Bipolar disorder is a disorder that can bring on intense feelings of hopelessness as well as elation. While there are medications that assist a person in dealing with this disorder, there are also other methods. Coping skills can be developed that are focused on limiting the amount of anxiety that a person with Bipolar disorder experiences. Some of these coping skills provide immediate results and some provide long term results. While a person suffering from bipolar disorder certainly wants immediate results, it’s not a bad thing to think ahead for the long term.
Coping skills are things we do that help us to deal with situations. A negative coping skill would be one that has adverse results. A good example would be extreme shopping or sexual behavior. Anything that makes you and/or someone else feel bad is probably a negative coping skill. A positive coping skill would be one that promotes positive feelings in the person using the coping skill and/or a person involved in the situation.
Probably the best way to begin to deal with any type of mood disorder is to maintain a wealth of records on it. Though this may seem like a waste of time to some, it is actually the first line of defense. When you are combating anything or anyone, you must know some things about it. In this way you can better plan your defensive strategy. Hopefully, these records will also help you to plan an offensive strategy at some point as well.
To begin with, everything should be written down so that you may find what is influencing your mood and what is not. simple things have great effects on mood. What we eat and how much sleep we get have a larger impact on our mood than we like to think. even our dreams can affect our moods. So, keep your journal nearby at all times. As soon as you wake up, start filling it in. I know, this is a lot of writing, but it is some of the most important ammunition you can have against this disorder.
Make your own chart or find one that works for you. Make a graph. Anything so that you can compare moods vs activities. The best way to fight this disorder is to take a proactive stand with it. Even at your most depressed you can jot down a few things or fill in your chart. Hopefully you will soon be able to see some type of relationship between your environment and your moods.
No one likes feeling like a victim. This mood disorder can make a person feel like that because the moods of the person are at the mercy of the disorder itself and may cause disturbances in the individuals personal and professional life. Taking some type of daily action towards having some control over your moods may help boost your self esteem a bit. There aren’t too many people I know that couldn’t use some of that!
Don’t let bipolar disorder take complete control over your life! Take action to be a happier person.
