You may think that leading a happy, successful life is all but impossible after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The good news is that bipolar disorder can absolutely be managed and it is possible to lead a fulfilling and productive life even when there are challenges. In order to do this, not only do you have to seek proper treatment to combat symptoms, but you also need to develop long-term coping strategies that will effectively limit your symptoms and help you take control over them.
The following tips can help you live your best life, regardless of the debilitating nature of the bipolar disorder:
Get to Know Your Condition
Most people who live with bipolar disorder don’t only suffer from the symptoms that come with the mental illness itself, they also suffer as a result of the public’s attitude towards the disability, including the social stigma and discrimination that accompany it. It is important to note that these ideas are based on a lack of understanding of the nature of the disorder.
In the process of learning more about bipolar disorder, you will also better equip yourself for dealing with the associated negative treatment that you may receive as a result. Do thorough research into your own condition so that you can become an expert on it. By doing so, you can help to educate those who are directly associated with you about the disorder. In the long run, they will learn to put aside their assumptions and treat you more compassionately once they gain a better understanding of it.
Keep a Healthy Routine
Creating a healthy routine is not as difficult as you might think, it simply consists of the little things you do on a daily basis. Here are a few simple habits you can work into your routine that will aid in keeping you healthy and help you manage your symptoms:
Maintain a stable sleep pattern
As a result, you’ll ensure that you maintain a balanced level of serotonin in your body. Among the brain chemicals that can affect your mood, serotonin imbalances have been demonstrated to affect your mood in a way that may lead to depression.
Learn relaxation techniques
It has been proven that deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can help improve your mood, reduce stress, and help you keep your emotions in balance.
Avoid alcohol and drugs
The temptation to retreat into bad habits, such as drinking alcohol or taking drugs, can be hard to resist, but keep in mind that these actions will only worsen your symptoms. One drink or dose can significantly alter your sleep pattern, and mood, or even interfere with the medications that you are taking for your condition.
Build a Strong Support Network
Isolation or social alienation can increase your susceptibility to depression, so having a good support network is an instrumental part of ensuring your mental well-being over the long run. A simple phone call or a few minutes spent talking to someone can greatly impact your mental health and empower you to achieve your goals.
Spending time with people you know who understand what you’re going through is a simple, but very therapeutic thing you can do to ease your stress. Joining a support group can be incredibly beneficial for you also, as you can learn a great deal from the advice and shared experiences of your group members and how they are handling their journeys.
Take Responsibility for Your Treatment and Seek Professional Help
If you want to be successful in managing bipolar disorder on a long-term basis, getting involved in your own treatment is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Get to know your symptoms as well as you can so that you can be prepared when they start showing up. The mood stabilizers and antidepressants you use in your treatment for bipolar disorder are crucial components in the recovery process, so it is important that you take them as directed.
Utilizing everything you have learned, you should work as a team with a reliable psychiatrist throughout the entire treatment process. Be sure you ask questions to understand as much as you possibly can. Your partnership with your doctor will play a significant role in how well your treatment will turn out, so it’s important to collaborate as much as you can throughout the treatment process.
Outpatient treatment options like LAT’s Intensive Outpatient Program significantly improve outcomes for people with bipolar disorder. We bring personalized, one-to-one support to you where you are to meet your unique healthcare needs. In addition, our hands-on group and individual Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Therapy sessions help clients find ways to accept themselves, feel safe, and manage their emotions to help regulate potentially harmful or destructive behaviors.
