“Ugh! This is the WORST!” We’ve all said it. We’ve all thought it. But if you’re consistently thinking about how things can go wrong and expecting the worst, you might be stuck in a worst-case-scenario thought pattern. The good news: You can break this pattern and start a new one. Here’s how. Worst-case-scenario thinking is...
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If you lose yourself in obsessive thought spirals or cycles, you are not alone. I have come a long way with managing my obsessive thoughts. Here is my process for dealing with those thoughts that won’t go away. I have found that bipolar disorder and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) often go hand-in-hand. What Is OCD?...
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Distractability can be a major challenge, but there are many things you can do to maintain focus throughout the day when you find your mind wandering. One thing we deal with a lot in the area of bipolar disorder is distractibility, which can be one of the symptoms of this condition. Now, that may happen...
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One of the challenges of living with bipolar disorder is the inability to remain focused. However, there are techniques to help stay on task. By Karl Shallowhorn One common symptom of bipolar disorder is distractibility. This sense of being unable to focus is something that can be very annoying, if not downright frustrating....
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Obsessive thoughts often revolve around irrational or exaggerated worries. The repetitive loops can make it difficult to focus on the tasks at hand, disrupt sleep, and affect daily behavior as you start to avoid certain activities or pursue others to an extreme. Psychologist Bruce Hubbard, PhD, offers these countermeasures: Switch your focus. In what Hubbard calls “the...
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Obsessive thinking is a fairly common but rarely discussed symptom of bipolar. We look at ways you can take charge when intrusive thoughts take hold. Getting something stuck in your head—the catchy chorus of a song, a gruesome image from the news—can be annoying for anyone. But annoying segues to alarming when intrusive thoughts, worries...
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Bipolar flashbacks are intrusive and painful––which can really take a toll on the mind and body. But there are ways you can successfully manage this symptom. The past year has been remarkable in the lifecycle of my bipolar disorder because it is the first time I have experienced a total lack of symptoms. I could...
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The world demands we multitask, but the added frustration and stress can cause some bipolar disorder symptoms to rear their ugly heads. In the early part of the millennium, multitasking was all the rage. It practically became a badge of honor to tell people how well you could multitask. “I can cook dinner while talking...
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Even though I am stable, I feel that bipolar depression has permanently changed all aspects of my brain: my memory, ability to focus, and self-confidence. Having lived with Bipolar I for over a decade, I have been through my share of depressions. However, there was one from the winter of 2011 until the fall of...
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These simple, yet, surprisingly powerful strategies to break free of the loop that links bipolar depression, anxiety and negative thinking may just transform your life. There’s a well-established loop between dreary outlook and depressed mood—so learning to shift out of negative modes such as pessimism, catastrophic escalation, and destructive self-talk can improve your mental...
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Have trouble remembering names, appointments, where you put your keys? Is it hard to stay focused and get things done? Check out these workarounds to help you cope. Deb of South Dakota, has grappled with memory problems for a long time. Names, appointments, even special events like her children’s birthdays—they all drift off to some Never-Never Land....
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Weight loss is a journey with the greatest of successes and the most frustrating of setbacks––like when the number on the scale gets “stuck”. Here are tips to get it unstuck. On June 1st, 2015 I finally began to get “unstuck” with my weight. It has taken me far too long to get to the...
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Our beliefs shape how we think, how we treat ourselves, and how we feel. Which is why it is essential to free ourselves from all untrue assumptions. What we believe about ourselves, others, the world and life in general is very important. From what we believe comes our way of thinking and from how we...
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You are not alone if focus problems leave you as a self-identified “swivel head”. But that doesn’t mean productivity has to be an unrealistic dream. (Update 2016! I’m working on part two if this post today. I’ve recently moved to Europe and am working from England today. Part of me hoped and wished that this...
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Relapse is a reality. If depression returns, use it to learn management strategies. You’ve pulled through an episode of depression. You feel “back to normal”—for weeks, months, maybe even years. Then the dreaded symptoms come creeping or slamming back and you’re once again in that dark place you thought you’d left behind. When you’ve been...
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Let hopeful mantras guide your way through the fog of negative thinking––and change the way you look at bipolar stability. Thought provoking quotes from others has been key for me in my recovery. I’ve had to change a lot of the ways that I think over the last 20 years. I had a LOT of...
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I am a writer that struggles with word retrieval. Through my memory struggles, I have learned humility––which has made me a more compassionate writer, communicator, and human being. As I imagine most of you who follow this blog have figured out by now, I make a living as a writer and a speaker. In short,...
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Family, friends, and doctors may not pick up on the full range of thinking difficulties we experience. So it’s about time we brushed up on our self-awareness skills to make sure our treatment plans properly address our cognitive difficulties. Thinking difficulties are some of the most impactful symptoms of bipolar disorder. When paying attention, focusing, or concentrating requires significant effort, these symptoms...
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Being able to maintain your symptoms on your own is important, but here are some tips if you’re discouraged. W. Allen Wallis, an economic advisor to four U.S. presidents, defined statistics as “a body of methods for making wise decisions in the face of uncertainty.” If you’re like me, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty when...
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