Improving quality of life

Hi All,

I'm new here and relatively newly diagnosed - 7 months ago. I'm curious how others with bipolar work on improving their quality of life. I would like to enjoy life as much as possible and not become entrapped by my disorder, or my medications side effects for that matter.

I know it's going to take a lot of work to stay stable and this disorder provides many unique challenges to those of us that have it. Some people seem to be just barely able to function and cope, and that is how I've been feeling lately. So I'm asking for more than just coping mechanisms, but mechanisms that allow one to thrive, improve one's life, and live as freely as possible from symptoms and side effects.

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you.

What types of things do you need help with?

Be compliant with your meds, Pdoc appointments, and therapy (psychotherapy, DBT/mindfulness, etc). Use coping measures to help control the stress in your life

Routine helped my quality of life. But now its been changed I feel I've lost it. There are a heap of coping strategies to help. I have gone into detail before but find many people on this site are not interested in it so I am not going to type them all out again to be completely ignored.

Maintaining a positive outlook on life, finding a job, sleeping (falling asleep), developing an exercise routine.

I have a very limited budget, I'm struggling to find work and stay positive and motivated about job hunting, my future, and my life in general. I have gotten some interviews but no results yet.

I don't have the financial resources right now to see a pdoc or get therapy, but those are first on my list, the only medication I'm on is Depakote, but it doesn't do anything for the extreme lows. At night I deal with a lot of intrusive thoughts, ruminating about the past, and worrying about the future.

Have you ever tried CBT? There are some free online programs that may help you and are better than nothing when it comes to therapy resources. Very good for rumination and worry.

DBT and mindfullness are helpful too. DBT especially if you find that you have self-defeating or self-destructive behaviors.

Good sleep, a schedule, taking your meds and not going off them when you feel "fine". These are all things that have helped me be stable.

Not stable right now, but then I strayed from a lot of those things.

You may want to look at manpower most of us have issues keeping long term jobs. This may be a better options for work.

Look into your community center. My son and husband can use the gym and have karate 3x a week for $15 a month.

Life can suck....for months on end at times but you have to look at the very, small thing. Enjoy the hug that you actually feel nice about, the movie that you liked, go people watching ( you'll find the kindest acts done, it will restore your faith in humanity), a good song. Its easy to come up with things when in a good mood. I tend to color when in a bad mood. Its mind numbing but I'm sitting upright and it gives you something in the end.

I write a lot, I'll play the Sims in a bad mood I try to create the perfect family. I'm on an anti depressant (2 actually)

There's a bunch of free books for kindle app and some may be self help. Please call (or look online) your community health center, community action (will also help job search), Catholic charities, and dhhr for a list of charity therapists and psychiatrist. I use melitonin to sleep when needed and seroquel when things are bad for me.

I hated Depakote. I felt like instead of making my negative thoughts better, it made my head race and the si more forceful. That was just my experience with it, but I will never take it again. Between my mood state and it, I was pushed right to the limit.

There are other Mood stablilizers. Just my thoughts.

This is going to sound like a strange coping strategy...

I take multiple meds in the morning and at night

I bought one of those AM & PM pill cases.

It helps me cope with having to open up all those bottles every time

Off topic, I know but it helps me

Thanks for sharing your experience, good to know. I'm not happy with it either and am hoping I can meet with a pdoc soon. I don't have one now and received this prescription when I was hospitalized along with olanzapine, which I dislike and stopped taking although it's take as needed. So if I get really manic I can take it.

This really helps me too by structuring (and simplifying) my medication routine. I have a 7-day pill case (each with four compartments -- AM, Afternoon, Evening, PM) that I fill up on Sunday and stick in my fridge. This way, I'm set for the week, and I don't have to worry about skipping pills (I take quite a few, and it can get messy).

How much physical exercise do you get? Taking walks, basic aerobics, and yoga might help. There are lots of good, free videos on Youtube to help get you started.

Do you practice meditation and mindfulness. Again, there are good Youtube videos of guided meditations and relaxing sounds (e.g. Tibetan bells) that can ease you into the practice. For starting meditation, I suggest Jon Kabat-Zinn's guided meditations -- he's renowned and well liked.

Good luck.