The last couple of years I’ve been living with bipolar disorder. I have no problem at all talking about it openly. In fact it’s more or less a necessity for keeping my friends and job. I had a pretty rough variant for a while but I’ve learned a few tricks for keeping it under control, and even though I am on medication it’s the modifications in my daily behaviour that keeps me going.
This generation has a lot more mental issues (I don’t know the PC but you know what I mean) than those preceding it. Katelyn John recently wrote an article called Generation V; for vulnerable dealing with that subject, but even with the bare eye it’s fairly easy to spot the trend.
I thought I’d share some of my experiences on how to make life easier with this diagnosis. Please note that these are my personal habits and methods. Some of them may be universal but you should show discretion in following any advise I give here.
Look beneath the cut for the full list.
Get professional help.
Do get in touch with a psychologist or failing that, at the very least your physician. Why you should get a psychologist should be self-explanatory but I strongly believe you should also involve your physician in the matter. The reasons for this are manifold. First off is that it’ll help you keep your job. At least in Norway it’s illegal to fire anyone for having sick leave, no matter how long or frequent, but a physician is also allowed to prescribe medication. I’ll deal with the somewhat touchy issue of medication further down in this post. It’s vital to get a psychologist and a physician with whom you have a good chemistry. A lousy doctor gives a poor result and can in a worst case scenario make your problem worse. Shop around until you find the right ones for you.
Consider medication.
The subject of medication seems frightening to many. Bipolar disorder in many cases affects creatives and the prospect of ‘flattening’ your emotions is no walk in the park. There are however several medicines that doesn’t do this. The there are those that only take away your dangerous ‘peaks’ and even those that’ll only affect your depression and not the hypomania that makes you creative and productive. Discuss the matter with your physician and find the right solution for you.
Be honest about it.
The days when having a condition was a shameful and looked upon as a weakness are pretty much over (at least, again, in Norway). Being up front about your disease to your friends, and significantly your employer, will make people understand that you are not just uninterested in keeping in touch or performing at work and will save you a lot of guilt-trips, apologies and distress. Not in the least be honest with your psychologist and physician. If you modify the truth you’ll have a lot less results from the help you’ll get.
I’ve changed jobs a number of times in the years I’ve had these problems (always by choice and for different reasons) and I’ve always made a point of pointing out my condition before accepting a job offer. Firstly I’ll point out that a work place where people have no understanding and aren’t willing to make allowance for my problems, for example by allowing me to work from home in periods, is a place I wouldn’t want to work. Secondly I’ll mention that I have yet to meet an employer that hasn’t gladly accepted this.
(Disclaimer: Work is probably more plentiful in Norway than other places, and my particular line of work makes it easy to work from home. See what you can do in your own situation.)
Learn to recognize the symptoms of depression and (hypo)mania and act accordingly.
In both states it’s easy to make poor decisions and lose yourself in the respective emotional extremes. If when you feel it approaching be careful with drugs and/or alcohol. Most of these mind-altering substances will strengthen the impact of your condition and may cause you to act irrationally.
Make allowances for you particular needs when feeling the onslaught approach. Whatever your technique it’ll not only weaken the impact, but also the length of the period in which you are incapacitated in whatever degree you experience it.
Educate yourself .
Did you know that two schools of thought exist about bipolar disorder’ One of them claim that the condition is purely psychological while the other believe it is because of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Read about it on the internet and/or in books. Don’t take anything at face value but see what other people have said and what theories exist.
Educate your friends, significant other and family.
Other people don’t feel what you feel and may in many cases have difficulties understanding what you’re going through. Don’t belittle your condition and don’t make it more dramatic than it is. If you need time alone when depressed, say so. If you get easily irritated, explain that it is not at all personal and they should not feel that you care less about them. However your condition affects you try to explain it and how you’d ideally would like to be treated.
Don’t despair. It probably won’t last forever.
In most cases bipolar disorder affects people in their twenties. This is not at all exclusive, and I don’t mean to belittle those that live with this in later stages of life. One of my better friends acquired the condition in his late thirties. My point is that no matter what your age, your way of dealing with it in your daily life will give positive results to the extent that after a while, maybe a few years maybe ten, the condition tend to grow weaker and in many cases disappear. If you are on medication do not in any situation stop taking your medicines on your own. When you feel ready discuss the matter with your physician and make a plan for how you gradually quit taking your medication.
There it is. Again remember; This article discusses my personal experiences so don’t (as I advised earlier) take it at face value. If any of this helps any one of you in any way I feel it’s served it’s purpose.
Edit: Whenever I say ‘physician’ in this article, substitute it for ‘physician / psychiatrist’. The latter of the two is also competent to prescribe medication and may well have more insight in psychopharma.
