Living the Bipolar Life
Whether you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does, living the bipolar life doesn't necessarily mean going from episode to episode without a break.
Between episodes, your life can be fairly normal.
If you have bipolar disorder, the main thing is to maintain your stability, and for that, you have to do certain things, like take your medication every day.
Going to see your psychiatrist regularly is also important, as they will be the one to follow your disorder and prescribe your medications.
If you need a medication dosage adjustment or change, it is your psychiatrist who will also do that for you.
You should also be going to therapy, which is just as important; as it will help you deal with the life issues surrounding your bipolar disorder.
Having the disorder may be stressful at times, and therapy will help you with this and other things.
Your doctor will follow you physically, just as with any person who doesn't have bipolar disorder.
You may have physical issues such as anxiety and insomnia along with your disorder which your regular doctor can address.
In addition, you may be on medication for which you will need blood work to check levels in your bloodstream, and your doctor can do that for you.
Sometimes, during a depressive episode, there will be physical side effects; such as: body aches, headaches, abdominal pains, and other such physical symptoms along with the depression, for which you can go to your family physician.
There are other ways you can help yourself maintain stability as well.
Getting the right amount of sleep, exercising, and sticking to a healthy diet are just some of the ways in which you can do this.
For the supporter, keeping your own stress levels down is important.
You should also keep yourself healthy and see to your own well-being.
Make sure there is balance in your own life, and that you have a life outside the "bipolar world" in which you live with your loved one who has the disorder.
If you do not take care of yourself first, how can you take care of your loved one? During normal periods between episodes, you can both have as normal a life as anyone else who does not have to deal with bipolar disorder.
As long as you do the above things, living the bipolar life together can be enjoyable, productive, successful, and happy.
Between episodes, your life can be fairly normal.
If you have bipolar disorder, the main thing is to maintain your stability, and for that, you have to do certain things, like take your medication every day.
Going to see your psychiatrist regularly is also important, as they will be the one to follow your disorder and prescribe your medications.
If you need a medication dosage adjustment or change, it is your psychiatrist who will also do that for you.
You should also be going to therapy, which is just as important; as it will help you deal with the life issues surrounding your bipolar disorder.
Having the disorder may be stressful at times, and therapy will help you with this and other things.
Your doctor will follow you physically, just as with any person who doesn't have bipolar disorder.
You may have physical issues such as anxiety and insomnia along with your disorder which your regular doctor can address.
In addition, you may be on medication for which you will need blood work to check levels in your bloodstream, and your doctor can do that for you.
Sometimes, during a depressive episode, there will be physical side effects; such as: body aches, headaches, abdominal pains, and other such physical symptoms along with the depression, for which you can go to your family physician.
There are other ways you can help yourself maintain stability as well.
Getting the right amount of sleep, exercising, and sticking to a healthy diet are just some of the ways in which you can do this.
For the supporter, keeping your own stress levels down is important.
You should also keep yourself healthy and see to your own well-being.
Make sure there is balance in your own life, and that you have a life outside the "bipolar world" in which you live with your loved one who has the disorder.
If you do not take care of yourself first, how can you take care of your loved one? During normal periods between episodes, you can both have as normal a life as anyone else who does not have to deal with bipolar disorder.
As long as you do the above things, living the bipolar life together can be enjoyable, productive, successful, and happy.
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