Bipolar disorder causes mood shifts where you feel high (or manic) on energy one minute with lows of depression the next. The severity and the frequency are different for each person. While there may not be a cure or a quick fix for bipolar disorder, there are many healthy habits that can decrease the severity and frequency of your bipolar symptoms.
Counseling Can Help
Therapy is an excellent tool to combat bipolar disorder because it can help change the way you think and feel about your illness as well as practical ways to cope. Different types of counseling like cognitive or dialectical behavior therapy can give you specific tasks to do when you are experiencing mania or euphoric feelings. Treatment will be based on each individual’s unique experience, so your personalized treatment will cater to your needs for a successful result.
Coming Together
The symptoms of bipolar disorder may cause you to want to isolate yourself from others. You may be afraid that they will catch on there is something off or are afraid of judgment. Instead of locking yourself away, try your hardest to find a support system that will be there for you as you explore your bipolar disorder. Your family and friends can help you during your times of depression or mania.
Online support groups can also be useful in getting to know people who are just like you who can relate to your problems and offer you solutions that have worked for them. You can combat the isolation that bipolar disorder brings you by giving people a chance and letting them in.
Create a Routine
Creating a routine will keep your life organized and in your control. A journal can be a great tool for organization in which you can make a schedule for yourself on what needs to be done today while leaving room for fun. Not getting enough sleep or sleeping too much because of your bipolar symptoms can be a great challenge. You may find comfort in knowing what time to wake up and what time to go to bed. Getting the right amount of rest is important when you have bipolar disorder, as not enough sleep can trigger your mental health condition. Healthy habits will help you better manage your bipolar symptoms.
Bipolar symptoms can seem very overwhelming when you do not know how to manage them. Drugs or alcohol can exacerbate those symptoms as well as not getting enough sleep. By creating a routine and finding a support system in conjunction with medication, life with bipolar disorder will be easier to manage. At Alta Loma, we understand what you are going through and want you to know you are not alone. Our transformative treatment center in Georgetown, Texas, can provide you with medication management, therapeutic recreational activities, coping skills education, individualized therapy, and more. Please call us at (866) 457-3843 to learn more.
