Bipolar Management: Simple Ways to Feel Better Every Day
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes big changes in mood. Some days, people feel very happy and full of energy. Other days, they feel really sad and tired. These mood swings are called manic episodes and depressive episodes.
Let’s explore easy ways to manage bipolar disorder, feel more in control, and live a better life. This guide is written in a simple way so everyone can understand.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a brain condition that causes extreme mood swings. These changes can be strong and last for days or weeks. Some people may feel very high (mania), while others feel very low (depression). Sometimes, they may even feel both at the same time. These are called mixed episodes.
There are different kinds of bipolar disorder, including:
- Bipolar I Disorder: Full manic episodes and depressive episodes.
- Bipolar II Disorder: Milder hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes.
- Cyclothymic Disorder: Moods swing between mild depression and hypomania.
- Bipolar spectrum disorder: Covers a wide range of bipolar symptoms.
Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms of Mania:
- Talking very fast
- Feeling very happy or silly
- Doing risky things
- Needing less sleep
- Irritable mood and elevated mood
- Acting in unusual ways
Symptoms of Depression:
- Feeling very sad
- Tired all the time
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Not enjoying things they used to like
- Thinking about death or risk of suicide
Bipolar disorder can be found in children, teens, and adults. The age at onset can vary, and late-onset mania can occur in older adults.
Why Management of Bipolar Disorder Is Important
Bipolar disorder can be tricky. Without help, a person might go through a lot of ups and downs. These mood swings—like bipolar mania, acute depression, or mixed episodes—can cause problems at home, school, work, or with friends.
If bipolar disorder is not managed well, people may:
- Miss school or work often
- Fight more with family or friends
- Spend too much money during manic episodes
- Feel very sad or empty during depressive episodes
- Have a higher risk of suicide or risk of harm
- Use drugs or alcohol to feel better, which only makes things worse
- End up needing emergency care or inpatient treatment
Proper bipolar management improves a person’s quality of life. It helps them avoid frequent episodes, enjoy daily life more, and stay on track with their goals. It also reduces the negative consequences that come with mood swings, like trouble with the law, losing a job, or hurting relationships.
Doctors and mental health experts use tools like measurement-based care, monitoring recommendations, and mood stabilizers to make sure each person gets the right help. Staying in treatment and following a care plan also lowers the chance of future problems and helps manage other comorbid conditions, like anxiety disorders, or major depression.
Tips for Managing Bipolar Disorder
1. Follow a Routine
Create a regular schedule. Social rhythm therapies help people stay balanced. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
2. Take Medications as Directed
Doctors may give mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medication, or lithium therapy. Don’t skip doses. It helps avoid future episodes.
Common medicines include:
- Valproic acid
- Divalproex sodium
- Atypical antipsychotics
These help treat the acute phase, manic phase, and maintenance phase of bipolar disorder.
Learn more about treatment at Nashville Mental Health.
3. Go to Therapy
Therapies like cognitive behavior therapy help people manage thoughts and feelings. Family interventions and group-based psychosocial interventions can also help.
4. Eat Healthy and Exercise
A good diet and movement support mental health. Try Omega-3 fatty acids and exercise to improve your mood. This also helps manage weight gain, a common adverse effect of some medicines.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep disturbance can trigger episodes. Stick to a bedtime, turn off screens, and make your bedroom cozy.
6. Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
They can make symptoms of depression or manic symptoms worse.
7. Keep a Mood Journal
Track how you feel each day. Note your sleep, energy, and stress. This helps with measurement-based care and better clinical care.
Working With Doctors and Mental Health Teams
Doctors use tools like the Mood Disorder Questionnaire and follow rules from the American Psychiatric Association and International Society for Bipolar Disorders. They look for:
- Clinical characteristics
- Phase of illness
- Current medications
- Risk of recurrence
- Negative consequences
- Mixed symptoms
A doctor might do a systematic review and meta-analysis of your past symptoms or suggest interventions for patients.
