Bipolar Disorder may be one of the most difficult and heartbreaking mental illnesses one can be diagnosed with – both for the person and for loved ones. It rocks your world more than the strongest magnitude earthquake ever could. But the similarities between Bipolar Disorder and an earthquake are quite similar: it is uncontrolled, it is abrupt, and it can cause destruction. But when you’re first diagnosed, no one tells you that and you feel like the world crumbling around you is completely your fault, when in fact, it’s not at all.
1. Having Bipolar Disorder is not your fault
This mental illness cannot be controlled, so what makes you think that you brought it upon yourself? The cause of Bipolar Disorder is (as far as doctors know) a lace in genetics and an upset and imbalance in three brain chemicals: serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. Since you cannot control your DNA or the way your body produces and uses chemicals in your body, there is no way you could have “controlled” having Bipolar Disorder. It is not your fault.
2. Living with bipolar disorder is manageable with the right tools
Whether you take medications or are medicated by nature, there are ways to cope with Bipolar. One thing I wish I was told during my diagnosis is that the only way to live peacefully with Bipolar Disorder is to treat it – and treat it often and with kid gloves. Your mood and your mental health is the most important thing and you shouldn’t do anything to compromise that. Your health comes before work, school, relationships, and so much more, but if you don’t accept that, then the results you see won’t be pretty. Take time for yourself and do stuff you love. Spend time outdoors, read a book, color, pet an animal… Do whatever makes you happy. You will be surprised at how far this will go and how much it will treat your mood in a positive way.
3. Your mood swings will be unexpected
This is part of the illness. There is no getting around it and no stopping it. But know exactly that. When you have a depressed episode, it’s not you. When you have a manic episode, it’s not you. When you have an anger episode, it is not you. I cannot stress enough that the symptoms that come with Bipolar Disorder do not represent you as an individual.
4. You will need someone to talk to
Therapy is one of the most effective ways to keep your moods in check. If it’s twice a week or twice a month, make sure you always have someone to talk to – even if it’s not a certified therapist. It could be a family member, a friend, a coworker, or a teacher. One of the worst things you can do is bottle up everything you feel not only during your episodes but after them as well. The aftermath is never fun to look at, but it’s easier if you can talk it out with someone you trust and someone that will always be there for you.
5. You will struggle but you can choose to not be defined
It is so easy to get wrapped up in making your illness your identity. You will very likely struggle with Bipolar Disorder for the rest of your life but that doesn’t mean that that’s all you are. You are more than an illness. You are more than a chemical imbalance. You are more than the things that you cannot control. I won’t lie to you - dealing with the news of this life-changing diagnosis will completely rock your world. But there’s no need to take time and figure out which size earthquake you had on the Richter scale. It won’t be easy to accept, at times, it’s challenging to treat, and even more often, your swings throw you insanely off guard. But don’t tell yourself that you ARE Bipolar. YOU are not an illness. YOU are a person. A person who matters. And never let whatever you may struggle with get in the way of that.
