Bipolar? Treat Yourself Well

If you have bipolar disorder, you need to treat yourself well. It's hard enough coping and dealing with the disorder and trying to manage its symptoms on a daily basis - you need to give yourself a break and do good things for yourself - things that make you feel good.

There are things you need to do for yourself as part of your treatment plan - things you should already be doing: like getting the right amount of sleep (8-9 uninterrupted hours of sleep every night), eating a healthy diet, and exercising at leat 3 times a week (even if it's only walking).

You should have also already made lifestyle changes to make your life as stress-free as possible, even including stress reduction exercises if necessary. The lower the stress in your life, the less chance of a trigger to a bipolar episode by that means.

But part of good management of bipolar disorder is daily maintenance of coping skills, and that includes taking care of yourself and your needs.

One of those crucial needs is the need for emotional well-being. You need to have pleasure in your life to be happy. And you can't let your bipolar rob you of the happiness you deserve. So you have to compensate for that.

You can do this by having a hobby you enjoy, or doing things that bring you pleasure. These could be things like reading, watching TV or videos, going to the movies, out to lunch with a friend, dinner with your supporter, shopping (just not excessive manic shopping!), listening to music, volunteering, working, pursuing a hobby or other outside intrest, taking a college course or two, visiting family or an older child, visiting with a friend, going to church or synagogue, or anything else that makes you feel good.

The important thing is that you treat yourself well. You should at least treat yourself as good as you would expect or want someone else to treat you. You deserve at least that much.

Treating yourself well is essential to your emotional health, which is good for your mental health as well. It will make a great deal of difference n your stability, and you will be happier for it.

Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com

Wishing you peace and stability,

Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele