Introduction
Today is World Bipolar Day. I wanted to write a blog about my experience with bipolar to help others that have mental health challenges know that aren’t alone but with a pandemic going it might be more helpful to gives some insight into how that effects someone with mental health challenges and how they can take care of themselves and their friends can help. I know this pandemic is effecting everyone’s mental health but it can prove to be even more challenging with for someone with bipolar disorder.
As we all get used to “social distancing” (because as far as I can tell people are not doing while out in public) it feels more like social isolation, like being trapped in a prison. Most of that prison is just located in my own mind (or is it). I did make a song to help make the thoughts swirl around instead of stick around to the tune of the bus goes round and round, the thoughts in my head go round and round, round and round. Try to get that out of your head now that you have read it.
Now as we all adjust to working from home as well, something I’ve been doing since June, not much has changed there except I’m used to having volunteer work or church activities or user group meetings to go after work and on the weekends. In other words, in person contact with people. Isolation is something someone with a mental health condition does when they are having issues anyway and now I can just naturally do it and no one notice if I spiral out of control. People can text all the want but I can just say I’m fine or doing the best I can and those are acceptable answers given the situation for everyone, but coming from someone with bipolar or other mental health conditions may need from further probing to make sure they really are OK.
People with bipolar react strongly to stress and it can cause them to have episodes. Have we had anything more stressful than a pandemic come since 9/11? A dump of thoughts in my head:
- What about all the kids stuck at home with bad home lives with school as a refuge
- All the people unemployed
- All the people that will have to choose to go off their meds to pay for food or rent
- Foster children now not getting visits with family members
- Abused domestic partners with no escape now that are at home all the time without work as a refuge
- All the people who are sick and the ones who have died and their families
- The fact that the suicide hotline calls are up 300%
I’m blessed to not have anything to personally worry about, I’m worried about the whole world though. I do trust God to take care of things but can’t stop my anxiety levels from going up and my thoughts from swirling. Or depression from setting in with some helps from my medical professionals.
Things I Can Control/Do
- Reaching out to understanding friends that won’t have to talk about the virus.
- Staying off social media and the news.
- Get enough sleep (sort of in my control).
- Get some exercise.
- Sticking to a routine.
- Making sure I take my medication.
- Talking to my mental health professionals if I’m in a crisis.
Things You Can Do To Help Someone You Know
- Give them a call and check on them. Maybe even a video call. A nice friendly voice or face might brighten their day.
- Listen to them non-judgmentally. Yes, everyone is in a pandemic, but their brain is wired differently than 97.5% of the population if they are bipolar.
- Have compassion, not pity.
- Please don’t compare what they are going through with what anyone else is going through. This is their pain, and the way they are feeling is most likely different to the person you are comparing them to.
- Check to be sure they are taking their meds and talking to their mental health professionals if needed.
Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash