Is anyone else like me and after you've had a really bad day mood-wise or real-world wise or BOTH, you feel like calling someone to whine? I talk to my parents every day after work almost.

Overall, I handle my illness pretty well, but I'm a hypochondriac (physically as well as psychologically) and I'm also very verbally expressive. Which leads me to think I'm maybe too whiny.

I think I need to learn how to start putting on my "big girl panties" and deal with my illness and stop expecting other people to say the right thing or reassure me (which is my OCD compulsion, btw). I also want to find more peace of mind and nobody else can give that to me.

And I also need to stop feeling the need to go back to see the pdoc early after just a couple bad days in a row. It's not like he's going to just change my meds for a few bad days out of a couple weeks.

Some different things I can try so I can avoid wearing out my family and friends? Maybe journaling more, talking to myself more (in private, just talking through my thoughts and expressing myself), go for more walks, be more creative by doing more music of my own, listening to music more, tapping into my faith and reading up on subjects of faith, and maybe reading up on good coping strategies with bipolar, anxiety, or OCD.

Any other ideas? Thanks!