BipolarChatroom Blog8
Bipolar Support and Self-Help
LIVING AND COPING WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER
I found this article on the Internet and found it so interesting I wanted to include it in my latest blog. I have changed parts of it, and when I am putting my opinions in, I will write in italic, like I am now. It is titled Bipolar Support & Self-Help. It includes 'living with bipolar disorder,' key recovery concepts & 6 support tips :
- Get involved in your treatment.
- Monitor your symptoms and moods.
- Reach out to other people.
- Develop a daily routine.
- Keep stress to a minimum.
- Watch what you put in your body.
I have covered most of the above in previous blogs but this blog goes into more detail regarding each item. I am definitely finding doing all of this research a learning curve. I can honestly say that I have learnt more about bipolar disorder in the last two months since doing my research and starting up my sites, than I have from my psychiatrist in the last 12 years since being diagnosed!!
Although bipolar disorder tends to be a lifelong, recurrent illness, there are many things you can do to help yourself.
Beyond the treatment you get from your doctor or psychiatrist, there are many things you can do to reduce your symptoms and stay on track, including educating yourself about bipolar disorder, surrounding yourself with people you can count on, and leading a healthy "wellness" lifestyle.
You're not powerless when it comes to bipolar disorder. With good coping skills and a solid support system, you can live fully and productively and keep the symptoms of bipolar disorder in check.
Living with bipolar disorder : What you can do to help yourself
Living with and well with bipolar disorder requires certain adjustments in your life. It's exactly the same as alcoholics who have given up the drink and not being tempted into going back on it, or diabetics who need their insulin to maintain being well. If you have bipolar disorder it is important to make healthy choices for yourself. Inevitably, making these healthy choices will help you keep your symptoms under control, minimise mood swings, and take better control of your life.
As previously discussed in a blog, I had an issue with the 'demon' that is alcohol. Alcohol and bipolar disorder do not go hand-in-hand. It can put you in a very depressed mood, because alcohol is a depressant anyway, and it doesn't mix with the medications, most of the time preventing them from working to their full potential. There is also the affect it has on your sleep, and if you don't get regular sleep- going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, your moods can be affected,
Managing bipolar disorder starts with the 'obvious' and 'proper' treatments, including medication and therapy which all of us sufferers get. Well, the first, most definitely.
There is so much more you can do to help yourself on a day-to-day basis. The daily decisions you make influence the course your illness takes you: whether your symptoms get better or worse; whether your decisions keep you well or make you experience a relapse resulting in how quickly you rebound from a mood episode.
Bipolar Disorder : Key Recovery Concepts *
- Hope. If you manage your symptoms well, it is possible to experience long periods of wellness. Believing you can cope with your mood disorder is both accurate and essential to recovery.
- Perspective. Depression and manic-depression often follow cyclical patterns. Although a lot of us may go through some painful and difficult times and at the time there seems no way out of how we are feeling, it is important not to give up on hope.
- Personal Responsibility. It's up to you to take the appropriate action to keep your moods stabilised, this is very important and includes asking for help from others when you need it, taking your medication as prescribed and keeping appointments with your health care providers. These may include Dr's, Psychiatrists, Social Workers or Community Psychiatric Nurses.
- Self-Advocacy. Become an effective advocate for yourself so you can get the appropriate and necessary services and treatment you need, and really strive to make the life you want for yourself.
- Education. Do some studying to learn as much as you can about your illness. This will enable you to make informed decisions about all aspects of your life and the available treatment out there. I bought myself a book titled 'living with depression and bipolar disorder.' It's interesting the things you don't know about the illness!!
- Support. Working toward wellness is up to you. However, support from others is essential to maintaining your stability, thus, enhancing the 'quality' of your life.
*Source Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance.
Bipolar disorder support tip #1:Get involved in your treatment
Be as pro-active as you can possibly be in participating in your own treatment. Learn everything you can about bipolar disorder. Make yourself an 'expert' on the illness. Study up on the symptoms, so you can recognise them in yourself, and research all of your treatment options so you can prepare yourself and know what to expect when you do experience the symptoms in yourself.
The more informed you are, the better prepared you'll be to deal with the symptoms and make good choices for yourself.
As I have previously said, I have learnt so much over the last 2 months researching bipolar disorder; from finding out the smallest things, to things I felt I should have been told. Once you start to have a better understanding of your illness, the easier it is to begin to 'put up a fight' when you feel an episode coming on.
Using what you have learned about bipolar disorder, collaborate with your doctor or Psychiatrist in the treatment planning process. Don't be afraid to voice your opinions or ask questions. Remember it is in your interests at the end of the day. The most beneficial relationships between patient and health care provider work as a partnership, so make sure you are both 'on the same page,' so to speak.
Some people find it helpful to draw up a treatment contract outlining the goals you and your provider have agreed upon.
Other tips for successful bipolar disorder treatment :
- Be patient. Don't expect things to change 'over-night'. There is no immediate and total cure. Have patience with your treatment process. It can not only take time to find the right programme that works for you, but also to find the right 'balance' in medication.
- Communicate with your treatment provider. Regularly keep in communication with your doctor or psychiatrist. Your treatment program will change over time, so keep in close contact with them. Talk to them if your condition or needs related to your illness changes. You must be honest about about your symptoms and any medication side effects as you may not be on the right program/medication that personally suits you.
My medication has been changed so many times over the last twelve years because I start a new drug, wait for it to get into my system, get the side effects of taking a new tablet, and eventually i'm told this isn't the right drug for you, we'll try something else!
- Take your medication as instructed. If you are taking medication, it is important to follow all of the instructions and take it faithfully. The worse thing you can do is skip or change a dose without first talking to your doctor, this can make your symptoms/moods worse.
In my last blog, I showed a video on Stacey Slater from Eastenders during a period she wasn't taking her medication, and she wasn't a well person. It is imperitive that you stick to what you have been told to take and when you have been told to take it, otherwise the consequences can be quite shocking.
- Get therapy. While medication may be able to manage some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, therapy/seeing a psychiatrist teaches you skills you can use in all aspects of your life. It can help you learn how to deal with your disorder, cope with any problems that may occur, regulate your mood, change the way you think about towards your illness and improve your relationships, not just with partners, but family and friends.
Bipolar disorder support tip #2:Monitor your symptoms & moods
In order to stay well, it is important to be 'tuned-in' to the way you feel. By the time obvious symptoms of mania or depression appear, it is is often too late to intercept the mood swing, so keep a close watch for subtle changes in your mood, sleeping patterns, energy levels and thoughts.
If I am having a manic day and really hyper, I know the consequences; later on that day I will gradually feel myself coming down to earth, having 'exhausted' myself, and the chances the next day will be a day of 'depression' and being on a low are quite high.
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.
Know your triggers and early warning signs - and watch for them
It's important to recognise the warning signs of an oncoming manic or depressive episode. Make a list of early symptoms that preceded your previous mood episodes. It is also important to identify the 'trigger points' or 'outside influences' that have led to mania or depression in the past. Common triggers include :-
- Stress
- Financial difficulties
- Arguments with your loved ones
- Problems at school or work
- Seasonal changes (Like seasonal affective disorder)
- Lack of sleep
A lot of the above triggers have affected me. Stress definitely. I was spending too much money on 'silly' things. Unnecessary things, which is a common sign of someone with bipolar disorder. So keep an eye on yourself and the list above, it is important. I lost my job over taking time off through being sick with bipolar and that was a very stressful time for me. My Dr said if my work does dismiss me, my condition would worsen. And guess what, it did!! Surprise surprise!!
Knowing your early warning signs and triggers won't do you much good if you aren't keeping close tabs on how you are feeling. By checking yourself through regular mood monitoring, you can make sure that the 'red flags' don't get lost in your busy day-to-day life.
Keeping a mood chart is one way to monitor your symptoms and moods. A mood chart is a daily log of your emotional state and any other symptoms you are having. It can also include information such as :-
- How many hours of sleep you are getting
- Your weight
- Medications you are taking
- Any alcohol or drug use
It's practically like a diary and will help you to spot patterns and indicators of trouble ahead.
Develop a wellness toolbox
If you spot any warning signs of mania or depression, it's important to act swiftly. In such times, it's helpful to have a wellness toolbox to draw from. A wellness toolbox consists of coping skills and activities you can do to maintain a stable mood or to get better when you are feeling "off."
