Anna Grace - My Life With Bipolar Disorder

 Get To Know Your Moods:

Monitor your mood. It can be helpful to keep track of your moods over a period of time. 

Understand your triggers. It can help to recognise patterns so you can take action to avoid the trigger, or minimise its impact.

Learn your warning signs. You may start to notice that there is a pattern to how you feel before an episode. This could be changes in your sleeping pattern, eating pattern/appetite or behaviour. Being aware that you are about to have a change in mood can help you make sure you have support systems in place and that you can focus on looking after yourself. 

Practical Steps:

Stick to a routine. Having a routine can help you feel calmer if your mood is high, motivated if your mood is low, and more stable in general. Your routine could include day-to-day activities, relaxation, hobbies, social plans, and taking any medication.

Manage stress. Stress can trigger both manic and depressive episodes. There are lots of things you can do to make sure you don’t get stressed or look after yourself when you do.

Plan ahead for a crisis. When you’re in the middle of a crisis it can be difficult to let others know what kind of help you want. So it can be useful to make a plan for how you want to be treated.

Look After Your Physical Health:        

Get good sleep. For lots of people who experience Bipolar Disorder, disturbed sleep can be both a trigger and a symptom of episodes. Getting enough sleep can help you keep your mood stable or shorten an episode. 

Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet can help you feel well, think clearly and calm your mood. 

Exercise regularly. Exercise can help by using up energy when you’re feeling high and releasing endorphins (‘feel-good’ chemicals in the brain) when you’re feeling low. Gentle exercise, like yoga or swimming, can also help you relax and manage stress. 

Use Your Support Network:

Friends and family. The people closest to you can be really important in helping you manage your mood. The kind of support they can offer includes being able to recognise signs that you may be manic or depressed, helping you look after yourself, listening and offering understanding, helping you reflect on and remember what has happened during a manic episode, and helping you plan for a crisis

Peer support. Making connections with people with similar or shared experiences can be really helpful. You could try talking to other people who have Bipolar Disorder to share your feelings, experiences and ideas for looking after yourself.