Living Bipolar Read Online Free Page B

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    TRIGGERS
    Triggers with my mood have been difficult to identify, but through journaling my moods I have been able to notice patterns. For example, lack of sleep is one of my main triggers, because when I don’t get enough sleep I am more likely to get into a negative mood. Most of the medications I take are at night, and most of the medications I take make me tired. Therefore, if I don’t get enough sleep I am more tired the following day and more likely to get in bad a mood.
    Almost any stressful situation can trigger my mood, whether it’s financial, with relationships, or with work. A bad day at work can seemingly push me over the edge, therefore, I work on taking small breaks, focus on my breathing, not taking things personally and keeping things in perspective.
    A change in the seasons definitely affects my mood. In the Fall and Winter I get more depressed, and in the Spring I am more manic. Criticism by others can trigger me and send me into a tailspin. I am sensitive and at times I can take things personally, and if someone criticizes me it can send me into depression or anger. When I am in a relationship and I have a fight with the other person; it can either get me down or send me into mania. Also, being around negative people definitely has an effect on me. A negative person seems to drain my emotions.
    What I’ve learned is that triggers get me stuck in my head, and when I am in my head I am in my own way of moving forward and being happy. Triggers cause me to become obsessed with the problem, and when I am obsessed with the problem I project negatively, worry, I’m anxious and paranoid, and I have the tendency of falling apart, which then causes me to get down, angry, and feeling hopeless and helpless.
    Some medications have caused me to gain weight, and gaining weight and eating poorly can trigger my mood to where I get down and depressed. When I started to take Zyprexa I began to eat everything in sight, and I put on 25 pounds. Additionally, some of my night medications cause me to wake up and eat a lot of food at night. But through changing my diet I have lost all the weight I gained. I learned to eat smaller portions and healthy food.
    Knowing what triggers my mood has afforded me the opportunity to avoid stressful situations. Or if I find myself in a situation which triggers my mood, I work on keeping things in perspective and realize that I don’t have to get worked up in emotion and I work on slowing myself down mentally. But even being aware of what triggers me, does not mean that I don’t get triggered.
    Today I strive for consistency and routine. I struggle with depression more than anything else. I fall into depressions periodically throughout the year, and when I am depressed I lose sight of everything good in my life. But in changing how I live I have found that depression in my life today does not last as long as it as in the past. When I am depressed I work on being good to myself, and I take action in my recovery any way possible. I have learned that if I can push myself to exercise, or talk to other people, journal, mediate, or take a nap, it helps me with my mood. Taking a nap sometimes is the best thing for me, and sleeping can help to break my mood.
    Exercise in my life today is crucial. It provides me with stress relief, and working out is form of meditation. I listen to music and zone out. I find that most of the time when I workout, I am in the moment, and working out is a great mental break for me. I have a lot of nervous energy and working out provides an outlet for me. Working improves my mood and self-esteem, and usually it helps me sleep a lot better.
    EXERCISE
    Doing physical exercise is highly advisable for a person suffering from Bipolar disorder, but we must bear in mind that sports are highly stimulating, so it is best to practice sports during euthymia and still better, during a depressive phase even though one does not feel like it. On the other hand, it is