Well, I am Bipolar, now what?
So, I should start by saying I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at 16. I have received treatment and been on and off meds since. Now I am 22 and recently started treatment again. After some medication sent me into mania and stronger suicidal thoughts then I am used to it was determined that I am actually Bipolar. I know the sort of things to do when managing depression and anxiety. What do you do to manage bipolar disorder along with your medication?
@LostButLovely
I've been watching things degrade the last 16yrs before finally going to my doc begging for help with bipolar in July.
So while it's only really been bad the last 3yrs, I've got 16yrs of management practice... Shockingly the simple practice of 'breathe and walk away' does a lot except for bad days, and those days usually have me either crying in my truck or screaming my head off in my truck...
Simple breathing exercises to centre yourself, basic mindfulness that you can expand and refine with practice.
I'm on the 2nd medication as we try to find something that works, hoping I'm done being a guinea pig again. So we're still essentially at a "non-medication managed" stage...
@Phoenix84
Thanks so much for the advice!!! My mind just gets so busy that I cant focus some days but I have been trying my hardest and seeing some improvement!!
@LostButLovely I also had a med trigger mania. I was diagnosed in 2014 (i think!!) after spending time in the hospital. I was already being treated for PTSD, I have both. My really liked my psychiatrist a lot. He told me it takes most people 2-3 years to really accept the diagnosis.
I was open to it since I had already been through it with PTSD but it did take me about 2 years to really start to internalize it. He also told me that bipolar disorder is something that you can see in cycles with significant amounts of time involved. I have been really reflecting on a lot of my behavior and conflict with people, reading other peoples stories, and things like that have really helped me see my symptoms more.
I also agree with breathe and walk away. It feels impossible to process strong emotions in the moment. Good luck on your journey. :)
