If you struggle with bipolar disorder, you know what it’s like to wake up and not feel like getting out of bed due to depression. Basic things like washing your face and brushing your teeth can feel like a huge deal, and going to work and being productive feels totally out of reach. Dealing with bipolar disorder can be exhausting, and the stress worsens if you have a marriage to maintain or children to care for. Here are a few tips I’ve learned for dealing with bipolar disorder when you don’t feel like you can cope for another minute.
Get Dressed
Even if you put on clean sweatpants and a t-shirt, it’s important that you get dressed every day. Wash your face, brush your teeth, and take any medications that you’re on. These simple acts of self care will go a long way towards helping you feel better. Even if you’re incredibly depressed, these actions will likely re-set your brain and help you to have a more normal day.
Regulate Your Sleep
Proper sleep hygiene is incredibly important for bipolar patients. If you’re having difficulty sleeping a full eight hours, consider an herbal supplement like kava or skullcap, or talk to your doctor about prescription sleep aids. If you’re having problems with sleeping too much, set specific times for waking and sleeping and allow yourself one short nap during the day. Spending the whole day in bed may be tempting, but it will only set you up for problems sleeping at night.
Eat Regularly
When you’re dealing with bipolar disorder, it’s important to realize the effect that healthy food can have on your life. Proper nutrition will help your brain to function at its best, so be sure to eat a diet rich in whole grains, healthy fats, and protein. Skip the white sugar, white flour, and sweets – they’ll make you feel good, but these feelings are temporary and they can cause your mood to crash after the rush wears off.
Make Small Changes
If you look at your life and see overwhelming chaos, it may be time to think about a few changes. However, if you resolve to get a job, keep your house perfectly neat, and run a marathon, chances are you’ll be disappointed. Instead, set a goal and work towards it for a little while every day. Set a kitchen timer and spend 15 minutes cleaning your house daily. Focus on one room, and within a week you’ll see clear cut results. Progress is encouraging, and setting small goals helps you to build a list of successes.
An Unquiet Mind, by Kay Redfield Jamison, is the first book about bipolar that helped me not to feel so alone. The author, a psychiatrist, tells the story of her descent into madness and her return from it’s depths. This memoir is gripping, a realistic view of what bipolar disorder looks like from the inside. If you don’t have time to read many books about depression, I highly recommend that you choose this as one of the first. I recommend it to anyone I know that is newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I bought copies for several family members to read so that they could get a first hand view of what it’s like to live with this disease.
If your partner or spouse has bipolar disorder, day to day life can sometimes be a struggle. Sometimes, you see the beautiful person that you fell in love with. Other times, however, your partner’s behavior may become erratic, they may have fits of rage, or they may sink into depression for weeks at a time. Living with someone with bipolar disorder brings with it it’s own unique challenges.
Expect the Cycles
If your loved one is on medication, it can be tempting to think that everything is “all better”. However, they will likely still experience mood swings and cyclical ups and downs. The swings will be less dramatic, but they’ll still be a part of life. It’s best to be prepared for the occasional swing of mood, and to ask your partner when they’re well what you can do to help them when they’re sick.
Make Necessary Adjustments
Bipolar disorder isn’t a fun illness to have. Your partner may not enjoy things that they used to, may not have the energy to prepare meals or clean house sometimes, and may be frustrated by their inability to cope with the demands of work, school, or parenting. Help them make small adjustments wherever possible. Maybe they can try working from home, cut back their hours, or take some time off. Can you prepare a few meals in advance and freeze them for “down” days? Help your partner think of ways to cope with a mood swing before it happens.
Develop a Support System
Living with someone with bipolar disorder often means taking on the role of caregiver from time to time. This can be exhausting, and it’s important that you surround yourself with people who understand. Spend some time building yourself a network of friends and family who understand what you’re going through. You’ll be grateful for the help when you need it most.
