Help and Support for Bi Polar 2

[jmgq]

I love when I am up and can do anything then all of a sudden with no notice, I turn into this mean person who snaps at everyone for no reason.  During that time, I withdrawal and get very depressed and isolated.  Can anyone relate and have any coping methods besides sleeping.

[pantone431]

Sounds familiar to me.  I am BP2 as well.  The pattern for me is a couple days to a week of heightened energy mixed with irritability followed by a few days of withdrawal, sadness and isolation - sometimes due to guilt for the hurt feelings I have caused or just from sheer fatigue.

I find it difficult to relax or sleep during the hypomanic stage, but if the irritability is  pronounced, I do isolate myself from family mostly to keep the situation to myself and not have the negative emotions spill over to them.  I also take Clonazepam 0.5mg to calm myself during those times and it works very well.  It helps me to relax and nap or sleep which helps to bring things back into perspective.

I avoid caffeine or reduce intake as that amplifies the irritability for me.  And I try to take a long walk if possible.

I think Insight Meditation can help as well but I am not very well practiced in this area.  I find it difficult to keep at it, but I think it offers the best potential for a drug-free way to cope if I can get there.  

[hell1971]

Having a routine and having to get up is the best coping stratagy for me, but at weekends when I dont have to be up I find myself crawling into bed all too easily, it is something I have to work on but I just cant help it, I feel like cr*p and I just want to go to bed. I know I am depressed when this happens not that that knowledge helps me, just know you are not alone and try and find a reason to get up and stay up, when I have done this I find this in itself can change my mood. good luck

[Xila31]

Having a routine is very important with bipolar, especially if you are not already on a schedule for work or school. When your depression gets to that place where you can't get out of bed and need to sleep 24/7, that's a good sign you should talk to your doctor and may need a med change or talk therapy, something to get you through it. I've been in that place a couple of times.

With my hypomania I have dysphoria instead of euphoria so I get very snappy with people and a bad attitude. I've also lost my ability to concentrate and confusion, so I think I get really frustrated really easy. I tend to snap at people. I keep my mood chart up to date so if I am feeling manic I know to try to watch for it. Sometimes it doesn't always work, I blow up at people, but then I know to appologize later and know it was my mood.

[pilgrim165]

I do that to still to this day. I try to cope with it by sleeping. The time passes. I know this is really hard but you have to try to try to stay awake and at the very least have a schedule of sleep and wake that is good for you.
I've managed that for about a year and the best things I find to keep me out of the bed are music, getting a massage, a bath, or shower. None of this makes me feel any better other than the fact that I am doing the basics of survival. I do the minimum but stay out of the bedroom.
Meditation is good and exercise is excellent if you can do it at that time.
I get some depressions when I cannot get out of bed, and if you can't you can't. Sometimes you cross that line and simply don't have the energy. I also recommend high EPA level (2g) fish oil as a supplement, I've found it very helpful in just allowing me to do the basics if I cannot do anything else.
I still withdraw and isolate but with the help of a therapist I am starting to try to curb those habits and try to reach out. Even if you can only get to the couch that's something. I don't know you're complete situation but don't give up and these things that happen are our bodies, you cannot get this done by willpower alone. You need to make a plan or goal for the day, or a couple, something easy and try to do that. But sometimes laying in bed is really all you can do, I know.
I hope I've been some help but look around, as you obviously are, for some advice, and just try whatever you can. Everyones different.

[vicky89]

I suffer from deppression and boarderline personality disorder.
I am very much like your self  snappy and very withdraing but i found writing poetry and running helped me alot but most of all talking to someone .
Also reading you fav mags or book .
Find something your good at and say to your self i can futher this i like taking pictures and i have got my self in to a course near the end of this year .
Doing all this made me feel really good .
I have been off all my pills for five months come this friday i still have my off days but i write my poems and read my books and take loads of picture i hope this helps you and if you need to talk about anything i am here.