[angelsbreath]

I am suffering for anxiety with bipolar. I am in a depression, as well. I have so much to be grateful for, and I am, but I am still depressed. I need to do so much around the house and I am so overwhelmed that I am immobalized. Any suggestions. Thank you.

[JonB]

That's a hard state to be in and I never found people's advice to be very helpful to me because they just didn't seem to understand that I was frozen and incapable of action.

But, on days when I'd thaw a little, my goal was to do one thing. Just one thing. Like check the mail, or get dressed, or take a shower, or walk the dog, or read to my kid - just one thing, no more. And when I could do one thing, then I'd add another. Get dressed and eat breakfast. Sit down and pay bills. Go to the grocery, but nap when I got home.

I started my self on the shortest, smallest possible routine and then added more as I felt I could handle more. Nothing is too small. Every little thing counts as progress. There were good days and bad days, but the overall change was moving forward and eventually, I didn't feel like a useless rock weighing down my family and being burden.

If you can afford it, ask for help. Focus on doing just your one thing and then pay somebody (or ask an understanding friend or family member) to come over and help you do the rest. Let someone else help you out with whatever needs to be done and you add on what you can do one thing at a time.

You mentioned having a lot to be grateful for. Start a journal and write what you're grateful for. And list the things that are causing your anxiety, then put them aside. Keep track of each thing you manage to do. Checked the mail? write it down. gold star. Took a bath? write it down. gold star. And you can rate your anxiety and depression levels at the same time. For ex: today was a 5 of 10 on anxiety and 8 of 10 on depression, or whatever.

That's a lot of stuff I yammered on about. Take it or leave it, feel free to ignore all or parts of it. For now, just do one thing. You can do one thing. I know you can. Do one thing.

I'll be sending you peaceful and productive thoughts....good luck...

[TouchedByFire]

Hello!

You have already done something! You have reached out and hav asked for assistance in handling your current situation! Congrats! That can be one of the most difficult things to do!

Jon has listed many great ideas!

It's wonderful that you understand you have much to be grateful for! The fact that you have acknowledged that gives me hope that you can recover comparatively quickly! You are not so deep in a depression that you feel like you have nothing to be thankful for. This acknowledgement on your part does not diminish the pain and the frustration you are feeling right now.

While it can be very therapuetic to list things, people, places you have gratitude for, and it can be therapeutic to list the things that cause you more anxiety, it's important to find a way to decrease your anxiety level as soon as possible!

I am not sure of how you have dealt wit your anxiety in the past and/or how you are trying to deal with it right now. I'd read a very recently published study re: anxiety. One of the "conclusions" from the study is that it's vitally important to decrease anxiety levels, with whatever means necessary. The "anxiety" will "snowball" and will likely trigger more intense co-occurring illnesses.In other words, the thought is the rampant anxiety will trigger and/or worsen any degree of bipolar illness you are currently experiencing.

The importance of quieting the anxiety is of paramount importance, according to this study. Within the study, the scientists were finding that "anxiety" pre-existed the development/occurrence of any of the common illnesses that typically co-exist with "anxiety!" The thought then becomes: If we can "quiet" or lower the amount of anxiety in a more rapid manner, the likelihood of another intense co-ocurring "condition/illness" is not as likey to occur.

This study had also clearly demonstrated, in the mind of the scientists, the fact that a great deal of anxiety is neurobiological in origin. This is from information gathered from very sophisticated brain scans.

So while some anxiety seems to be "rooted' within our reactions to external stimuli, our high anxiety can also occur as a "side-effect of a "dysfunctional neurobiological brain process."

This means, identifying the situations that seem to stimulate more anxiety for you are important to note, as this will likely assist in sorting out some of the reason(s) for high anxiety.

Additionally, this means it is important to diminish the level of anxiety immediately in order to minimize a "snowball effect." Any "snowball effect " will worsen your condition and will further feed into the ongoing anxiety. It becomes a "viscious cycle." This cycle spirals and can spiral into something you'd prefer it didn't or would not. This is why it's important to put the anxiety "in check" as soon as is reasonably possible.

If "arresting" the anxiety involves utilizing anxiety meds, prescribed by your doctor, then so be it...at least for right now!

Think about your options for gaining more assistance for decreasing th anxiety load. Once that is done, you will have additional energy (which was previously dedicated to dealing with the high anxiety) available to assist you in your thinking. You may or may not be able to do much physically right away. At least you will be headed in the right direction by having "quieted" the anxiety.

Jon gave a great piece of advice when he was talking about doing just one thing! We all can experience a great amount of "inertia" or "resistance to movement" when seriously depressed. By just doing one tihng, you are overcoming that feeling of inertia or "resistance" imposed upon you by your neuropsychobiological status!

Jon is also "right on" when he suggests you give yourself a "gold star" for each step you complete in completing a task! Even if you do not feel up to doing a lot today, you can show that "inertia" who is the true "boss" of your body and your bodily activity, merely by defying the feelings of "inertia" for just one task!

Now...if you need anxiety medicaton and are unable to obtain it today, what are some of the things you can do that often help to bring youor anxiety level down? A walk with a friend, spouse, pet? A warm bubble bath? Writing out and/or discussing your positive goals for the New Year we have just entered? Some type of music? Some form of aromatherapy? Getting involved in a movie that truly interests you? Exercise? Meditation? Looking through your photo albums? The list could be very long for the types of activities that might relax someone! We all have different things on our lists! What types of things do you find very relaxing? You might try some of the things you have listed as "relaxing?"

I am sorry you have been suffering. I hope anything from any response to your post wil be helpful to you in reducing your current level of distress.

**Blessings** ~TBF~

[angelsbreath]

Jon
Thank you sssssooooo very much. It is true....one thing....today I am overwhelmed with so much. My boyfriend and I have an investment property that is a HUGE undertaking. He is gone every day he has off ....including today....New Year's (I KNOW yours is going to be good....you have a great outlook!!) He tries to understand, but really doesn't...I don't think anyone can that hasn't been there. That is why this site is so helpful...I'm so grateful I found it.
I do pay a cleaning lady....housework is too overwhelming....and this year I hired a woman to do gardening....it was great!!
I am a very motivated person, but when the depresssion comes I'm immobalized. I always seem to be semi depressed, unless I go into a high. I am going to go do one thing....and then after I finished that I will try one more. A journal is good advice...I do it spuratically (?sp).
Thank you for caring and sharing.
God bless
Susie

[angelsbreath]

TBF
You are fabulous...are you a therapist? I feel so grateful to have received your response. I have been suffering from bipolar, severe anxiety disorder, depression, OCD and fibromyalgia for over 35 years....I wouldn't wish it on "my worst enemy"as they say. I am very spiritual....and if it wasn't for God I wouldn't be here today.
Sometimes it is just taking it one second at a time. Today I have so much to do....I'm trying not to get overwhelmed...and as Jon said ....just do one thing. Some days one simple thing is all I can do....you are so right about making sure to just do that one small think so you don't get totally stuck. I can't tell you how many day I have been paralized on the couch.
I must go as I spent most of the day on the computer yesterday.
Thank you soooooo very much....I hope we talk again.
God bless you
Susie