If you are struggling with bipolar disorder, you may already be familiar with its unique challenges. It begins with correct diagnosis and acceptance. Once those have been navigated, bipolar disorder help often becomes a more fluid process. One of the most important feats to accomplish will be to adapt and improve your self-awareness and approach to life and relationships.
This means recognizing and addressing the many symptoms inherent to the disorder successfully. That said, your bipolar disorder may sometimes make you feel like you've “lost” yourself. This feeling is disruptive, but it needn't be a point of shame. It is, though, something to manage and mitigate. Here's how:
Understanding How Bipolar Disorder Can Make You Lose Yourself
Bipolar disorder can skew your perception of reality. In depressive phases, it may feel impossible to imagine feeling "normal", happy, or fulfilled again. Conversely, during a manic phase, you may perceive yourself as being more productive, creative, and energetic than ever before. Those extremes make staying grounded and stable tough.
The people around you or in touch with you even may express concern about what they see as erratic or reckless behavior. Can you be your own bipolar disorder help when BP has you feeling so lost? Yes! However, it is crucial that you learn as much as possible about your condition and what works for you. Understanding BP can make it feel far more manageable. The following ideas are a good place to start:
Bipolar Disorder Help: 6 Ways to Come Back When You Lose Yourself
1. Practice Self-care & Stress Management
As a general rule, taking care of yourself is the key to functioning well. Thus, finding peace and stability after losing your grip on them is firmly rooted in self-care and stress management. Brain research shows that high amounts of stress adversely affect areas of the brain's prefrontal cortex. This region of the brain regulates emotions and impulses. It's no wonder that good decision making and problem-solving are impacted negatively. To restore balance, it's important to very consciously engage a care routine for yourself.
The first beneficial self-care step? Acceptance. Soothe and strengthen your mind and body with self-compassion. Quiet yourself internally with a willingness to acknowledge where you are and forgive yourself. Freeing yourself up this way may not come easily. Reach out to your therapist if you need help here. From there, these practical, daily means of stress management are helpful:
Healthy Routines Matter
Get back to the basics of healthy balance. Eat, sleep, and work on a set schedule. Pay close attention to nutrition and hydration. Also, set an uncomplicated but organized schedule for exercise, medication, and therapy that you will adhere to and easily monitor. More importantly, don't neglect time for relaxation, and meditation. Hobbies and social time are vital too. Structuring your life in ways that benefit you leaves less space for losing yourself and offers security and stability when you need to find your feet. Look for ways to intentionally and productively remind yourself that you are capable of restoring the healthy order your mind, body, and life require.
2. Reflect, Record & Review
One of the best individual ways to track your feelings, thoughts, and behavior? A journal.
Journaling on Your Own
Keep careful records to help monitor your mental and emotional experience. Charting what you recall can help you notice recurring or shifting symptoms, notice helpful or unhelpful responses, and highlight areas of hope and Improvement. Your journal will also be helpful during therapy sessions.
Review Your Relapse with Others
With the help of nonjudgmental supporters and your therapist, your journal can allow for more objective perspectives and feedback. Identifying key problems during your bipolar episode together, you can work on ideas for effective prevention and de-escalation as a team.
3. Do Not Isolate: Reach Out, Communicate, Educate
Time alone to reflect can be good. Too much time alone can lead to depressive episodes. Schedule some solo time but do not let it become your default setting. Coming back to reality is supported by the grounding effect of trusted people.
There are fewer opportunities to lose yourself when you have help with interpreting and sorting out your feelings. Most of all, keep in mind that severe mood shifts can encourage you to disconnect and cause misunderstandings in your relationships. Educating loved ones, coworkers and other connections about bipolar disorder is beneficial.
4. Take Time to Make Amends
Consider a well-organized letter that clearly expresses your thoughts and apologies. The goal here is not to demand or even expect forgiveness. You honor your own emotional healing process and theirs by leaving that up to them. Instead, focus on being sincere, authentic, and empathetic to their needs...something you likely could not offer during your episode.
5. Take Tech Breaks
Reality can become overwhelming given the digital bombardment our devices throw at us. Protect your return to yourself by protecting your perceptions and sifting your influences. Balance with your internet engagement and real-world interactions for the sake of clarity.
6. Focus on Your Future
Feeling ready to "come back" to yourself isn't necessarily a linear process. Losing yourself involves extreme mood swings that can make getting back into the swing of normal life confusing. As you are taking note of your stress levels, internal reactions, and reflections, consider how your life is really working for you. Perhaps a change for the better is in order. In other words, consider that losing yourself may have highlighted a need to come back to more supportive, fulfilled daily life and set of aspirations. Is there growth you can glean from your episode? How can you move on positively and purposefully?
Finally, Please Ask for Bipolar Disorder Help
Don’t let disappointment, embarrassment, or shame get in the way of your recovery and growth. You can play a major role in your own recovery. However, this is not a license to go it alone. You are not alone. Or permanently lost. You can come back to yourself and create the life you want. Please consider therapy soon, an experienced professional will support you and guide you back to a calmer, safer place in your own body and mind.
Reach out for a free consultation and we’ll figure this out together .
Learn more about Bipolar Treatment in CO. Serving Boulder, Longmont, Denver.
For your other needs, you can count on April Lyons Psychotherapy Group, to help you heal and grow through EMDR therapy, somatic therapy, trauma therapy, and PTSD treatment – because we believe in your strength and potential for recovery.
