{"id":10823,"date":"2021-06-02T11:16:36","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T04:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illume-emag.com\/?p=10823"},"modified":"2021-06-20T11:23:03","modified_gmt":"2021-06-20T04:23:03","slug":"10-ways-to-manage-anxiety-when-you-have-bipolar-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/10-ways-to-manage-anxiety-when-you-have-bipolar-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways to manage anxiety when you have bipolar disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0Right now, anxiety is an all-too-common occurrence as we collectively worry about the future, our health, and the health of our loved ones. And although anxiety can be on a spectrum from feeling anxious to having a diagnosable disorder, either one can trigger mood episodes, such as mania and depression, in people with bipolar disorder, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains.<\/div>\n
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\u201cFor individuals with bipolar disorder, sometimes high levels of stress and anxiety can make it that much harder to maintain a stable and good mood,\u201d Trisha Chakrabarty, M.D., assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, tells SELF.<\/div>\n
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Some days are harder than others, but you can try to manage anxiety so your emotions don\u2019t become overwhelming, explains Mona Potter, M.D., medical director at the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program. Ultimately, the following strategies won\u2019t eliminate your stress, but they can make anxiety easier to handle when you have bipolar disorder.<\/div>\n
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1. Find a mentally consuming distraction.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Anxiety can make you jump from point A to point Z very quickly, according to Rachel Guerrero, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at NYU Langone Health. Let\u2019s say you read a story about the high number of COVID-19 cases in your state and start worrying that you\u2019ll get sick. You might start to think that your entire family will get sick. From there, you might wonder if everyone you know will get severely sick. Catastrophizing, or thinking about the worst possible outcome, only introduces more stressful scenarios. \u201cIt puts you at risk for a mood episode,\u201d Dr. Guerrero tells SELF.<\/div>\n
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When anxiety-provoking thoughts run through your head, Dr. Guerrero recommends distracting yourself with a task that requires some focus. Depending on how you do it, this can actually count as mindfulness. \u201cPeople often have the assumption that if I\u2019m doing mindfulness I\u2019m sitting calmly\u2014that is a misconception,\u201d she explains. You can be mindful while riding a bike, taking a shower, painting your nails, or any number of activities that you enjoy, she explains. If you take a shower, for instance, think about how the soap and water feel on your skin. Notice if you prefer the sensation of warm or cold water on your face.<\/div>\n
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2. Do your best to follow a routine.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u201cFor people who struggle with anxiety, you want to reduce the multitude of decision points in a day by creating structure,\u201d Dr. Guerrero says. She recommends that, to the best of your ability, you designate times to do things like eat, sleep, exercise, and enjoy yourself.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Hammering all of this out can help you feel more in control at a time when control is generally lacking\u2014a classic anxiety coping mechanism. But this kind of self-care routine can also make it easier to maintain habits that help you avoid mood episodes. For example, poor sleep increases your risk of mood episodes, especially mania, which is why experts typically advise people with bipolar disorder to try to go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, says Dr. Guerrero. \u201cFor someone with bipolar disorder, this is treatment,\u201d she says.<\/div>\n
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3. Schedule 15 minutes a day to write down your worries.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Speaking of routines, Dr. Guerrero recommends giving yourself 15 minutes a day to write about your stresses. To avoid spiraling while you do this journaling, you can focus on writing worry statements instead of ruminations, SELF previously reported. A worry statement includes a beginning and an end, whereas rumination goes around in a circle. For example, worry statements might be something like: I\u2019m worried about losing my job because of the pandemic. If I lose my job, then I won\u2019t be able to pay rent. If I can\u2019t pay rent, then I\u2019ll have to move in with my family. Rumination sounds more like: I\u2019m worried that I\u2019ll lose my job, and if I lose my job, then I can\u2019t pay rent. If I can\u2019t pay rent I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ll do. I just cannot lose my job. How will I pay rent?<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s helpful for some people to even write out possible solutions to their worries, too, Dr. Guerrero says. Either way, designating this worry time might mean that when you notice an anxious thought taking hold in your brain, you can more easily stop yourself and say, \u201cNope, it\u2019s not time for that now. I\u2019ll think about this later,\u201d Dr. Guerrero says. \u201cThe more you do this the better you get at redirecting your mind away from that spiral of anxious thoughts,\u201d she says. You can even set a timer to keep yourself on track.<\/div>\n
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4. Learn to relax your muscles.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Sometimes people notice that their necks or shoulders tighten up when they feel anxious. This is just one of the ways your body reacts to stress, according to the University of Michigan Medical School. If you identify with this feeling, then trying out progressive muscle relaxation can help relieve bodily tension. The practice involves first tensing a muscle or group of muscles while focusing on your breathing. Some people prefer to clench one big muscle at a time, while others like to focus on several muscles at once or start at their toes and move up their body, says Dr. Potter. The main thing is you want to breathe in and tighten your muscles at the same time. Try to do this slowly so the entire process takes about 5 to 10 seconds, Dr. Potter explains. Then breathe out and relax your muscles at the same time. It might seem counterintuitive to make yourself feel tense in order to relieve stress, but the practice can help you be more mindful of physical sensations as you release tension and notice the differences between feeling relaxed versus tense, according to the Mayo Clinic.<\/div>\n
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5. List five things you can see.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Turn your focus outward and list five objects you can see the next time your mind becomes overwhelmed, Dr. Chakrabarty suggests. Then acknowledge four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This 5-4-3-2-1 practice can help you focus on the present instead of any anxious thoughts, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. You can do this even in the most ordinary environment, like your bathroom. For example, you might say, \u201cI feel the cool tiles under my feet, but if I shift to the right I now feel my old bath mat instead. Wow, I never noticed how plush the rug feels under my feet.\u201d<\/div>\n
