Welcome Laur
Hope that you find PC to be helpful and supportive
Try some relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing or mindfulness. You need to be comfortable and familiar with what ever technique, that when you get stress you can easily put yourself in that place. Practising meditation, mindfulness, yoga or Tai Chi on a regular basis also helps to keep you baseline stress level low so that it takes more to tip you over the edge.
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/MindfulnessinEverydayLife.pdf
When you have some time and headspace, then it would be great to go to a T (therapist) and try and work out what the underlying issues that are really causing the stress are.
Also this awesome list of tips for living well with Bipolar is courtesy of BlueOctober (sorry blue I go in first,
I love it so much I can't help but pass it around!!!!!!)
- Take meds as prescribed.
- Educate yourself on the illness.
- Be honest with your psychiatrist, GP, therapist etc.
- Get regular sleep, if you can't sleep ask for a prescription for sleep to be taken regularly or as needed.
- Eat properly i.e. avoid excessive caffeine, junk food etc.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Avoid non-prescription drugs and/or drugs not prescribed to you.
- Exercise regularly.
- Set a routine for yourself i.e. getting up at the same time, going to sleep at the same time.
- Surround yourself with people that fill you up.
- Take time for yourself.
- Be patient. The med regime for many diagnosed does take time, but it's worth taking the time.
- Write in a journal especially with how you are feeling right now; that way if you ever considered going off meds it may help you make a better decision.
- Track your mood. Great free one online at http://www.medhelp.org/land/mood-tracker
- And finally remember you aren't your diagnosis. You have bipolar, but you aren't bipolar.