The coping techniques that work best will be unique to each individuals situation, symptoms and preferences. It takes experimentation and time to find a winning strategy. However, many people with bipolar disorder have found the following tools to be helpful in reducing symptoms and maintaining wellness :-
- Talk to a supportive person
- Get a full eight hours of sleep
- Cut back on your activities
- Attend a support group
- Call your doctor or therapist/psychiatrist
- Do something fun or creative
- Take time for yourself to relax and unwind
- Write in your journal
- Exercise
- Ask for extra help from loved ones
- Cut back on sugar, alcohol and caffeine
- Increase your exposure to light
- Increase or decrease the stimulation in your environment
The above is a very important list, going from getting the correct amount of sleep, attend a support group, having fun more often, asking loved ones for help, exercising to asking for help from loved ones. Every point in that list is essential to maintain better health with your bipolar disorder, so make sure you have it written in your diary, or print out a list and stick it on the back of your bedroom door!!
Create an emergency action plan
Despite your best efforts, there may be times when you experience a relapse into full-blown mania or severe depression. In crisis situations where your safety is at stake, your loved ones or your doctor may have to take charge of your care. Such times can leave you feeling helpless and out of control, but having a crisis plan in place allows you to maintain some degree of responsibility for your own treatment.
A plan of action will typically include :-
- A list of emergency contacts (your doctor, therapist/psychiatrist, close family members)
- A list of all medications you are taking, including dosage information
- Information about any other health problems you have
- Symptoms that indicate you need others to take responsibility for your care
- Treatment preferences (who you want to care for you; what treatments and medications do and do not work, who is authorised to make decisions on your behalf)
Bipolar support tip #3 : Reach out to other people
Having a strong support system is vital to staying happy and healthy. Creating a supportive environment includes not just who you surround yourself with, but who you choose to avoid. In order to take care of yourself, it's necessary to limit your contact with people who drain your emotional energy or leave you feeling discouraged, ashamed or guilty. Instead, spend time with people who truly value you and make you feel better.
I have had my fair share of people who fall into the 'negative' of the above, and all they do is think of themselves, not giving you a second thought and end up making you feel used and worthless. Stay well away from them!!
- Turn to friends and family. Support for bipolar disorder starts ultimately at home. It is so important to have people you can count on to help you through the rough times. Remember in a previous Blog I was talking about having at least 1 person you can confide in and will always be there for you, well this is a must. Isolation and loneliness can cause depression, so regular contact with supportive friends and family members is therapeutic in itself.
- Join a bipolar support group. Spending time with people who know what you're going through and can honestly say they've "been there" can be very therapeutic. You can also benefit from the shared experiences and advice from the group members.
I have been to groups, including anxiety groups and it's amazing how quick you cal gel with the group of people that are there with you. I used to have a real problem talking in class at school, mainly English, I put that down to being bullied throughout my school years, but now, you can't shut me up!! So if you get the opportunity to go to any support groups, or are able to find where any are being held (your psychiatrist/therapist should be able to help you) I would strongly recommend going. They give you Positive Mental Attitude!!
I have found from starting up this site, whether it's a tweet/e-mail/message on facebook, there are so many people in the same boat as me. Obviously I knew there was before, but to actually have messages from people thanking me for what I am doing as they don't feel so isolated now as they are communicating with someone in the same boat. Well I feel exactly the same.
- Build new relationships. Isolation and loneliness makes bipolar disorder worse. If you don't have a support network you can count on, joining a church or civic group, volunteering or attending events in your community will help you to 'fill your time' and give you back some of that confidence you may have lost in the bipolar process.
I have found starting up my twitter/facebook sites as therapeutic as I feel I am giving something back, whilst helping myself at the same time.
Ten tips for reaching out and building relationships
- Talk to one person about your feelings.
- Help someone else by volunteering.
- Have lunch or coffee with a friend.
- Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly.
- Accompany someone to the movies, a concert or a small get-together.
- Call or e-mail an old friend.
- Go for a walk with a workout buddy.
- Schedule a weekly dinner date.
- Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club.
- Confide in a counsellor, therapist/psychiatrist or a clergy member.
Bipolar disorder support tip #4 : Develop a daily routine
Your lifestyle choices, including your sleeping, eating and exercise patterns have a significant impact on your moods. There are many things you can do in your daily life to get your symptoms under control and to keep depression and mania at bay.
- Build structure into your life. Developing and sticking to a daily schedule can help stabilise the mood swings of bipolar disorder. Include set times for sleeping, eating, socialising, exercising, working and relaxing. Try to maintain a regular pattern of activity, even through emotional ups and downs.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise has a beneficial impact on mood and may reduce the number of bipolar episodes you experience. Aerobic exercise is especially effective at treating depression. Try to incorporate at least thirty minutes of activity five times a week into your routine. Walking is a good choice for people of all fitness levels.