It’s important to follow monitoring recommendations, especially if you’re using anti-depressant medications, or have medical illnesses or movement disorders.
What About Kids and Teens?
Kids and teens can also have bipolar disorder, but it might look different than it does in adults. For example, younger people may:
- Act very hyper or silly at the wrong times
- Have trouble sleeping but not seem tired
- Cry a lot or show strong anger
- Get in trouble at school or have trouble making friends
- Show signs of both manic symptoms and depressive symptoms quickly
Doctors might call this early-onset bipolar disorder or bipolar disorder in children. When it starts during childhood, it can be even harder to figure out because it may look like ADHD or just bad behavior. That’s why it’s important to see a mental health expert who can do an evaluation of patients using tools like the Mood Disorder Questionnaire.
Helping kids manage bipolar disorder early can stop it from getting worse later. Treatments may include:
- Family interventions to teach parents how to help
- Therapy in patients that focuses on feelings and behaviors
- Group-based psychosocial interventions for peer support
- Sometimes, medicine to help with mood swings and sleep disturbance
Kids and teens can do really well with the right help. It’s all about starting early, working with a team, and sticking with the plan.
When Is Inpatient Treatment Needed?
Sometimes bipolar disorder becomes too much to handle at home. This might be when a person is going through an acute episode of mania, bipolar depression, or has mixed features that are hard to control.
Inpatient treatment means staying in a hospital or mental health center for a short time. This helps keep the person safe and gives them the care they need. It also helps doctors find the right medicine or plan when someone has:
- Thoughts of hurting themselves or others (suicide risk or risk of harm)
- Dangerous behavior during acute mania or euphoric mania
- Mixed mania or catatonic features (trouble moving or speaking)
- Late onset mania in older adults
- Trouble with medication adherence or managing current medications
- Strong reactions to medicine, like extra-pyramidal effects or neuroleptic-induced acute akathisia
- Other medical illnesses, like nervous system diseases or a risk for stroke
During inpatient care, the care team might do:
- Tests to check for other medical conditions
- Changes in medicine, like starting lithium therapy or atypical antipsychotics
- Education for the patient and family
- Planning for what to do after leaving the hospital
Going into the hospital can feel scary, but it’s often the best way to keep someone safe and get them back on track. After the stay, patients move into the maintenance phase, where they continue treatment to stay well.
Extra Help for Managing Bipolar
Other things that help include:
- Lifestyle interventions (walking, yoga, meditation)
- Behavioral interventions (changing habits)
- Checking for nervous system diseases, medical conditions, or metabolic-inflammatory systems that may add stress
Watch for Side Effects
Some people experience:
- Extra-pyramidal effects
- Neuroleptic-induced acute akathisia
- Challenges of akathisia
- Irreversible movement disorder
Tell your doctor if you feel shaky, stiff, or different.
Final Thoughts
Managing bipolar disorder may feel hard sometimes. But with the right tools, support, and care, people can feel better and stay strong. Remember:
- Stick to a routine
- Take your medicine
- Talk to a therapist
- Get good sleep
- Eat well and exercise
If you or someone you know needs help, check out this bipolar disorder treatment page for more support.
You are not alone. Help is always there. Visit SAMHSA for more information.
FAQs About Bipolar Management
1. Can bipolar disorder be cured?
No, but it can be managed. With the right help, people can feel better and have a good life.
2. What causes bipolar disorder?
We don’t know for sure. It may be from family history, brain changes, or medical conditions.
3. How do I know if I have bipolar disorder?
If you have big mood swings that last days, talk to a doctor. They can check for psychiatric disorders and other mental disorders.
4. Can food or sleep affect bipolar disorder?
Yes. Adequate sleep and healthy food help a lot. They reduce disturbance in patients and help avoid acute depression.
5. What happens if I stop my medicine?
Stopping your medication can cause more episodes of depression, episodes of mania, or even suicide risk. Always talk to your doctor first.
