The extreme highs and lows of bipolar disorder can interfere with your relationships and disrupt your daily life. With treatment, support, and good coping skills, you can keep symptoms in check.
It’s important to recognize the warning signs of an oncoming manic or depressive episode. Make a list of early symptoms that preceded your previous mood episodes. Also try to identify the triggers, or outside influences, that have led to mania or depression in the past.
02.
Have a plan for when you're triggered
If you spot any warning signs of mania or depression, it’s important to act swiftly. In such times, it’s helpful to have a wellness toolbox to draw from. A wellness toolbox consists of coping skills and activities you can do to maintain a stable mood or to get better when you’re feeling “off.”
03.
Reach out for support
The more people that you can turn to who will be available and good listeners, the more likely you are to manage your moods.
Try not to isolate and find friends or family that are close to home (or college).
Find a support group in the area to recieve support from people who know what you're going through.
Finding balance in bipolar
Ellen Forney is a passionate storyteller and artist who turned her bipolar diagnosis into a platform of hope for anyone struggling with mental health issues. In this moving and generous talk, Ellen uses both words and pictures — her own comics —to share the story of how she maintained her creativity while managing her illness and shares the system she developed for achieving balance and keeping it.
