[comicgeek007]

So yesterday I went to my T and we spent basically the entire session discussing coping mechanisms.

So I was wondering, can you REALLY calm hypo down through doing relaxing things and can you REALLY quash depression by doing stimulating things?

I'm very confused, because it seems like that's what you would do for a non-episode mood change, right? Is that really going to help if you're having a full blown depressive/hypo episode?

[A Red Panda]

I don't really know, but it's worth a shot right? If nothing else.. it might help minimize it, or break you out of the worst part of it.

When I'm in the middle of a depression... I find that my students are probably the best thing for me. They make me be active and attentive and they force me into doing things. Sure, I go home utterly EXHAUSTED and might not do much of anything else... but during the day? At least I'm occupied.

And if I can get my own sorry butt to do something that's relaxing when I'm in an up? Like playing a video game or reading or something? Yeah... it'll slow my brain down a little bit. Might go from one relaxing thing to another in quite a quick procession... but... still, it's a little different.

Then again.. sometimes neither of those things will help at all. But it's worth a shot

If you really practice and develop good habits/skills for coping with mood changes, those skills really can be helpful in at least lessening the extremes or at least in allowing you the time and ability to reach for and get the help you need before things spiral out of control. We are not completely powerless to manage our symptoms.

[wildflowerchild25]

It certainly helps if not alleviating the whole episode. It's called opposite to emotion action in DBT and I have found it to be very helpful.

[Anika.]

Yes, it really can squash episodes, and I find for myself this is much easier to do on the depression side than the mania side but still doable. Every action has a reaction.. even your thoughts and feelings. I have not had a manic or depressive episode since I began working really hard at this. Granted it took me about over a decade to figure out what I needed, but better late than never right?

We have a lot more control over this than we feel or think sometimes. It isn't easy but it's worth it. And it does get easier. The universe is amazing, our minds our also amazing and when you really think of whats impossible you see that not much is really impossible at all. It's just finding out how to.

[comicgeek007]

thanks for the advice and comments!

[ultramar]

But not every 'mood' is an episode! People with bipolar disorder also have situational moods: depression, anxiety, anger, etc.... These techniques can help you with those as well as episodes, and I think knowing that there are moods/feelings/emotions that don't need to be medicated (even if very intense) and that you can do something about yourself, is actually very empowering.

Another member here mentioned how his/her psychiatrist helps him/her tease out what are situational emotions/moods and what are not and from there determine what really needs to be medicated and what doesn't. This is so important. Life happens, bipolar or not, and we all have our issues aside from the bipolar, so figuring out who you are and how you react to things and why (outside of episodes especially) is so important. Maybe, aside from these techniques that can be so helpful, your therapist can help you with these other things as well.

She's not invalidating your mood disorder, she's helping you help yourself!