Thanksgiving Bipolar Warning

Well, this Thursday is Thanksgiving, and I wanted to warn you about something. You should be able to enjoy the holiday just as much as everyone else, but you still need to be aware of this:

Bipolar Warning: On Thanksgiving, as on all holidays, birthdays, etc., we with bipolar disorder can tend to get TOO excited, sometimes kicking us into a bipolar manic episode. Don't let this happen to you because of the holidays.

Of course, there is going to be more activity at this time of the year. For most people, it is a very exciting time. We put up decorations, get a Christmas tree, buy presents, go to family gatherings, and overall expend more energy and engage in more activity than normal, or at other times of the year.

However, this can be a bad thing. Excitement can become stressful, and possibly even overwhelm you at holiday time.

For example, if you normally are not around a lot of people (like me, because I work from home), going to a holiday gathering with a lot of people there might make you uncomfortable at best, or kick you into a bipolar episode at worst.

If you have bipolar disorder, you need to watch yourself around these holidays more than usual. You should know what triggers your bipolar episodes, and you need to watch that you don't experience those triggers, as much as you can.

For example, it is very important that you stick to your normal sleep schedule, even if it means leaving an event or gathering early. If you start to lose sleep because of holiday excitement, it could trigger a bipolar manic episode, and you don't want that.

Try as much as you can to stick to your normal routine. The reason I say "as much as you can" is that it is normal that holiday time would be disruptive to your routine. I'm not saying that is necessarily bad, I'm just saying to be careful of upsets to your routine, and try to compensate for them.

If going into department stores is too overwhelming for you with all the holiday traffic and increase of people in the stores themselves, try to do your shopping online. Just make sure that you make a budget and stick to it. In other words, it is just as easy to overspend online as it is in the regular stores, sometimes worse for some people.

Anyway, I just wanted to warn you not to let down your guard just because it's the holiday season. Stay on top of your triggers, watch for signs and symptoms of an episode, and try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible, keeping the excitement within normal limits, and you should have a great holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you peace and stability,

Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele