A depressive episode is serious. Knowing the subtle signs that an episode is imminent or in progress can help you make the best treatment decisions.
Most people can remember the famous line from the Disney movie, Snow White: “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
This line has taken on a slightly different meaning to me as I relate the phrase to my Bipolar I.
With the Halloween season in full swing, I thought it appropriate to discuss the mood swings—ups and downs, highs and lows, mania and depression—people with bipolar I experience.
The constant shifts can become tricky for the diagnosed to recognize. Mood swings within his or her self can be extreme or sometimes, slight then becoming extreme, if left untreated—so it’s important to recognize if you are yourself or wearing the “mask” of bipolar mania or depression.
For instance, I have been accustomed to having manic, psychotic, break-from-reality, episodes.
I was diagnosed in 2006, so I now realize, for me, it comes with the territory. I do my best to get help when I feel it coming on, and this has worked for me so far.
What I have not been accustomed to is the opposite extreme low, better known as a bipolar depressive episode.
So when a depressive episode did eventually creep up on me, I was not clear that it was actually there in the first place. I looked into the mirror every day as the months went by, and I thought I looked…pretty okay. Let’s just say, turns out, I was not!
The mirror on the wall had me convinced I was cool, calm and collected, but somehow my reflection was totally deceiving me because I was in the midst of a Bipolar Depressive Episode.
Talk about a scary mask! I am grateful that I was able to get the help I needed to get back to being my normal quirky self.
Below I share some of the telltale signs that can help determine if a depressive bipolar episode is unfolding. Getting help from a professional was necessary in my personal experience.
- Withdrawal from Activities that Normally Brought Me Pleasure: Hands down, I stayed in the house a bunch during this time. I love fresh air, so that was not like me at all.
- Isolating Yourself from Family and Friends. I told myself I just needed a break from people in general. I like meeting new people, especially under the right circumstances, but not hanging out with the ones I love, totally not me.
- Having a Very Short Temper. I had been doing my best to hold myself accountable and get help when I could during this time. So yelling and being angry over little tiny things and details just wasn’t adding up.
- Unexplainable Crying Spells. I cried A LOT during this time. I am a very empathetic person, so I cry whenever I feel something deeply. But the tear jar filled all the way up on multiple days during this time period, almost daily—now I know why.
Nobody is perfect, and everyone needs help every now and then—that’s part of what makes us human. I have learned to ask for and accept the help when it is needed and I have also learned to be okay with needing it.
I hope these four signs can help you or someone you know who may be having a bipolar depressive episode get the help they may need. In the meantime, HAPPY HALLOWEEN—I wish you a fantastic autumn and upcoming holiday season!
Learn more:
7 Signs That Bipolar Depression Is Brewing
4 Go-To Tips to Take on (Unbearable!) Social Anxiety
The post A Bad Day or Bipolar Depressive Episode? 4 Tips to Unveil Your ‘Mask’ appeared first on bpHope.