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6. Create a self-soothe kit in a less anxious moment.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Dr. Potter likes for her patients to create a self-soothe kit full of calming techniques. She calls this the \u201ccope ahead\u201d method because you\u2019re thinking about how to manage your emotions before anxiety sets in. It might be helpful to think about using strategies that bring attention to each of your available senses, she says. If listening to Destiny\u2019s Child triggers happy memories, then you can create a playlist with their songs, and other mood-lifting music, on your phone. Or maybe you always think about baking cookies with your family whenever you smell vanilla. You could carry a vial of perfume or essential oil reminiscent of the nostalgic scent. It\u2019s a good idea to include as many strategies as possible. \u201cIf you try something and it doesn\u2019t work, then you\u2019ve got other choices,\u201d Dr. Potter tells SELF.<\/div>\n
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7. Challenge anxious thoughts with facts.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Challenging anxiety-inducing thoughts can be tough but ultimately really helpful sometimes. Maybe you\u2019re worried that brain fog is negatively impacting the quality of your work, and you can\u2019t find a way out from this line of thinking. \u201cSometimes no matter how much you try to challenge a thought you can still find a counter challenge,\u201d Dr. Potter says.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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If that happens, try looking for proof that a certain outcome you\u2019re worried about will actually occur. If you’re spiraling and thinking, I suck at work, and I might lose my job. I\u2019ll never find another job again because I\u2019m not employable, then you\u2019re catastrophizing. Stop and ask yourself what proof you have to support those thoughts. Maybe it\u2019s asking yourself a few questions like, \u201cHas my boss said that I\u2019m doing a bad job? What proof do I have that I\u2019ll never, ever find a job?\u201d You can also ask yourself if these anxious thoughts are helpful. Returning to the work example, stressing about making mistakes at work will only create more anxiety, which can lead you to making more mistakes. Instead, Dr. Potter suggests thinking about what you can control in a given situation. For instance, you can talk to your boss about how you\u2019re feeling, if you\u2019re comfortable with that. Or you might ask for feedback and direction on a specific project, or experiment with different kinds of to-do lists so you don\u2019t forget about important tasks.<\/div>\n
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8. Share your cope-ahead plan with someone in your inner circle.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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After months of physical distancing you may be getting Zoom fatigue, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should stop connecting with other people entirely. Dr. Guerrero says consistent social interactions are especially important for people with bipolar disorder who are prone to depression. \u201cYou have to be intentional about it because it\u2019s so easy to not do it,\u201d she says. This doesn\u2019t have to be a video chat if you\u2019re really over those\u2014it\u2019s more about the consistent connection than the form that connection takes.<\/div>\n
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Dr. Potter says it\u2019s even more helpful if you confide in a very close friend about your mental health. Ideally, you\u2019ll share your cope-ahead plan with this person, so they can remind you of your strategies when you need them. It\u2019s best if you can be concrete about what you want them to do when you ask for help. \u201cOftentimes we keep it kind of vague,\u201d Dr. Potter says. If you know that sleeping less and ruminating triggers your depressive episodes, then you might ask this person to encourage you to contact your therapist when this happens.<\/div>\n
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9. Limit your alcohol consumption.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Drinking may feel like a good way to dull your worries, but alcohol can directly trigger bipolar episodes, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you are worried about being seriously tempted to drink, you may want to avoid keeping alcohol in the house. If that\u2019s not realistic for you for whatever reason\u2014maybe you know you\u2019re still going to buy alcohol, or you live with someone who drinks a lot\u2014it might help to look for more specialized support if possible, either by talking to your therapist if you have one or checking out support groups, like Tempest, a membership-based sobriety group that can connect you with others who may have similar experiences with alcohol.<\/div>\n
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10. Know when to ask for help.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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You might need to use a few different strategies from your self-soothe kit to ground yourself. \u201cSometimes the emotion is really big, so it\u2019s going to take a few different things [to calm down],\u201d Dr. Potter says. She recommends trying three different skills to manage your anxiety. If you still feel anxious and are worried about triggering a mood episode, then you might want to reach out to your psychiatrist or psychologist if you have one. They could suggest changing your medication, trying a new medication, or incorporating more therapy sessions, depending on your situation.<\/div>\n
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We can\u2019t ignore the fact that getting help isn\u2019t easy right now. People are struggling financially, but there are a few potentially more accessible options, like reduced-fee therapy sessions. (You can find a therapist who offers sliding scale sessions on Open Path and Thero.org.<\/a>) Alternatively, the Health Resources & Services Administration database lists federally funded health centers that offer sliding scale or free care. Even joining an online support group, which connects you with others who can understand your specific concerns, may help you through this time. You can visit the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance for a list of groups in the U.S. These groups aren\u2019t a replacement for professional help, but they can help you feel less isolated. \u201cWe\u2019re all experiencing loss and grief on some level, in addition to fear and anxiety,\u201d Dr. Guerrero says. \u201cThere are a lot of intense emotions.\u201d And you might have an easier time dealing with this intensity with a little support.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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– According to self.com<\/a> –<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Right now, anxiety is an all-too-common occurrence as we collectively worry about the future, our health, and the health of our loved ones. And although anxiety can be on a spectrum from feeling anxious to having a diagnosable disorder, either one can trigger mood episodes, such as mania and depression, in people with bipolar disorder, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[761],"tags":[2490,5388,5812,2488],"class_list":{"0":"post-10823","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrity-buzz","8":"tag-illume-en","9":"tag-illume-e-mag-en","10":"tag-illume-e-magazine","11":"tag-illume-magazine"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}