Too Many Mood Swings to Count in Just 24 Hours!
I turned in a large, important and wonderful project on Sunday night. It’s now Tuesday. The project is a proposal for my new book. This is a big undertaking, so I know I have to be extra careful about my health.
I was careful! Early to bed early to rise! No late nights- decided to put a hold on a daily phone call I often have with a very stressed and negative friend, etc. I am really working hard to stay stable.
This certainly helped me finish the proposal. I was so elated to have it done! Real pleasure.
Then I went up.. .and down.. and up.. then WAY down and finally back up. That was just on Sunday!
The same thing happened all day yesterday. Finally, but 11 that night, I was worn out, but up again. I took an Ativan and then another half. That is about my limit unless I want to be really tired the next day. But at 2AM, I realized I was not going to sleep at all, so I took another half. My body doesn’t like that. I got to sleep, but am very tired today- even after a nap! It’s a drug thing!
Sometimes the facts of bipolar are much stronger than my wish for what will happen. Getting the proposal in was such an accomplishment- but my brain only saw it with stress and say congratulations with rapid cycling?
Have you ever had more than five mood swings a day! What do you do?
Julie
Hi Julie
I am learning to put a day or so aside for after a big/stressful event. I have a list of things i can do but dont have to actually do them. I have lists of things to do depending on what mood i am in. I try to go with the flow of it even if it means you dont get much finished for a couple of days. It is so tiring when you are swinging up and down ( i have been on a pendulum since November) However i am starting to find that going with it and not fighting it as much allows it to run its course quicker. I am not saying dont fight it coz there are times you definately have to but by going with it seems to allow my good part of brain to repair itself and take control again. Although it does feel like a constant battle!
I have definitely had more than 5 mood swings a day. I don’t anymore but when it got really bad I started writing them down. I got up to 15 or 16 extreme mood swings a day. It’s exhausting! When it got to that point there was little I could do. I ate when I could, slept when I could, and rode out the wave until I couldn’t anymore. Eventually my body gets so tired of rapid cycling that it just stops and falls into a steady, lifeless depression. A med change and some time in a hospital and outpatient IOP program usually help. Then I’m okay for awhile until it all starts again or there’s a trigger that I just can’t seem to overcome. It’s hard enough dealing with one unpleasant mood state, but a bunch? Ack! Good luck. 🙂