- Keep a strict sleep schedule. Getting too little sleep can trigger mania, so it is important to get plenty of rest. For some people, losing even a few hours sleep can cause problems. However, too much sleep can worsen your mood. The best advice is to maintain a normal sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at around the same time each day.
Healthy sleep habits for managing bipolar disorder :-
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- Avoid or minimise napping, especially if it interferes with your sleep at night.
- Avoid exercising or doing stimulating activities late in the day.
- No caffeine or alcohol at night. Both interfere with sleep.
Bipolar disorder tip #5 : Keep stress to a minimum
Stress can trigger episodes of mania and depression in people with bipolar disorder, so it is very important to keep your stress levels under control. Know your limits, both at home and work or school. Don't take on more than you can handle and take time to yourself if you're feeling overwhelmed.
.jpg)
- Learn how to relax. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga and guided imagery can be very effective at reducing stress and keeping you on an even keel. Studies show that a daily relaxation practise of 30 minutes or more can improve your mood and keep depression at bay,
- Make leisure time a priority. Do things for no other reason than that it feels good to do them. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book or talk to a friend. Doing things because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.
- Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energised by appealing to the five senses : sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see and smell them, massage your hands and feet or sip a warm drink.
I love my music and have to listen to that a lot of the time. I also find it quite relaxing. I can't just be on my computer in silence. There has to be music playing!
Bipolar disorder support tip #6 : Watch what you put in your body
From the food you eat to the vitamins and drugs you take, the substances you put in your body have an impact on the symptoms of bipolar disorder-both for better or worse.
- Eat a healthy diet. There is an undeniable link between food and mood. For optimal mood, eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limit your fat and sugar intake. Space your meals out through the day, so your blood sugar level never dips too low. High-carbohydrate diets can cause mood crashes, so they should also be avoided. Other mood-busting foods include chocolate, caffeine and processed foods.
- Get your omega-3's. Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease mood swings in bipolar disorder. Omega-3 is available as a nutritional supplement. You can also increase your intake of omega-3 by eating cold-water fish such as salmon, halibut and sardines, soybeans, flax seeds, canola oil pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
- Avoid alcohol and drugs. Drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines can trigger mania, while alcohol and tranquilisers can trigger depression. Even moderate social drinking can upset your emotional balance. Substance use also interferes with sleep and may cause dangerous interactions with your medications. Attempts to self-medicate or numb your symptoms with drugs and alcohol only create more problems.
When I was drinking heavily (by the way it was 3 years last week since I have had a drop!) it would affect my sleep patterns, my tablets weren't working to their full potential and I found I was crying a lot of the time. Alcohol is a depressant, that's why, and it doesn't mix with the medication or bipolar disorder.
- Be cautious when taking any medication. Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can be problematic for people with bipolar disorder. Be especially careful with antidepressant drugs, which can trigger mania. Other drugs that can cause mania include over-the-counter cold medicine, appetite suppressants, caffeine, corticosteroids and thyroid medication.
I hope you have found this Blog as interesting as I have. I have learned a lot from researching it to actually typing it up as a Blog.
I know I have covered a lot of what's here before, but there is much more detail, including do's and dont's .
I apologise the Blog is later than usual, but I have just set up a website, and in between that I wasn't well.
I need to credit a few people for some of the information in this Blog :-
Melinda Smith M. A.
Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.
Robert Segal, M.A.
Copyright Helpguide.org. All rights reserved. This is for information only and NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Visit WWW.HELPGUIDE.ORG for more information and related articles.
For anybody who wants to contact me they can via the following means :-
deanhollett@aol.com
beany01843@gmail.com
This is my new website I have created especially for you. I want it for you to use as a 'platform' with your opinions/views/experiences/anything bipolar related. You can either add your comments at the bottom of the first page, or follow the instructions. You never know, you might be doing a Blog/page on it!!
Thanking you all so much in your kindness for following me and taking the time out in reading my blogs. It means a lot. Also your kind words give me confidence and inspire me to get on with the next Blog!!
Here's hoping you are all ok, and don't forget you all know where I am.
Take care,
Best wishes to you all,
Deano x
19th March 2012.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment