So how do you do it? What things do you do to help yourself hang in there?

I've been off my meds for several months and have ended up in a mixed episode. I've met with my pdoc and I've restarted my meds.

For several days I was also simultaneously drinking a lot as a coping mechanism but know that's not really a great idea in general, but especially when I'm not stable. So I haven't had anything to drink in the last day. Also, I really only felt the freedom to drink like that because my daughter is out of town...she comes back home tomorrow so drinking isn't really an option for me anyway.

But as I wait for these meds to start kicking in and doing their job I feel so alone and hopeless and scared. I think some of the more "mixed" aspects may be slowing down but so far I'm just landing more in the depression range which has been a problem in the past that we have to be extra mindful of. I know I haven't been on my meds long enough for everything to even out. But how long is long enough? My pdoc told me to give things a couple of weeks and then we'll reassess. The way I currently feel, two weeks seems like an eternity.

So what do you do? How do I hang in there until the meds have a reasonable amount of time to do their thing without just feeling like giving up because it's all just so painful and overwhelming?