Maybe this is something that all of us can do! With all of the knowledge from everyone, we can put together a Bipolar Instruction Manual! It would be priceless....

[faerie_moon_x]

1) Track you moods and triggers.

2) Routine, routine, routine

3) Sleep, eat and exercise

lol that makes for a short manual lol

[~Christina]

I agree with Dark Heart

[BipolaRNurse]

Take your meds (if you're on any).

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day---even on weekends (I know, easier said than done).

Realize that "this, too, shall pass"---even when you're in the middle of a depression so deep they have to pipe light in to you.

Take care of your own needs first. You cannot help anyone if you yourself are not healthy.

Make sleep a priority!

[Eliza Jane]

I know there are people on here who disagree, but at least in my personal manual there would need to be a page that said, "Your bipolar didn't go away just because you have fewer stressors now. You still need your meds!" Although after last year's med-free attempt, I probably don't need any reminders (nor do any of my loved ones!)

Best,
EJ

[venusss]

Yes, few of us disagree

My advice:
It's sorta delusional to expect something, pharma made or grown on plains of Tibet will make you the person you always wanted to be. Braver, more serene, not *****ing at people at work... that's up to you. All substances can do is influence how you feel. How you deal with the rest... it's up to you.

Eat well. You don't have to be uberstrict with yourself, imho... but... don't feed on horrible foods either. Eating well is habit actually... once you get to like suble flavours of good food, processed food laden with chemicals will lose the appeal.

Get your spiritual life right. I am not saying to go church, mosque, temple or synagogue... but find your place in world. Resolve your conflicted stances on life and afterlife and find peace with it.

Channel your energies into something. Don't supress your emotions... find a way to get them out safely.

Learn to expand your comfort zone. It can be done.

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

It's sorta delusional to expect something, pharma made or grown on plains of Tibet will make you the person you always wanted to be.

Although I feel I need to clarify that I do not believe that is what meds do either. Meds allow me to be the person I truly am. They don't change me. They let ME shine through.

EJ

[ellipsisdream]

Piggy-backing on that, my view is that the meds do not do the work, but for many, it may stabilize one enough to do the work. Expecting the meds to do it all will only result in disappointment. With that said, I completely respect anyone who is choosing to be med free and finding success.

[BlackPup]

Take exercise regularly not seriously. It doesn't have to be a marathon but you do have to do it regularly.
Sleep regularly.
Do therapy to help with triggers.

okay.. when i first saw this thread, i thought it was a manual about what to do if you're around someone who does not know what bipolar is, and what they should know- and what they can do

but yes this is a good thread.

1:. take your meds often

2: exercise (as all ready mentioned)

3: sleep (which i can never seem to do, but what the hell... that's what emsomnia does)

4: try to stay away from pottentially triggery situations (where possible, and if you know what some of your triggers are)

think that's all i can think of.. heh.. what was the point of that post?

just the same as above really- but hell

[Mollie May]

I agree with sleeping well, eating well, and exercise, as well as avoiding known triggers and staying on meds even when you feel better. And I would add...
Talk about it.
Write about it.
Get what's in your head out.

[AeonDM]

What is do therapy?

[Cocosurviving]

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

Take your meds (if you're on any).

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day---even on weekends (I know, easier said than done).

Realize that "this, too, shall pass"---even when you're in the middle of a depression so deep they have to pipe light in to you.

Take care of your own needs first. You cannot help anyone if you yourself are not healthy.

Make sleep a priority!

This winter I just started sleeping and waking at the same times. I notice a big difference.

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

Yes, few of us disagree

My advice:
It's sorta delusional to expect something, pharma made or grown on plains of Tibet will make you the person you always wanted to be. Braver, more serene, not *****ing at people at work... that's up to you. All substances can do is influence how you feel. How you deal with the rest... it's up to you.

Eat well. You don't have to be uberstrict with yourself, imho... but... don't feed on horrible foods either. Eating well is habit actually... once you get to like suble flavours of good food, processed food laden with chemicals will lose the appeal.

Get your spiritual life right. I am not saying to go church, mosque, temple or synagogue... but find your place in world. Resolve your conflicted stances on life and afterlife and find peace with it.

Channel your energies into something. Don't supress your emotions... find a way to get them out safely.

Learn to expand your comfort zone. It can be done.

what is spiritual? Is it believing in a higher power? I've always been confused about this cuz I mix spiritual with religion. I have the opinion that instead of a god I decided to give the credit and beliefs to myself instead. but I dont' understand what being purely spiritual is. Can you explain a little, if your comfortable with it?

[venusss]

Originally Posted by landskaperdan

what is spiritual? Is it believing in a higher power? I've always been confused about this cuz I mix spiritual with religion. I have the opinion that instead of a god I decided to give the credit and beliefs to myself instead. but I dont' understand what being purely spiritual is. Can you explain a little, if your comfortable with it?

Spiritual to me is anything higher/overreaching yourself. It could be unity with nature, cosmos...

believe in self is good... but we aren't alone in the world. I think one needs to find way to find with the world.

Originally Posted by ChristianDM

What is do therapy?

are you asking what therapy is?

sorry... but when you asked what is do therapy that's what i thought you meant

[Dragonfly33]

Find your creative outlet.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly33

Find your creative outlet.

oh yes... i totally forgot about that 1- mine's poetry, but i've not written in forever