by Jacob Robertson

Created on: April 25, 2008   Last Updated: April 29, 2008

Living with bipolar disorder is something that I am intimately familiar with. I was diagnosed when I was in my late teens so now that I'm in my early thirties I can see my life and the influence bipolar disorder has had on it. With the understanding of the patterns I see in my life I can give back some information to people who may be discovering this diagnosis for the first time.

The most important thing you will learn about bipolar disorder is that it is manageable and also something that you'll just have to live with as a part of your personality and it isn't a character flaw and it isn't your fault. Most of the symptoms can be contained using medications like Venlafazine, Trazodone, and Wellbutrin for the depressive episodes with some people like me who have mixed episodes might need antipsychotics like Abilify, Seroquel, and Zyprexa in order to contain certain symptoms like grandiose thinking and self destructive ideation.

The strange thing about medications is that they work but they are also very hard for some people to realize that they are better off taking their medications and not self medicating with alcohol or street drugs. Alcohol and street drugs have a tendency to make the problems worsen and in most situations they are extremely hazardous to the person who experiments with them.

For example, mixing psychiatric medications with the depressant alcohol can deepen depression and make the good times far worse than they have to be. The problem that society accepts alcohol and does not accept psychiatric medications or people who refrain from drinking in social settings is something that I've struggled with at many gatherings. There aren't many easy answers to this question but I find that most people have accepted me for who I am without alcohol.

Medications are not the only way to stabilize your bipolar disease. There is also keeping yourself fit using regular diet, sleep, and exercise. Also being proactive intellectually to know what sets you off into depression or mania and be careful of what triggers your mood swings so you can anticipate the problem events before they happen.

Change is the fundamental root of the disturbances mainly but lack of sleep, travel, parties, certain music and a diet of caffeine and sugar are my main sources of mania while rejection, loss, and financial trouble trigger my depressive episodes.

Also one of the best things I've done for my mental health is having cultivated a friendship with a canine companion who has provided me with years of stabilizing walking, regular schedule, and generally pleasant belly rubs that lift my spirits with or without antidepressants. Be sure you are a reliable and non abusive pet owner before you attempt such a friendship because it's also a responsibility and an honor to have a friend like my puppy. Taking care of him has been one of the most stabilizing things I've done for myself as a person with bipolar disorder and that kind of thing might be good for you too.

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