Bipolar Treatment

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Even if you are taking medication for bipolar and seeing a psychiatrist, you may want to consider therapy for additional support and coping skills. If video is not showing, click here Seeking Psychiatric Treatment Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big believer in psychiatric treatment for mental health. I believe that if something is...

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What does acceptance of a bipolar diagnosis look like? What does it feel like? Turns out, it’s a lot like getting to know a new horse. What Is Bipolar Acceptance? There isn’t a trophy for achieving bipolar acceptance. There isn’t a list of requirements, a deadline, or a competition. But still, many of us see...

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With bipolar, sometimes we need to rewrite the “rules” of life and follow our own timelines instead of others’ newsfeeds and social media stories. Over the years, I’ve learned something very important about living with bipolar disorder: never compare yourself to others. It’s just about the easiest thing in the world to do, especially with...

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If I could “snap out of it,” I would. Here’s why advice like that isn’t helpful—plus 5 strategies that do help me cope with bipolar depression. Unhelpful Advice for Bipolar Depression Have you ever gotten this advice when experiencing bipolar depression? “Think positive.” “It could be worse.” “Snap out of it.” I’ve heard it all,...

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Having a strictly structured life may sound boring, but maintaining regular times for activities has a powerful effect on bipolar stability. Here’s how to handle routine disruptions. Ask the Doctor: What’s the Big Deal about Daily Routines? Overall, routine is the daily groove of activities that broadly make up the answer to, “Tell me about...

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Paintbrush in hand, Army veteran Shawn Augustson turns his bipolar depression and post-traumatic stress into something ‘bright and happy and beautiful to me.’ Some things are hard for Shawn Augustson to talk about. At the top of his list is the time he served in Iraq, from 2004 to 2006, working convoy security throughout the...

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RECOVERY IS NOT A DESTINATION. Recovery is a live organism. Recovery is radical acceptance of this illness. Recovery is brutal and leaves bruises. Recovery means choosing to breathe when my brain chooses suffocation. Recovery is knowing that the cyclical nature of this disease will bring me to the depths of my soul, knowing that my...

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Don’t sell yourself short by equating success with zero symptoms. What matters is living your best life, even if that means rethinking your goals. Wouldn’t life be simply divine if you received your bipolar diagnosis after your very first brush with depression or hypomania, started on the proper medication immediately, and never had to experience...

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Clinicians and individuals with bipolar may disagree about terminology, but there is no denying that this brain-based mood disorder has been with us for a long time. Some people believe that the term “bipolar disorder” is the best way to identify the brain-based mood disorder characterized by periods of heavy depression, soaring highs of mania...

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After two years of “too much,” I need some downtime. I am keeping it simple: enjoying blank spaces in my calendar and face time with my family. Craving “White Space” When I really couldn’t go anywhere, being home all the time became exhausting for me. Too much stimulation can drain my energy, but too little...

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There are some lifestyle practices and daily habits for bipolar disorder that help me manage my symptoms so much, I would never give them up. What “Works” Best for My Bipolar There are many different wellness practices that can improve life with bipolar, and it can be difficult to know which lifestyle changes are most...

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Bipolar depression can fuel negative thought loops, and hypo/mania can flood your mind with rapid flights of ideas. Find relief from rumination with these strategies. Rumination can make you feel like a prisoner, trapped in a tiring cycle of negative thoughts. Breaking the cycle of rumination takes some practice, but learning to manage your mind...

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Learn how to stop overeating for emotional comfort—when you’re anxious, stressed, or depressed—out of habit or to satisfy cravings. Late-Night Snacking Cory, a high-school career counselor in central Tennessee, enjoys a satisfying dinner with his family every evening. Yet several times a week, after his wife and two children have gone upstairs for the night,...

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The varieties of talk therapy can be confusing: Is a counselor required? What’s the difference between CBT and DBT? Do I need a workbook or something? Talk Therapies, Decoded If you’ve considered talk therapy for bipolar disorder, you’ve probably heard of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and its proven benefits for those of us living with...

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Self-care doesn’t have to be self-indulgent. (But it can be!) It’s also about taking time to invest in your own well-being. And sometimes that means saying “no.” Understanding the Core of Self-Care I have learned many “do’s and don’ts” for living with this mental health condition, ever since my diagnosis of bipolar I disorder over...

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When the routine I relied on for years changed suddenly, I found myself with new questions—and opportunities—for how I really wanted to spend my days. Routines & Bipolar Disorder Everyone talks about how important routines are when you live with bipolar disorder. This is because routines often keep us away from unpleasant emotions, such as...

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Bipolar, Fear, & Storytelling We are all storytellers. We forge stories in our imaginations. And it is in fear that we create our most elaborate tales. As an Alaskan outdoorswoman, I have spent many nights camping in the wildest places of the north, where grizzly bears, wolves, and other animals roam in the evenings. When...

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When we are dealing with a mood disorder, simplistic, superficial comments—however well intended—can diminish the dedication required to deal with a difficult diagnosis. People often make comments to me such as: I thought you’d dealt with that. Or: You mean you still get depressed? My reply is that living with bipolar is still a big...

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I learned long ago, when you have bipolar, you cannot tell everyone—and, much of the time, you cannot tell anyone. To keep the day going, I mask my struggles with a smile. I leaned to the left in the photograph, laughing as I held a puppy on the bow of a green riverboat. I was...

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Managing bipolar is much more than doctor and therapy appointments and medications. A comprehensive approach—sleeping soundly, eating nutritiously, and exercising regularly—is critical. Managing a mood disorder is an ongoing undertaking. Contrary to what some people think, you don’t just “get over it.” How you see the situation is key. Adopting the right perspective takes time,...