YESSSS, the brain needs rest, especially ours which tend to go into overdrive and subsequently short circuit!!

I'm passionate about this topic, you know why?

Because I have discovered that when I'm malfunctioning, I usually just need to be knocked out for a good couple of hours so my brain can reboot.

How many episodes I have de-escalated like that I can't tell you.

The French have done some studies on this particular topic, bipolar and our brains needing time to hit the reset button.

It's probably why so many pdocs RX sedating APs like its candy.

My theory anyway, take it with a grain of salt.

Anywayyyy, on the regular rest note, I'm not big on sleep, never have been.
My average is 4-5 and has been since I was 11 years old. More than that has me feeling sluggish and moody the next day.

With that being said, do you know what I do on my first off day of every week (which is usually a Monday hehe) NOTHING!!!!!

Everyone knows its re calibration day, so nobody bugs me.

This has proven to be a very (mentally) healthy thing for me to do...
I've been back at work for over 4 months now, and I have not had an episode yet.
This is especially significant if you take into account I became unstable 2 months into starting this job and was very symptomatic for 4 months and landed up in a Therapeutic ward because of it.

Normal cycling sure, who of us doesn't go through that. But an earth shattering, my brain is malfunctioning, I can't deal with this shyt episode?

Nope

Last but not least, anyone who's ever even hinted at me "doing more", I've told them exactly what they can do with their thoughts and advice.

They were smart enough to drop the subject and get with the program.

If I can make peace with the fact that I'm not the Lia I used to be, then others can damn well make that same kinda peace or get lost.