Is there any way to relieve stress of bipolar on daily basis?

Question

Im off my meds bcuz side effects were worse than when off. But now im not controlling myself well after a year. I think i need help again but i dont trust doctors. they hardly answer my questions and just throw pills at me that they get kickbacks from the med makers. Any suggestions? If i go back on meds (inevitably), how do i know who to trust? Im going to lose my job if i dont get myself under control.

ok ok, ill get back on my meds. my current major problem is my anxiety. just thought maybe someone knew ways to calm down aside from them. Lithium has been suggested before from a friend. ill look into that "hey Leese". thanks

Answer 1

You really do need to see a doctor. If you are starting to have a mood disorder, you may be able to lesson it, but not get rid of it completely without medicine.

Some tricks to lesson the effects are:

*eat a healthy diet full of veggies
*exercise daily
*talk about your feelings
*get yourself an activity
*don't do too many things at once
*make sure you get up, out of bed, and dressed every day

If unsure where to go for help, talk to someone you trust who has experience in mental health—for example, a doctor, nurse, social worker, or religious counselor. Ask their advice on where to seek treatment. If there is a university nearby, its departments of psychiatry or psychology may offer private and/or sliding-scale fee clinic treatment options. Otherwise, check the Yellow Pages under "mental health," "health," "social services," "suicide prevention," "crisis intervention services," "hotlines," "hospitals," or "physicians" for phone numbers and addresses. In times of crisis, the emergency room doctor at a hospital may be able to provide temporary help for a mental health problem, and will be able to tell you where and how to get further help.

Listed below are the types of people and places that will make a referral to, or provide, diagnostic and treatment services.

* Family doctors
* Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors
* Religious leaders/counselors
* Health maintenance organizations
* Community mental health centers
* Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics
* University- or medical school-affiliated programs
* State hospital outpatient clinics
* Social service agencies
* Private clinics and facilities
* Employee assistance programs
* Local medical and/or psychiatric societies

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away:

* Call your doctor's office.
* Call 911 for emergency services.
* Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
* Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.

Ask a family member or friend to help you make these calls or take you to the hospital.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

There are a few things you can try: 1. Controlled Breathing - Sit upright, take a deep breathe in, hold for a few seconds, release it normally and effortlessly, all the while focusing only on your breathing. Difficult initially, but doable with practice. Start by repeating these steps for 60 seconds, and increase it to 5, 10, 15 minutes, or however long you can manage it. The longer the duration, the better your stress relief. 2. Listening to music you like, or a warm shower before going to bed can also help. 3. Sometimes watching a sitcom on TV can help you unwind.

Answer 4

What triggers you to go on the down swing? Do you even enjoy your job? Do you feel valued at your job, or do you just go in every day to make the much needed paycheck? I am not saying for you to go off the meds, it's just that I spent 5 years of my life living bipolar and I never got any help-I don't trust doctors either. I researched the lot of mental disorders and bipolar wasn't the only thing I could have been diagnosed with. But my life was not conducive to staying in between wanting to kill myself and being manic- my life was making me crazy. Perhaps it may help you to look around you to see just what triggers you, and cut it out of your life. You can get yourself under control, if you really want(and I do stress REALLY want) to be in control of your life. Who controls you if you don't? Certainly not a chemical imbalance, then you are letting your body control you, not your mind, and that puts you in the same boat as people who can't kick a drug addiction. They let their body control what they do. Again, I don't want to make it seem like I think you should go off your meds, but they may hinder your ability to clearly see what problems may need to be addressed in your life. Demand a good therapist, one who will listen and ask you the good questions that will kick-start you into being in control of your life, without meds.

Answer 5

You need to ask you Doctor to prescribe the medicine, "Lithium"
The only side effects are being thirsty. One rule while taking Lithium is to drink a good amount of water. You will absolutely feel balanced and very stable. The medicine is like a "quiet calm" because you feel relaxed. You may also need a seperate sleep aid. Ask you doctor about a medicine that's strictly for sleeping. Kay ?

Answer 6

Hi ...
For a very good general source of information on BD, you can go to the website of the National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm... This site provides background information on" BD" as well as very readable discussions of medications for this condition... Another good source is:" the booklet".. put out by NIMH (NIH Publication No. 02-3679), which answers many common questions about bipolar disorder... Detailed information on medication, as well as many other issues, may be found in the new book, "Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers", by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey & Michael B. Knable...

Finally, you can find out a great deal about BD and its treatment--including psychosocial treatments, which are important adjuncts to medication--at the website for what was called the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (NDMDA), and is now called the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (http://www.dbsalliance.org or call 800-826-3632).

Remember, though, that your doctor is usually the best source of information on what treatment is right for you!!!

I wish you, the best of luck, with it!!! ...

My regards!!

Answer 7

Please do everyone around you a favor and get back on meds. Go to a psychiatrist who specializes in manic depression, but get help.

My neighbor is bipolar. She doesn't take her meds because she can't always afford them. Instead, she has a 14 year old who has tried to kill himself twice because he claims mom is unbearable to live with and his dad plain doesn't care. She screams and yells at her children all the time. She wrote off her son's appendicitus as the stomach flu. I told her that she needed to get him to the ER. She called me all kinds of names and still refused. I wound up driving him myself against her wishes. Turned out his appendix had ruptured two days earlier and instead of being thankful, she proceeded to call me more names for being right. Meanwhile, the hospital called child services for neglect. The kid spent almost two weeks in the hospital because the infection had spread so badly. That's what I've seen of bipolar and definitely think meds are needed EVERY time!!!

Answer 8

you know you need the meds and you better go get them. what does your perception of kickbacks have to do with keeping your job? Focus on the real issue and don't get sidetracked.

Answer 9

One major help is exercise....especially cardio...begin with maybe 5 mins a day...I know it's very difficult to get on a treadmill with a nasty morning mood but believe me, if you stick through the 5 mins it's pretty damn worth it....

Answer 10

Tell them to try you on different meds. Don't stay off your meds.