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Originally Posted by depressedIRL21
Hi FluffyDinosaur!
I'm bipolar type 1 with rapid cycling so I could try to chime in on the bipolar aspect however I am not really knowledgeable about the spectrum.
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Yes, please do! I'd appreciate any input there. The schizoid spectrum is of secondary concern for me, the main issue is the bipolar. If it were just the schizoid symptoms I probably wouldn't even have gone to therapy in the first place to be honest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by depressedIRL21
I definitely agree with fern that a mood journal is a great tool to have to track what moods you feel. I just started using a app called eMoods and its pretty good for tracking bipolar symptoms. I think one of the important things with bipolar is to begin the process of identifying potential triggers. For example, traveling almost always makes me hypomaniac while the changing of the seasons from fall to winter almost always makes me depressed a bit. Also I always believe that knowledge is power so being as educated about whats going on is always good. Lastly, sleep is important because it helps our bodies stabilize.
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Thanks, it helps to know this and to see that those triggers are real. For me traveling tends to start with depression or a mixed episode before I leave (due to the stress probably) and then once I'm there I tend to become hypomanic. By the time I get back I'm so exhausted it takes a week or two to recover. It turns a one-week trip into a 6-week endeavor, and it's exhausting having to come up with excuses not to travel. I don't know how to explain that I can't handle another trip without disclosing that I'm bipolar. I'm also the same when it comes to seasons, except for me the summer is worse. I tend to be a lot more agitated, I think it's because of the light.