Self-Care for Bipolar Depression

Similar to the list for Self-Carefor Hypomanic Episodes, this is the one I use for depression. Some entries are exactly the same, but they work differently here.

Self-Care Strategies for Bipolar Depression

Tell someone what’s going on. Verbalizing it makes it real and lets you know you’re not alone.

Stick to the routine. The routine will get you out of bed. The routine will get you fed and showered. Let the routine take care of you.

Try caffeine. If you aren’t addicted to caffeine and it still has the effect of giving you a little jolt, sometimes it can help. Be sure you aren’t in a mixed episode first though.

Avoid stressors. Fuck em.

Distract, distract, distract. My go-to is streaming. I save a few favorite shows for the shittiest of times. Some people find more comfort in rewatching. Maybe your go-to is music, drawing, reading, video games. Whatever you can hand your brain over to for safe keeping, do that.

Limit social media. Funny memes? Sure. Doom scrolling? Nope.

Get out of the house. Maybe this is just going outside and feeling the sun/rain/breeze on your skin. Maybe it’s going for a walk or visiting a friend.

Be aware of unrealistic negative thoughts. This is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Watch out for overgeneralization, catastrophizing, diminishing the positive. Practicing mindfulness on the good days will help grow this awareness on the bad ones.

Remind yourself that this is temporary. Try to remember times that didn’t feel bad. This one is tricky for rapid cyclers, because yes, it’s temporary, but we know it will be back and possibly soon. The days in between are still there though, and still worth it.

Have an emergency plan for suicidal ideation. If you have suicidal thoughts, don’t pretend they aren’t important. Tell someone, and if you have some kind of emergency prescription, like a benzo, take it. Don’t wait.

If that isn’t enough to put those thoughts back in their box, have a list of emergency contacts and use it. Include: someone who can come sit with you or who will stay in a chat with you; your psychiatrist’s number and answering service number; your therapist; and crisis hotline numbers (more than one in case you encounter busy signals or long holds). Stay alive.

We’ll have to talk more about suicide another time. For now, I hope this information gives at least a couple people a jumpstart into tailoring similar lists that will help them when they most need it.

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