But being diagnosed with bipolar disorder does not have to mean that your life is over. In fact, with the right treatment, you can greatly minimize the effects of bipolar disorder to the point where you can start to live your life again.

What is bipolar disorder? Those with bipolar disorder have trouble controlling their moods. One day they are full of energy and creativity and nothing can get them down. Then a few days later they can’t get out of bed and feel depressed and overwhelmed. But it is much more serious than an up and down cycle. When they are on their up cycle (called a manic phase), they make poor decisions and exhibit a dangerous invincibility. And when they hit their low cycle (called a depressive phase), they can get so depressed that they start having thoughts of suicide.

Some common manic symptoms include:
• Increased arrogance
• Impulsive behavior
• Rage
• Sexual promiscuity

And some depression symptoms are:
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Having a hard time concentrating
• Lethargy
• Thoughts of suicide

If you see any of these symptoms in yourself or in someone you know, you may have bipolar disorder seek treatment.

The first step is always to see a doctor. Only a physician that specializes in this disorder will be able to tell you for sure if you have it. Bipolar disorder can be tricky to diagnose because of the variations between personalities and physiologies. That is why it is so important to see an experienced physician.

Medication is absolutely mandatory in your treatment plan. Bipolar disorder is a caused by a chemical imbalance in part of the brain. The medication acts to create a balance in those chemicals, making the mood swings more manageable. It allows the bipolar sufferer to be able to live a relatively normal life as long as they are on the medication. There still may be some episodes, but they will be much less frequent and not as severe.

The other piece to the treatment puzzle is therapy. Combining therapy with medication is by far the best way to treat bipolar disorder. The manic and depressive episodes are usually triggered by outside influences such as stress, lack
of sleep, and trauma. This is where the therapy comes into play. A professional therapist experienced in treating bipolar can help you structure your life in a way that will keep the episode at bay. He will also be able to give you strategies to use when you start feeling vulnerable to an episode.

Bipolar is a serious disorder. Left untreated, it can lead to addiction, seclusion and even death. But if the sufferer seeks professional help and keeps to his treatment plan, he can get control of his life again and begin to enjoy everything that life has to offer.

If you or a loved one is suffering from Bipolar Disorder, seek medical attention. Pasadena Villa is an Adult Residential Treatment Center that provides treatment for Bipolar Disorder patients. To learn more, contact us or call 877-845-5235.

The first step to ending depression is to radically alter your diet, especially when it comes to snacking. Cut out junk foods such as ice cream, snack cakes, candy bars, and potato chips, choosing instead healthy alternatives such  as fruit, nuts, raw veggies, and wheat toast with peanut butter. When you go out to eat, pick a place that sells soups and sub sandwiches, not greasy burgers and fries. Not only will this make you healthier, more confident, and more energetic, it will make you feel better about yourself in general, and it will give you something to focus on other than how depressed you are. If you already eat healthy, set other self esteem-building goals, such as finally reading Moby Dick or learning how to play the guitar.

Next up is exercise. When your favorite TV sitcom comes on, don’t rip open a package of corn chips, plop yourself down on the sofa, and watch that show, only to sit there for several more hours to watch the programs that follow. Rather, move your exercise bicycle (you do have one, don’t you?) in front of the set and get to pedaling. You can take a break or two to catch your breath, but keep riding until your show is over. Once the program ends, turn off the TV so you can do something else with your day other than the non-activity of participating vicariously in fictional peoples’ lives. Take a walk through the woods, shoot some hoops, or run around the block with your kids or best friend. In short, smell the fresh air, feel the sunshine on your skin, and get that blood to pumping.

Perhaps the best, most important way to back your life from the demon that is depression is to remove the focus from yourself and think about other, less fortunate, people. During the spring and fall, participate in a fun run to raise money for your favorite cause, be it breast cancer awareness, the battle against illiteracy, or the fight to end hunger. During the holiday season, ring a bell for the Salvation Army. When you see a homeless person on the street, offer to take him or her to a nearby restaurant for a hot, healthy meal. Rarely will you see someone actively engaged in helping others suffering from extended periods of undue sadness or deep, dark depression.

One of the most enjoyable, most rewarding things you can do to end your depression is to get involved in other peoples’ lives. Join a church, chess club, community group, or other organization that meets on a regular basis. This will get you out of the house and interested in people other than yourself, and it will bring laughter back into your life (any time there’s a gathering of people, even for relatively somber occasions, laughter is inevitable). If you stick with it enough, hanging in there until you find the social activity and group that you feel comfortable with, you will probably make some lifelong friends.

If, over the next few months, you try all of the above and find that nothing is working, you should probably seek counseling or treatment for your depression, preferably from a licensed psychologist or psycho therapist. There may be some deeply seeded reason for your depression, such a repressed memory that needs to be brought to the surface or some childhood trauma that you haven’t dealt with in a healthy, healing way. Whatever the case may be, there are lots of ways other than drugs to reclaim the happy you that surely resides somewhere inside that incredible vessel called the human body, which so many of us take for granted.

~Brett Weiss

At Pasadena Villa, we believe every person can live a happy, productive and healthy life and that every patient has the ability to learn, grow and recover. If you or someone you love is suffering from depression, seek help. Pasadena Villa is an adult residential treatment center specializing in  schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, asperger’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorders and more. We currently have two locations: Orlando, Florida & Smoky Mountain, Tennessee. For more information, contact us today. 877-845-5235.