[comicgeek007]

My stepmom thinks my main problem is I worry too much. Since I was always worried when I was little -er what my mother would do next. Now that my mother's not really in my life anymore, my stepmom thinks I need to latch on to something to worry about because it's all I know how to do. She seems to believe that things have gotten as bad as they were with my moods, but that my current meds are keeping me much more stable and I just worry about any slight mood shift thinking it might be the start if an episode or something, thus making everything worse

Okay, so how do I stop worrying so much?

[faerie_moon_x]

I'm a worrier, too. And really, worry does drive a lot of obsessive thoughts.

My mom had cancer when I was growing up and I was told pretty much my whole childhood that I needed to be prepared for her to die and that she was sick. So, I think being worried is kind of ingraned in me, too.

My coping skills with worry go something like this:

-Will this problem still affect me or still be valid in six months?
If no, then try to let it go. Do deep breathing. Focus attention on something else.

-If yes, is there anything in my control that I can do about it?
If no, then try to let it go and what will be will be.
If yes, then focus on steps I can take to solve the problem vs. sit still worrying.

It's not easy. I am horrible, horrible at getting lost in obsessive worry. I won't say I'm not. This is one of my main troubles, really.

Do I think worry causes bipolar? No. Do I think it triggers cycles and episodes? Yes. It's going to take a lot of work and coping skills. But, don't give up. I believe it can be done and I get a little better at it as I go.

[Nessa213]

I'm a lifelong worrier. I remember being about 5 or 6 years old and constantly worrying that my mom was going to die. I was obsessed with it for literally years.

My husband tells me "if you can't do anything about it, why bother worrying about it?". Oh, if it were only that easy! I try to remember that though. If it's something that I'm worried about and I can actively affect the outcome then it's legitimate... like I'm giving myself permission to worry about it. But if it's something that I can do literally nothing about, then I try to focus my energy on something else. WAY easier said than done.

Or you start worrying that you need to stop worrying. It's awful.

[Peeps]

I've begun to worry a great deal of the time. I worry about literally everything... afraid that bad things will happen. It's become crippling. I wonder if it has something to do with my BP II, my depression or if it's maybe my meds (Lamictal / Abilify). I find that as my feelings of "sorrow" get less, my feeling of "worrying" have increased. Letting go of that kind of worry is hard. I wish you the best in your journey. It's a struggle but I think that Dark Heart is right... we'll just have to keep working on it. Things can only get better, right?

[comicgeek007]

Originally Posted by Peepshowgirl

I've begun to worry a great deal of the time. I worry about literally everything... afraid that bad things will happen. It's become crippling. I wonder if it has something to do with my BP II, my depression or if it's maybe my meds (Lamictal / Abilify). I find that as my feelings of "sorrow" get less, my feeling of "worrying" have increased. Letting go of that kind of worry is hard. I wish you the best in your journey. It's a struggle but I think that Dark Heart is right... we'll just have to keep working on it. Things can only get better, right?

I'm not rock bottom at the moment, so I can think (and worry about) plenty of ways it could get worse but I do think it'll probably get better.

[ultramar]

Maybe try and keep in mind that although you're feeling things intensely, many of these emotions may well be 'normal,' however uncomfortable. And keep in mind that most (certainly not all) people with bipolar do not cycle from day to day, so the mood changes you're feeling within a given day and from one to the next, may well have nothing to do with bipolar.

People with bipolar disorder go through the entire spectrum of emotions just like everyone else dose, quite apart from 'episodes.' We all get anxious sometimes (some more than others), get really happy sometimes, sad, angry, productive, sluggish, etc., etc. All of this needs to be 'coped' with (or celebrated, if it's good!) -I'm not saying it's easy, but it might help to think of your day to day experiences as part of the ebb and flow of your emotions, of who you are at the moment, and every change in mood does not constitute an emergency.

I agree with your stepmom insofar as worrying so much about changes in mood can make you worse -thinking you're going through an episode could in fact exacerbate your symptoms (potentially) and certainly add a great deal of anxiety on top of everything else you're experiencing.

It takes time, and is not easy, to identify your emotions relatively accurately and figure out where they're coming from. Baby steps. I think therapy could really help with this. I think you're in therapy? Maybe you could ask your therapist to help you with identifying emotions, help you to understand and cope with the bipolar disorder and how to distinguish episodes from other issues. I would think he/she would be happy to help you, that's what they're there for.

I think you will get better --partly a matter of time, I think, and partly working on things in therapy

[redbandit]

I worry all the time, too. I think its how I was raised, my mom constantly worried about everything and I've pretty much worried all my life. Its exhausting! I try distracting myself, meditating, etc. But the thing is, I think some of my worries are very valid. However the problems r out of my control, so I dont know what to do

[comicgeek007]

the

Originally Posted by redbandit

I worry all the time, too. I think its how I was raised, my mom constantly worried about everything and I've pretty much worried all my life. Its exhausting! I try distracting myself, meditating, etc. But the thing is, I think some of my worries are very valid. However the problems r out of my control, so I dont know what to do

I worry about everything. My moods, fear about having to go back to the psych ward, and all sorts of other things.

worrying too much = caring too much. I learned the hard way that the less I can care about something, the less I worry about it. sounds cold, I know, but it's what works for me