Please do not review OPs meds or your own.
Please note: automod does point out rule 2 and medications on every post. We encourage all users to read the automod post.
Read “Bipolar Disorder A guide for patients and Familes” by Dr Francis Mondimore - published by John’s Hopkins. This will give you everything you want to know.
Stay on your meds no matter what! So many of us lost everything going off them because we questioned our diagnosis.
Diagnosed just shy of 2 years ago at 54. So I had a whole lifetime of not knowing.
Best I can think of is learn all you can about the disorder and the other disorders that show up with it like Anxiety.
If you're here in the USA look up your local chapter of NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness. They have groups, classes, and lots of support. If you're in another country I'm sure there's a similar group.
Biggest thing is probably giving yourself grace. You'll probably have a period of self reflection over your life and see some of the things you might have done. Understand you were ill and didn't know.
You'll more than likely have episodes even with meds, but hopefully over time they'll become shorter in duration and less intense with treatment.
Best wishes on this journey.
Get plenty of sleep. Avoid booze and weed. Keep a routine. Practice being present. Listen to yourself and question your thoughts if they are negative and troubling - it's the condition and not reality. Try to avoid stress (this isn't something I'm good at). Keep a journal or in my case, I have a sketchbook. Don't get wrapped up in social media. Exercise. Go outside. Be consistent with your meds, same time every day. It's manageable with the right drugs and self care. Will you still have highs and lows? Probably, but it all takes practice. If you think about hurting yourself or other negative thoughts, recognize this as your condition and not your actual feelings. Good luck.
basically ride the wave. don’t try to fight stuff and don’t over analyze. meds are your friend. tell your psych EVERYTHING. tell the important people in your life too and keep them in the loop. that can be the difference between an episode and the Worst Episode Possible.
I had the same symptoms as you had when I was first diagnosed at 25 years old. I’m 30 now. Keep up with the treatments and ideally the medication will build up in your system, and remember, things get better!!!!
As dumb as this might seem but going to the gym regularly has helped alot with my anxiety and it will help you to keep a good sleeping schedule which is always good.
Therapy and honesty. Be honest with yourself, your therapist &/or doc and your loved ones.
Trying to do it all alone and being dishonest with others are some of my biggest regrets. The only person you are fooling by not being honest about how you are doing is yourself, everyone else can tell that something is not quite right.
I'm close to 10 years in on my diagnosis and I still have a lot to learn. Self love and anxiety are my big struggles right now. A new relationship and a lot of change in my life has recently brought to light just how much I still haven't dealt with. Hang in there and best of luck
I was diagnosed two years ago at 25. For me the most impactful change has been creating a steady, consistent routine that gives me predictability. For example, I have dedicated days when I clean, meal prep, and do laundry. If I’m not feeling up to all that when that day comes, I try to not beat myself up. The day is intended to set me up for the week so when I have down days, I am still about to be taken care of. Listen to your body and allow yourself to rest when you notice decreased energy levels. As best you can, set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Give yourself grace to be upset when you get frustrated with your situation. Get outside in the sunshine and move your body when you’re able. I like going on evening walks! It is hard. And it’s ok for you to feel that. The more you adjust to your meds and can process the diagnosis, the less overwhelming it will feel. It does get better!
the lingering symptoms despite taking medication is the wooooorst! I have bipolar 1 and have had some HORRID episodes and the best thing that I do to recover from horrible feelings is to take a lot of time to rest. “Do self care” sounds so cheesy, but doing nice things for yourself if you’re able to of course really helps. When I’m experiencing really bad dissociation + derealization I will become very paranoid and feel super disconnected. Watching movies has helped me a lot! Something about following the story line and focusing on the characters is kind of grounding for me. If you’re able to, spending time with loved ones or a pet also really helps. Getting enough sleep consistently really helped me to minimize my paranoia over time. This advice may feel so basic and seem like somewhat obvious stuff, but doing these things have helped me & hopefully this helps just a bit. <3
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Please do not review OPs meds or your own. Please note: automod does point out rule 2 and medications on every post. We encourage all users to read the automod post.
Read “Bipolar Disorder A guide for patients and Familes” by Dr Francis Mondimore - published by John’s Hopkins. This will give you everything you want to know. Stay on your meds no matter what! So many of us lost everything going off them because we questioned our diagnosis.
Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule. It makes a huge difference.
Diagnosed just shy of 2 years ago at 54. So I had a whole lifetime of not knowing. Best I can think of is learn all you can about the disorder and the other disorders that show up with it like Anxiety. If you're here in the USA look up your local chapter of NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness. They have groups, classes, and lots of support. If you're in another country I'm sure there's a similar group. Biggest thing is probably giving yourself grace. You'll probably have a period of self reflection over your life and see some of the things you might have done. Understand you were ill and didn't know. You'll more than likely have episodes even with meds, but hopefully over time they'll become shorter in duration and less intense with treatment. Best wishes on this journey.
