How to Treat Bipolar Disorder

One important step involved in effectively treating this condition is accepting it. I had a hard time learning how to accept the fact that I'm bipolar.
Eventually, I realized that it doesn't really matter if I'm bipolar. Let's say I wasn't. Well, I would have some other problem to deal with, right? For example, I could have breast cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, Asperger's syndrome, or down's syndrome. No matter who you are, you will have some sort of health condition to struggle with and overcome. Is one disorder, disease, or syndrome truly better or worse than another? Haven't we all heard the saying "the grass is greener on the other side?" I feel like that saying has truth in it, yet people often forget that. And this mentality is what has helped me accept my disorder. I wouldn't exchange it for anything else.

If you are truly seeking how to treat bipolar disorder, it is important for you to realize that you won't change overnight. Coping with manic depression is a long process that you must be dedicated to. Don't allow yourself to feel discouraged if you slip up and have a manic or depressive episode. It happens to the best of us.

Before you even begin to learn how to manage bipolar disorder, you should know what it is. For example, you should know about the difference between hypomania and mania, the levels of severity, the symptoms of mania, and the symptoms of depression. My page on what bipolar disorder is contains all of this information.

Now that you have an understanding of what manic depression is, you are ready to explore the many ways to treat bipolar disorder. There may not be a cure for it yet, but there are numerous ways to minimize bipolar disorder symptoms. Most people with bipolar disorder are on medication for it. A mood stabilizer may be prescribed, as well as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant pills. It is common for medications to be mixed for those suffering from bipolar disorder. For example, I was put on a mood stabilizer, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressant. However, some people are put on an anti-psychotic, particularly those who have bipolar I disorder, or suffer from severe manic episodes.

Typically, an anti-depressant alone is not prescribed to someone with bipolar disorder, because it can trigger mania. An anti-depressant is given with a mood stabilizer for bipolars who struggle with depressive episodes. However, depression can be efficiently treated through other means, which will be elaborated on later.

Another thing that you should know about bipolar medication is that you will most likely experience unpleasant side effects for about a month. Some examples of the side effects are:

Weight gain
Weight loss
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Increased thirst
Drowsiness
Metallic taste in mouth
Abnormalities in thyroid function
Kidney problems
Blacking out
Tremors
Feeling detached
Suicide

Not every single one of these possible side effects apply to each medication. It is your responsibility to look up the various side effects your medicines may have. All you have to do is type the drug's name into Google and you will find the manufacturer's website, which should provide you with the necessary information about the medication. Even if your doctor or psychiatrist goes over some of the side effects, you should still look it up.

Warning: Never stop your medication cold turkey!

If you no longer want to take your medicine, then you will have to slowly wean yourself off of it under the supervision of your doctor. When you suddenly quit taking your medication for bipolar disorder, you can suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. You can also go into mania or depression.

Newest Bipolar Medications

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Insomnia
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Vertigo
Headaches
Irritability
Electrical shocks
Delusions
Hallucinations
Suicide

In addition, you should always stick to the prescribed dosage. Don't cut your pills in half. Don't take an extra pill, just because you think you may need it. Deviating from your assigned dosage can have a bad impact on your health.

Lastly, when beginning a new medication, you should keep a daily log of what side effects you may be experiencing and how you are feeling. This can help you determine with your doctor whether or not the drug is working for you.

Medication alone isn't enough to keep your symptoms completely under control. Many psychologists agree that combining medication with techniques on how to cope with bipolar disorder is far more effective.

However, some people refuse to take medication for bipolar disorder. Others cannot afford it, especially in today's economy. Regardless of your situation, there are inexpensive methods of minimizing your symptoms as much as you can. Can anyone complain about that?

Attentively watch for slight changes in energy level, sleeping pattern, thoughts, and mood. Catching it early on can help you prevent an episode or minimize the severity of the symptoms.

Each day you should also rate how your mood was. Did you feel normal? Were you slightly high? Severely low? Rate yourself on a scale between -5 and 5 with -5 standing for severely depressed, 5 representing severe mania, and 0 being normal or neutral. It is ideal that you do this at the same time each day.

You should also take note of the circumstances surrounding each episode.

After about a week or so, you should be able to look back at your mood chart and search for patterns and early warning signs of depression and mania each.

Learn about your triggers and early warning signs. Once you have discovered about what triggers a bipolar episode for you and what the early warning signs are, you will be able to either avoid having the episode altogether or lessen the severity.

Headaches
Needing more sleep, including taking naps
Feeling irritated
Loss of energy
Lower self esteem
Decreased sex drive
No longer wanting to be around others
Caring less about other people
No longer feeling like doing anything

Taking on multiple projects
Reading more than one book
Trouble concentrating
Talking faster
Feeling irritated
Higher self esteem
Increased sex drive
Having more energy than usual
Feeling hungrier than normal

The quicker you act when you notice warning signs of either depression or mania, the better off you will be. Because individuals are different, the specific actions or coping techniques that you use may not be the same as someone else with bipolar disorder. Likewise, the specific warning signs that you experience may differ from someone else's. Experiment with some of these ideas and learn what works for you and for which type of bipolar episode. The coping mechanism that helps with depression may not work as well for mania.

