Hi,<\/p>\n
I had someone write to me the other day. He has a wife who has bipolar disorder. And he was telling me something about how she\u2019s been acting. It sounded to me like she\u2019s been in a bipolar<\/p>\n
episode. She sure was exhibiting many of the signs and symptoms of one. And he was asking me for advice. But I\u2019m not a doctor, so I couldn\u2019t help him as far as diagnosis or anything like that. Many times, I talk to people about what to do to avoid going into a bipolar episode, like what triggers to avoid, and things like that. I even go into some things NOT to do\u2026Like NOT to stop taking your medications without talking to your doctor first, as that is really dangerous \u2013<\/p>\n
usually it will make you go into a bipolar episode, and you don\u2019t want that.<\/p>\n
But this man was talking about that, and was saying that he thought they\u2019d tried to do all the<\/p>\n
things you\u2019re supposed to do to avoid an episode\u2026But that maybe they hadn\u2019t avoided all the<\/p>\n
things you\u2019re NOT supposed to do\u2026So I thought maybe it would be a good idea to go over some of them here so that you\u2019d know about them too. You might even want to share this with your loved one.<\/p>\n
Like\u2026It\u2019s not good to\u2026Stop taking your bipolar medications without talking to your doctor first. It would be better to\u2026Discuss any side effects you\u2019re experiencing, or any desire to go off your medication for whatever reason, with your doctor, so they can help you.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Go to different doctors. It would be better to\u2026Find one doctor that you trust, and stick with them.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Drink alcohol, as it can mess with your bipolar medications. It would be better to\u2026Drink herbal tea instead, if you are feeling nervous, or otherwise desire to drink alcohol, or to drink soda if you are wanting to be social.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Take drugs, as they could interact in a negative way with your bipolar medications, and also leave you with a substance abuse disorder in addition to your bipolar<\/p>\n
disorder. It would be better to\u2026Deal with the issues in therapy that make you want to take drugs in the first place.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Eat lots of sugar or caffeine in your diet, as that can make you hyper, and also make you gain weight (which you have enough problems with, with your bipolar medications).<\/p>\n
It would be better to\u2026Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, as this will help you stay more stable and healthy physically.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Neglect your physical health. It would be better to\u2026Get regular physical check-ups, and to see your family doctor if you feel ill in any way physically, as well as to tend to any physical disorders in addition to your bipolar disorder, to keep yourself healthy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not good to\u2026Sit around the house all the time with nothing to do, or lay around in bed or on the couch, as this can lead to depression and\/or a bipolar depressive episode. It would be better to\u2026At least have a hobby or even a volunteer job, or at least be productive in some way, like having a To-Do List every day with tasks to complete on a daily basis so that you can feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
I had someone write to me the other day. He has a wife who has bipolar disorder. And he was telling me something about how she\u2019s been acting. It sounded to me like she\u2019s been in a bipolar<\/p>\n
episode. She sure was exhibiting many of the signs and symptoms of one. And he was asking me for advice. But I\u2019m not a doctor, so I couldn\u2019t help him as far as diagnosis or anything like that.<\/p>\n