you catch the problem early and act swiftly, you may be able to prevent a minor mood change from turning into a full-blown episode of mania or depression.
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Challenges Of Bipolar Disorder
When people with bipolar disorder go through mood changes, they usually experience severe changes in their energy and activity levels, sleep patterns, and other everyday behaviors. Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, may also occur during severe mood episodes. These can be frightening both for the person with bipolar disorder and for those around them.
Bipolar disorder is usually a lifelong condition. While many people with bipolar disorder may remain symptom-free for periods of time, their symptoms can return at any time. Sometimes those with bipolar disorder grow anxious during these symptom-free periods, unsure of when their next mood episode will occur.
Living with bipolar disorder isnt easy. But your support can make a positive difference in the life of someone with the condition, especially during mood episodes. Here are 10 steps you can take to help someone with bipolar disorder:
Get Educated On Bipolar Disorder
Learning how to cope with bipolar disorder involves getting educated about what causes bipolar disorder, its symptoms, and how to treat bipolar disorder. Become an expert and lean on your therapist as well for psychoeducational resources to help you better understand the condition. This will help you work closely with a therapist on a deeper, more beneficial and effective level.
The more informed you are about bipolar disorder, the better prepared youll be to quickly identify and manage symptoms as they spontaneously arise.
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What Is Unipolar Depression
Unipolar depression is what we typically think of as depression: a mood disorder thats characterized by feeling sad or down for two weeks or more. Symptoms of unipolar depression can include:
- Constantly feeling sad, empty, or hopeless
- Changes in appetite and sleeping patterns
- Feeling fatigue or a lack of energy
- Feeling guilty, worthless, or like you are not enough
- Frequently having thoughts of death or suicide
- Losing interest or pleasure in your usual hobbies, or withdrawing from social activities
Unipolar depression does not include the manic behaviors that characterize bipolar depression, but like bipolar depression, its symptoms can be mild or severe, and can be disruptive to a persons everyday life. Learn more about depression and depressive disorders here.