Q & A: What Do You Do When You Have Mania And Depression In One Day?

Happy Sunday! It’s time for a Q & A. If you have any questions of your own, feel free to comment them below or email me at thebipolargamer25@gmail.com, and I’ll be sure to tag you in the post when your question is answered!

The question we have this week comes from Struggle and Strengths. They ask:

So I have undiagnosed bipolar. Right now it is just a mood disorder that is treated for bipolar. What do you do when your bipolar cycle goes crazy and you have mania and depression in one day? Those days are hard for me.

Being on 3 new medications, one of them being a stimulant, I do experience that good feeling that I associate with mania. This is the sudden surge of motivation. Once that motivation wears off, I’m left with feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, etc.

However, if we’re talking prior to the medication, I believe you’re referring to the brief period where the manic episode fades away and you spiral into the depressive episode. I have bipolar type 2, so my depressive episodes are much more intense and longer lasting than my hypomanic episodes.

These hypomanic episodes feel quite great but can have devastating repercussions sometimes. I’ve ruined friendships, gotten myself into financial hardships, and much more during these episodes. After it ends, what’s left? Depression, yes, but also guilt for whatever I just did.

You can’t exactly prevent the mania or depression from happening, but you can start to identify key symptoms that may give you a clue as to what is about to happen. If you can do that, you may be a little more cautious with what actions you take if that makes sense.

The most important thing, however, is to remember that whatever happens isn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself for whatever outcome you’re left with. Learn to forgive yourself and not be so hard on yourself.

Bipolar, like other mental health disorders, can be very challenging to live with. By recognizing this fact, you’ve already recognized that you’re stronger than you think for living with it. For that, be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.

Thanks for the great question!

Weekly Q & A

Thanks for reading this week’s Q & A! I intend on making weekly posts such as this one, but this is only possible with your help. So if you have any questions for me, I’d love to hear them!

Thank you all, and have a great day! 🙏

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