'I can't do this anymore, this depression is unbearable'.
One of my clients has bipolar disorder and I noticed that when she has extreme states of mania that would pretty much always follow with extreme states of depression.
Dealing with such lows are extremely difficult and almost impossible. Doing anything is difficult and almost impossible. The brain is so exhausted and can't read, meditate or even watch Love Island.
I realised that dealing with such lows, and making them more bearable, in fact, making yourself highly functioning despite having bipolar, meant managing the manic, extremely high-energy phases.
Nature requires balance. We have summer and we have winter, we have night and day, we have loud noise and silence, and we have love and hate. However, people with bipolar have it a bit more extreme than the average person. If you don't have bipolar, you experience life going from summer to autumn which eases you into winter and then spring slowly warming you up to the sunny months. If you do have bipolar, you will experience Summer in South Africa followed by Winter in Siberia, sometimes every other day. So this means that you have to naturally induce spring and autumn onto yourself, with practices that I will mention later in this article, in order
This means you have to put in the work, every day. Some people might read this and say, well that's unfair, why should I have to work hard? Well, why are you running away from work? Everything is hard work. Poor mental health is hard work and good mental health is hard work- choose your hard work.
You see, this might even be a blessing in disguise. Imagine this: you hit rock bottom and feel like you don't want to live like this anymore. These lows and highs are just so unbearable that you can't imagine living another day knowing the depression will be as bad as the last time. So, you start practising these ancient mindfulness teaching, every single god damn day. So, you build self-discipline, self-will and self-integrity. These practices literally help you take the reigns over your own mind, allow you to master your emotions, and that means the very universe you live in, you connect yourself to cosmic consciousness and access akashic records that enable you to draw information from the very source of creation allowing you to literally transform your reality into anything you want. You start to create the career of your dreams because anything is in your grasp, you attract people into your life that help you grow and you build beautiful, harmonious relationships with them... you have literally become the best version of yourself. So, who's winning now? So, I hope you use this to your advantage and start practising some of these...
Cosmic Keys To Bipolar: During Manic (Non-Depressive) Phases
Pick one of these every day...
Yin Yoga. Yoga is an age-old Eastern discipline that involves deliberate, slow movements and positions to free up the energy flow. You can obtain a profound sensation of tranquility through yoga when combined with focused breathing.
Action Step: Go to a Yin Yoga class or find a youtube video titled 'Yin Yoga'. I personally love Boho Beautiful. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYiV4ztPVu0
Meditation. In short, it's focusing on being present. Do not let the simplicity of meditation fool you -> it will unlock truths that you will never be able to find in books for it is forbidden to write about them… what are you waiting for *wispers* turn the lock.
Action Step: Put a timer on for 5-10 minutes and sit in silence, focusing on your breathe or heartbeat to bring you back into the present moment. For beginners: find a guided meditation on youtube or an app like headspace.
Mindfulness. People who practice mindfulness are better able to manage their anxious, racing thoughts and instead put their attention on the here and now. You now give non-judgmental recognition to feelings and sensations.
Action Step: Put a timer on for 5-10 minutes and focus on doing 1 thing. Perhaps that's making tea or looking at a painting or going for a walk.
Breathwork: Stress causes us to breathe more shallowly. To immediately alleviate symptoms of anxiety or approaching mania, concentrate on breathing. Anywhere, at any moment, you can use deep breathing techniques.
Action Step: Go to a breathwork class or find one, again, for free, on youtube.
Acupuncture. A different age-old treatment, acupuncture, can assist in unblocking the body's energy flow. This is accomplished by placing tiny needles in specific locations, which can result in a calm mental state.
Action Step: Go to an acupuncturist.
Massage. Muscle tension in the body is relieved by massage. This causes a deep state of relaxation and discharges pollutants.
Action Step: Go get a massage or give yourself a massage.