Often it seems that bipolar disorder dictates and dominates the lives of sufferers, but bipolar disorder can be managed.
Managing bipolar disorder is much more than getting diagnosed and taking prescribed medication.
For one thing, the medication is often inadequate to restore good health or prevent relapse.
Some of the strategies people can use to manage bipolar disorder (and live a healthier life anyway) include: oProject management oRational thinking oMeditation oWalking / swimming oNutrition PROJECT MANAGEMENT for bipolar disorder is a life-long project whose goals are to keep illness at bay and live the fullest, happiest life that you want.
Because there are two goals there are two groups of strategies.
To keep illness at bay, first learn to recognise your own particular idiosyncratic symptoms of becoming unwell.
Second, plan how you will respond to those early warning signs.
Involve your partner and your doctor and decide together how you will stop the illness getting worse.
Organise what you will do when you spot the signs of getting very sick, so that you, your doctor and partner can all spring into action, and get safety and good care for you in a crisis.
To live to the fullest, make sure you turn away from thoughts of bipolar, hospital, or how you have to rebuild your life.
Get back into the mainstream.
Mix with people who do not have a mental illness.
Get a job, play tennis, go skating, join a choir, get some running shoes and use them! When you are ready, go back to your old dreams or create some new dreams, then follow them.
RATIONAL THINKING In the face of difficulty, rational thinking says 'I have a problem that I had better deal with.
' Too often, (and bipolar disorder makes this harder) we tend to say 'I have a problem, that is too big and too hard to fix, so I will just be miserable or angry instead of dealing with it.
' When bipolar disorder is not active, we have a choice: we can think like a Stoic or we can give up and find ourselves at the mercy of events.
If, when well, you assume that you will be able to find a solution to your problems, then of course you will find one! During bipolar moments, don't be hard on yourself if you can't think in this way: after all, bipolar affects our thinking, attitude and outlook as well as mood.
Rational thinking also compels us to seek other remedies when the medication fails or seems to need a boost.
WALKING, SWIMMING, MEDITATION As the mind slows and changes during meditation, rhythmic brainwaves have been observed.
It has been found that rhythmic activities benefit everyone, regardless of whether it is rhythm of the mind or body: he benefits of walking briskly four hours a week have been shown to lift even moderately severe depression.
Meditation, too, can improve your sense of well-being.
There is only one caution with meditation: don't practise meditation if you are more than mildly unwell, as it can make the bipolar worse.
NUTRITION According to nutritional medicine, there are at least three biochemical subtypes of bipolar disorder.
Depending on your subtype, there will be a specific range of supplements that will help.
In other words, one size does not fit all, so don't try to do it yourself with nutritional supplements.
If you visit a nutritional medicine practitioner, they will carry out detailed biological tests and the results will then indicate the supplements you need.
Some nutritional supplements that may be useful in bipolar disorder include Omega-3 fatty acids, B group and other vitamins, sea salt, and alkaline water or diet.
These are just a few of the strategies you can use to manage bipolar disorder and live a fulfilled life.
Part of the journey to the life you want is to research and discover strategies and remedies of your own.
Find what works for you, and follow those dreams!