After you have figured out what your unique early warning signs are, determine what you are like when you are mildly manic, moderately manic, severely manic, mildly depressed, moderately depressed, and severely depressed. Remember that you may not experience severe mania, so you wouldn't have to record your symptoms for that category.

When you notice early warning signs for depression, it is important to take action. The quicker you do, the better off you will be. Even if you have already fallen into a state of depression, you can still utilize the following strategies to help you snap out of it sooner.

Increase your Activity Level

One of the symptoms of bipolar depression is a decrease in energy level, whereas mania is an increase in energy level. By engaging in more activities when you are feeling down, it helps counteract the lower energy level. Additionally, it serves as a distraction. If you sit around refusing to do the things that need to be done or even avoiding fun activities, you begin to think more. And when you are in a depressed state of mind, your thoughts aren't exactly positive. You begin to think about how horrible of a person you must be, how much of a failure you are in life, how ugly you are, etc. Once those thoughts start, it's as if a vicious depressive cycle begins. Don't allow yourself to get to that point where you keep thinking negative things about yourself. If you catch yourself thinking a bad thought, stop yourself and reverse it. For example, if you are thinking "I am such a stupid person," stop yourself and then think "I am a smart person, because I am constantly learning." It may sound weird, but it can help sometimes.

Create a Positive Notebook

Write down all of the positive things about yourself in a small notebook. This can include physical features, personality traits, accomplishments, and more. Here is an example of what your list may look like:

Beautiful eyes
Great smile
Graduated high school
Graduated college
Donated money to charity
Fed a stray cat
Adopted an animal
Wrote a good book
Outgoing person
Intelligent
Artistic
Helped my brother overcome a rough breakup
Make people laugh a lot
Very compassionate
Great cook

No matter how little something may seem, if it made you feel good about yourself, you should include it. Even giving a homeless person a warm meal can make an impact. He could be more touched than you even realize. He may even remember your act of kindness for the rest of his life. I have some memories of little things that strangers did for me that have remained with me and will for the rest of my life. Likewise, I have done nice things for people I didn't know.

Now this isn't something that can be completed in one sitting. Throughout your life as you make more accomplishments and do more things that you feel proud of, your list will become longer. When you begin to feel down or are depressed, take out this book and read all of the wonderful things about yourself. It will help remind you why you aren't a horrible person, even if you feel that way at the moment.

Do Something Enjoyable

When you are engaging in activities, don't just do the house chores; also make room for something fun. For example, play a video game, hang out with a friend, skate, swim, go see a movie, etc. It's very important for anyone, including people who are not bipolar, to maintain a balance between completing necessary tasks and having fun. Neglecting responsibilities is just as bad as forgetting to have fun.

Relax

When you are about to become manic or hypomanic, you have the opposite problem that you do when you are depressed. While depressed you have lower energy, whereas you have an increased energy level during mania/hypomania. Therefore, it makes sense that you would do things that lower your activity level. Relaxing is one great way to do this. Plus, it is beneficial for your health! Everyone can benefit from making room in his/her life to relax. Moreover, there are endless relaxation techniques that you can choose from.

One way to relax is to lay down and close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply. Then clench your toes and hold it for a few seconds and then relax those muscles. Repeat it a few more times, while still breathing deep and slow. You will repeat this process for your calf muscles, thighs, butt, hands (make fists), arms, back, and shoulders (hunch your shoulders up towards your neck). Just after doing this through once, you can feel the difference. Your muscles are more relaxed, thus you have less tension and also feel more laid back. You can repeat the whole process if you need to. Doing this technique has even helped me reduce the pain of headaches.

Studies have shown that 30 minutes of relaxation each day can help improve your mood and reduce periods of depression.

Pace Yourself

When you are feeling hypomanic or manic, you may take on too many responsibilities and start too many projects. Slow yourself down and don't overwork yourself. Of course, it can be tempting to take on too many commitments and begin new hobbies when you are full of energy and optimism, but this can be a bad thing when it's not controlled. Once you have better control over your mania, you will find that you can benefit from the lovely things about that state of mind, such as increased creativity.

Write Down Your Ideas

When I become hypomanic, I tend to have so many new ideas for things to do and write about that I can't even keep them straight. I will write some of them down and review them later. I have been guilty of taking on more than I can handle and starting way too many projects. I bet most of you can relate to this. By writing down your creative ideas, it helps slow you down a little bit and keep track of them. In addition, it helps prevent you from starting too many projects. Later on, you can go over your list and determine which ideas you want to work with and which ones to cross off the list. Hypomania can be a wonderful thing. Too bad the same can't be said for depression, eh?

You have probably heard this one before, but it truly does help many people, especially those who tend to take things out on loved ones. If you are guilty of doing that, then this may be helpful for you. When you are feeling depressed or irritable, instead of yelling or getting snippy with your loved one, explain to him or her that you are currently having a depressive (or manic) episode. By doing that, he/she will understand the state of mind you are currently in and can even comfort for you. I have found that being able to discuss my emotions openly and explain whether or not it is bipolar related has decreased how often I take things out on other people. I even feel a little bit better afterward.

Psychotherapy can help you learn how to handle problems, alter the way you think, cope with your disorder, regulate your mood, and improve relationships. When looking for a therapist it's very important that you choose one who you feel comfortable with. If you were to be friends with someone who you dislike and feel uncomfortable around, would you really be receiving all the benefits of friendship? No, you wouldn't. The same can be applied to the relationship between you and your therapist. If you don't like him/her and feel discomfort, then you won't truly be open. And if you're not being completely open, then you will not receive the proper help you may need. When people think of important relationships, they often think of romantic, family, and friendship. What slips their mind is the therapist/patient relationship. For those who need therapy, this becomes important.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is centered around the concept that our actions and emotions are largely influenced by our thoughts. CBT will teach you how to recognize warning signs, handle stressful events, monitor your moods, and understand mood symptoms. While you can engage in cognitive behavioral therapy on your own, there are various programs and groups that you can join, in order to learn how to better manage mania and depression.

You can either keep a journal or open a word document and type out all of your emotions and thoughts. If you want to, you can then delete it. I am not very fond of keeping a diary, but I know other people can benefit from it. I prefer to talk with someone about my feelings over writing them down.

Aerobic exercise, in particular, is great for alleviating symptoms of depression. Attempt to exercise for 30 minutes five times a week. Even a simple walk around the neighborhood counts! In order to make the walk more exciting, you can listen to your mp3 or iPod or go with a friend.

Why is Exercise so Helpful for People with Bipolar Disorder?

Like relaxing, there are endless methods for meditating. Meditation is actually a form of relaxation. When you think of meditating, you probably conjure an image of Buddha in your mind. Buddhists are well-known for taking advantage of the benefits of meditation. However, many other people embrace meditation. My favorite method of meditating is to use the "om mani pedme hum" mantra to this video:

One of the biggest complaints people have about meditation is that they cannot clear their minds. The problem is fighting your thoughts. Do not struggle against the thoughts! Do not attempt to think nothing. If you do these two things, you will not be able to truly relax and clear your mind. Allow every single thought to flow freely through your mind, while breathing deeply. If you are using a mantra, make sure that you say it out loud. Eventually, you will feel more relaxed and have a quieter mind.

Yoga, like cognitive behavioral therapy, can be done either by yourself or with the help of an instructor. Yoga is well known for both improving a person's physical and mental health. There have been many studies on the effect of yoga on anxiety and depression, but not for bipolar disorder. However, people with bipolar disorder can contest to the fact that yoga made a difference in their lives.

One study from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles concluded that participants engaging in yoga showed significant reductions in anxiety, depression, anger, and neurotic symptoms.

Yoga is believed to increase serotonin and GABA (gamma-amminobutyric) levels in the brain. Serotonin improves mood, while GABA is responsible for relaxing.

Before you blindly jump into yoga, you should know that there are various techniques that are intended to help certain symptoms. Doing the wrong one won't help you very much. For example, if you tend to be very agitated or have a racing mind, you should be performing exercises that focus more on the exhalation. An example of a yoga pose you can use is shavasana. Shavasana, also known as the dead man's pose, is a position in which you lie on your back.

On the other hand, if you suffer from lethargy or low energy levels, then you should be doing yoga exercises that focus more on inhaling air and increasing the heartbeat. An example of an energizing pose is the downward dog.

Warning: Avoid any poses that cause you pain or discomfort. Just as lifting weights improperly can cause injuries, so can yoga. Make sure you know what you are doing.

Guided imagery is another method of learning how to cope with bipolar disorder that may be favored by visual individuals. It is a relaxation technique that is very effective for depression. It is also beneficial for people suffering from a sleep disorder, an anxiety disorder, and manic depression. Even if you don't have a mental disorder, you can benefit from guided imagery.

Begin by relaxing your body by inhaling deeply and holding your breath for about 10 seconds before exhaling. After 5 minutes of doing this, began imagining any place where you would feel peaceful and safe. It doesn't have to be a real location. Slowly, begin to vividly think of all of the sensations of that place. For example, a cool ocean breeze grazing your cheek and warm sand beneath your bare feet. Be as detailed in your visualizations as you possible can.

There are many guided imagery tapes that you can use to help you if you prefer to not do it on your own. Maybe even listening to some tapes can give you ideas for what visualizations work for you. There is no one right way to perform guided imagery.

Everything that you eat has an effect on bipolar symptoms, whether it is good or bad. Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains foods. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs because they worsen bipolar symptoms. In addition, you should try to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. You can either take an omega-3 supplement or eat foods rich in it. Some foods with omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, pumpkin seeds, sardines, walnuts, soybeans, halibut, and flaxseeds. Even cooking with canola oil helps with bipolar disorder.

This can be extremely hard sometimes, because sometimes your body simply doesn't want to sleep. I have experienced laying down to go to sleep, but having two hours go by with me wide awake. If you are having trouble falling asleep, try a relaxing technique. You can find guided relaxation recordings that are specifically intended to assist people with falling asleep. Another way to help yourself fall asleep is to meditate on a regular basis. Numerous people with insomnia have benefited from including meditation in their lives.