Bipolar disorder is a mental illness known for causing extreme and unstable shifts in a person’s mood. It shares many features with depressive disorders, including major depression. The main difference between major depression and bipolar disorder is mania or manic episodes. Mania, a mood of euphoric happiness that brings with it unusually elevated levels of energy and enthusiasm, is one of the bipolar disorder’s phases. For a person to be correctly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder, they must have had at least one episode of mania. In between mania and depression are periods of an average, normal mood called euthymia.

It’s not uncommon for many bipolar individuals to have only a few manic episodes in a lifetime, while the majority of their phases depressed. Mania is very destructive, causing people to act in ways they normally would not, like overspending, hypersexuality, use or abuse of alcohol and drugs. A person in a manic phase is at much risk as a person in the depths of a depressive episode. Like in the movie “A Woman Under the Influence,” people are sometimes hospitalized due to the severity of their mania. Bipolar disorder can sometimes cause a person to suffer psychotic symptoms. Vincent van Gogh in “Lust for Life” checks himself into an asylum for symptoms of psychosis due to mood swings.

People with bipolar disorder can manage their condition by taking their medication exactly as prescribed and seeing a mental healthcare professional regularly. Here are a few tips for maintaining stability with bipolar disorder:

  • Be aware of your sleep patterns. Disturbed sleep is a cardinal sign of an ongoing bipolar mood shift. Insomnia is known to trigger mania sometimes, even after just a few days of sleeplessness. Increasing fatigue and sleeping more than usual can signal an impending depressive swing. When these signals come, speak to your mental healthcare provider at once.
  • Get a good schedule and stick to it. The schedule does not have to be an exactingly precise minute by minute masterwork but having a pattern in the order in which you do things helps many bipolar people control their mood better. This is especially true of having a set time to go to bed and get up.
  • Exercise, even as little as 30 minutes of low-impact movement every day can boost anyone’s mood.
  • Reduce stress levels. Anxiety can aggravate bipolar disorder. Learn and practice stress coping skills.
  • Take your medication exactly as prescribed. If you’re on any medication for bipolar disorder, it’s crucial for your health that you take the medication regularly and as prescribed.

Damaris Aragon, ARNP, BC provides a full spectrum of mental health care to people in Spokane, Washington and the surrounding areas. She focuses on providing compassionate personalized care that adheres to current evidence-based standards. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.