The first time someone comes to our support group, they are either newly diagnosed or have been diagnosed for some time, but have been unable to manage their illness or their life.  Either way, they come to the group in search of answers to their problems.  They are desperate to understand the diagnosis and find hope with a better understanding of the illness through the support of others with bipolar.  Many look for a “magic pill” that will make everything miraculously better.  The fact of the matter is, we are all looking for that “magic pill”, bipolar disorder or not.  There are no “magic pills”.  Just like everyone in this world, the path to good physical and mental health is paved with self-awareness, knowledge, and consistency.  This is a process and does not happen over night, nor is it taught in one session of a support group.  Some choose to take responsibility for themselves and come every week to Bipolar Insights group others come and go.  Those who choose to stay, learn how they can manage their bipolar illness and change their lives for the better.  These people apply to their lives, the lessons that are taught every week and obtain a new set of tools to help them through life and to manage their illness. 

There are four main tools we utilize to manage bipolar disorder.
Medication
Self-awareness
Journaling
Support

MEDICATION
Medication affords those with bipolar the opportunity to manage their lives.   It is essential to the health and well being of those with bipolar disorder.  Bipolar disorder is a progressive illness; every episode is followed by an increasingly worse episode.  This is the reason it is vital to maintain a semblance of balance.  Balance does not mean a constant mood with no ups and down, but rather a mood where the ups and downs are not extreme.  Those with bipolar disorder are privileged to have a verity of medications available.  Medication is the only means we have to stop the episodes of mania and depression.

There are four types of medications prescribed to treat bipolar disorder:
Mood stabilizers
Anti-psychotics
Anti-depressants
Sleeping aids

It is understandable to have reservations about being dependent on medication for the rest of your life, yet medication is your best friend. Medication should be embraced with knowledge.

SELF-AWARENESS
Self- awareness allows you to distinguish between your bipolar disorder, personality, behavior, and dysfunction.  This is crucial, because when you explain your symptoms to your psychiatrist, you have to be able to differentiate what are actual symptoms of bipolar disorder and what are other issues.  Personality, behavior, and dysfunction affect your bipolar disorder, so you must  “know” yourself in order to make the distinction.

All behavior problems are not created because you have bipolar disorder.  There are many factors that make up who you are.  Being self-aware helps you to work on each area of your life, in order to manageable it.  You are a unique individual, special and perfect in everyway. No one has the ability to “know” you as you know yourself.  So use it to your benefit.  Use it to be the best you.

JOURNALING
Journaling is your “witness”.  It is an indispensable tool, due to the fact that bipolar disorder is a “moment –by-moment” illness.  Therefore, keeping track of the level (see level chart) of your moods on a daily basis, throughout the day is of the utmost importance.  When you visit your psychiatrist without a journal, you can only report your mood at that moment.  With a journal however, you have a record of all your mood levels, every day.  Armed with the knowledge of your mood levels over a period of time, your psychiatrists are better equipped to medicate you properly, you can predict your cycles, and you can catch your changing moods, before you get to the point of crisis.