Hi Dorse!!!
What helps me is probably not the same as what would help someone else. We are all different from one and other. I usually "go" with the flow. If I'm having a really bad episode, I tend to call someone and talk about it. They
are only two/three people I can do that with, and the others
do not know how to help me. My husband is one of them.
He will usually be able to talk me down and get me to relax.
When he's not around, I'll call my good friend from S.D. and
she will offer to drive up to stay with me. She was a real life
saver when I had that bad flare up a couple of weeks ago.

With Bi-polar 1, you never know what your day is going to bring. YOu can start out okay, then something comes along
and triggers it, and there it goes. I don't watch t.v. much anymore. I'm usually online emailing or researching articles I'm interested in. Anyway, some the programs are too stupid to watch anymore. I like the crime dramas, and some of the comedies, but not much more. Disc. Health, TLC, and anything Documentary.

My cycles seem to travel in three/four day increments, and I have to fight with them to mellow out, or lay down and let them own me. It's not easy. I'm having a lot of bad ones lately. I don't see my new pdoc for another month. I must try to hold on til then. Hopefully we can bond and be able
to help me stabilize.
I am usually on my back porch swinging on my porch swing
listening to my music. I find the motion and the rhythm of the music to be calming for me. I've done that for years!!