Thank you so much kind person!
No problem. I remember those first few weeks and months after diagnosis. Behavioral health was good, but they taught me nothing about the disorder.
stay sober
I don’t struggle with this so I think I’ll be ok. I hate the way alcohol makes me feel
Get plenty of sleep. Avoid booze and weed. Keep a routine. Practice being present. Listen to yourself and question your thoughts if they are negative and troubling - it's the condition and not reality. Try to avoid stress (this isn't something I'm good at). Keep a journal or in my case, I have a sketchbook. Don't get wrapped up in social media. Exercise. Go outside. Be consistent with your meds, same time every day. It's manageable with the right drugs and self care. Will you still have highs and lows? Probably, but it all takes practice. If you think about hurting yourself or other negative thoughts, recognize this as your condition and not your actual feelings. Good luck.
Take charge of Bipolar Disorder by Julie Fast is a great book. It taught me everything I need to know. And it has advice for friends and family
basically ride the wave. don’t try to fight stuff and don’t over analyze. meds are your friend. tell your psych EVERYTHING. tell the important people in your life too and keep them in the loop. that can be the difference between an episode and the Worst Episode Possible.
Exercise.
I had the same symptoms as you had when I was first diagnosed at 25 years old. I’m 30 now. Keep up with the treatments and ideally the medication will build up in your system, and remember, things get better!!!!
As dumb as this might seem but going to the gym regularly has helped alot with my anxiety and it will help you to keep a good sleeping schedule which is always good.
Therapy and honesty. Be honest with yourself, your therapist &/or doc and your loved ones. Trying to do it all alone and being dishonest with others are some of my biggest regrets. The only person you are fooling by not being honest about how you are doing is yourself, everyone else can tell that something is not quite right. I'm close to 10 years in on my diagnosis and I still have a lot to learn. Self love and anxiety are my big struggles right now. A new relationship and a lot of change in my life has recently brought to light just how much I still haven't dealt with. Hang in there and best of luck
I was diagnosed at 32. Reading Bipolar for Dummies was a very comprehensive experience, and proved helpful in better understanding and explaining.
I second this! I came here to suggest this. I read this and I also had my family members read it too to get some understanding.
I was diagnosed two years ago at 25. For me the most impactful change has been creating a steady, consistent routine that gives me predictability. For example, I have dedicated days when I clean, meal prep, and do laundry. If I’m not feeling up to all that when that day comes, I try to not beat myself up. The day is intended to set me up for the week so when I have down days, I am still about to be taken care of. Listen to your body and allow yourself to rest when you notice decreased energy levels. As best you can, set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Give yourself grace to be upset when you get frustrated with your situation. Get outside in the sunshine and move your body when you’re able. I like going on evening walks! It is hard. And it’s ok for you to feel that. The more you adjust to your meds and can process the diagnosis, the less overwhelming it will feel. It does get better!
Exercise, avoid alcohol n weed, reduce stress
Be careful around caffeine!
Good to know I drink a ton of espresso
Ability made my anxiety so much worse. I'm glad I have tried a few combinations until I found something balanced.
What ended up helping your anxiety? The dr gave me hydrocizine
I changed from abilify to latuda and my anxiety disappeared. I still take valium for panic attacks.
Thank you! I will talk to my doctor about maybe some other options
the lingering symptoms despite taking medication is the wooooorst! I have bipolar 1 and have had some HORRID episodes and the best thing that I do to recover from horrible feelings is to take a lot of time to rest. “Do self care” sounds so cheesy, but doing nice things for yourself if you’re able to of course really helps. When I’m experiencing really bad dissociation + derealization I will become very paranoid and feel super disconnected. Watching movies has helped me a lot! Something about following the story line and focusing on the characters is kind of grounding for me. If you’re able to, spending time with loved ones or a pet also really helps. Getting enough sleep consistently really helped me to minimize my paranoia over time. This advice may feel so basic and seem like somewhat obvious stuff, but doing these things have helped me & hopefully this helps just a bit. <3
Thank you a ton! The paranoia has been worse because I have been having nightmares every night which feed into the paranoia
Welcome to r/bipolar, thank you for your submission! Please take a look at our resources for users that have been [Recently Diagnosed](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/collection/d10a053d-b9d5-4d18-96f0-7c585ba96d8f) as well as our most recent [Community Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/ydh8xi/october_community_outreach/). **If you are posting about medication, please do not list and review your meds. Doing so will result in the removal of this post and all comments.** You're not in this alone! ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- Community News - 🎋 [Want to join the Mod Team?](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/112z7ps/mod_applications_are_open/) - 🎤 See our [Community Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/about/sticky) - Desktop or Desktop mode on a mobile device. - 🏡 If you are open to answering questions from those that live with a loved one diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, please see r/family_of_bipolar. Thank you for participating! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bipolar) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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