7 Tips To Managing Bipolar Disorder

Recognizing the symptoms of bipolar disorder in yourself or someone close to you is an important first step. After that, you might ask yourself, how do I cope with this?

Here are some suggestions that have proved helpful for others with bipolar disorder:

1. Very important - regulate your sleep habits! Getting enough is important but it is even more critical to keep to the same schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Bad sleep habits may cause cycling.
   
2. Eat your meals on a regular basis, without skipping. Try not to overeat, but have a balanced meal.
3. Get some exercise daily. Find an activity you like, bicycling, walking, swimming, etc.
4. Do not take street drugs and consult your doctor about drinking alcohol.
5. Make a list of behaviors that signal the beginning of an episode. Whatever it is: carelessly spending money, inability to sleep, etc... if you are aware of it you can have a head start on getting help. Your doctor may be able to adjust your medications to stop a full-blown episode.
6. Enlist the help of your family or those close to you. Work out a plan for what to do if you do go into a mood swing. It could be a lot of help if they are familiar with what doctor to call or if you may need to be hospitalized.
7. Psychotherapy or talk therapy has proven to be very helpful. Very positive results have come about from a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

Stumble it!

This article is for informational purposes only. Please seek medical advice from a qualified professional.