Best Advice you would give would be..

Things I would recommend:

1.) Become educated, the non-bipolar usually have no understanding what being bipolar is. If they ask questions be able to answer them.

2.) Medications - they are not a sign of weakness or failure but instead an aide. If you had to take insulin for diabetes would you stop taking it just because you feel good?

3.) Sleep - This is so so so important, make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and stick to a sleep routine. Mania loves when you don't sleep it just gets worse and worse.

4.) Therapy - this is helpful to learn about your self as well as recognize signs of an on coming episode.

5.) Love yourself! You may have been diagnosed with a life long disorder, however it doesn't mean you are any different than you were the day before. Bipolar is just like your arm it is part of you.

Encourage the people closest to you who you need support from to read a book or two about bipolar like "an unquiet mind" They will empathize better and it can start a useful dialogue so you can explain how your life is just like the books and give examples. So many times the people who care about you don't "see" the bipolar in you and you have to spell it out for them and explain things like the fact that you isolate when you're depressed or try to mask it and that's why you never seem depressed. Just an example. There are many other parallels you can draw.

This is so true, those closest to you generally don't recognize the signs as much because they just think that it is normal for you. Once you start explaining these are the signs and they are usually like oh wow that makes so much sense to me now.

Don't take life too seriously

I think that one is the hardest for me Blitter, because I am so used to people not taking me seriously and poking fun.

I'm not sure how to undo that kind of thinking... :\

I HIGHLY recommend it, because you can see which spots you have empty, and its tangible, which is what I tend to need to keep me grounded

Yes! Give yourself a break sometimes!

If you need alone time take it, but never isolate for too long. For me a week is my max for isolating before it starts to get unhealthy.

Stay away from alcohol
Stay away from caffeine
Get a pet (if you can)

I've been struggling for a few months.

I guess the best thing I'm taking away from this is I just accept the things I can not change and keep moving forward. And accept what is is what is.

life may not always go how you want it to. their's going to be ups, their's going to be downs. but you only get 1 shot at the whole thing. life is no rehersal so make it count

that's what i was told once

the other one i was told once is:

life isn't about making it to the end of the road with the perfict body

it's about getting to the end and being put in the grave backwards while screaming, wow, what a ride

Well, that sounds about as BP as it gets in my book

This is for other ladies out there who are pregnant or trying.

Your mental illness doesn't take a break or go away during pregnancy. You still treat asthma, diabetes, and other illnesses if you are pregnant. So don't think you have to be unmedicated while pregnant.

I just recently saw a psychiatrist, who is also an obgyn, and she told me this. I was spiraling out of control from almost 2 months of no meds. She has me back on one but it hasn't kicked in yet. But please reach out.

This is one of the hardest for me, and im still struggling with it