Reddit mentions of Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder: How Mindfulness and Neuroscience Can Help You Manage Your Bipolar Symptoms

tl;dr: I'm a librarian. I'm wordy.


(Diagnosis note: I'm BP1, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, general anxiety disorder, and severe depression.


I'm with you 100%.


I was diagnosed when I was 17 and I was on and off drugs for years. I was near suicidal numerous times as nothing seemed to be work since I metabolize drugs so quickly and no combo seemed to work. I was a mess. The last time I was on meds, the psychiatrist threw everything at me to handle the mood AND adhd AND depression at the same time. I was so out of it at one point, I chased my husband around with a butcher knife one night.

The six worse months of my life.

Then in 2014 where I had a prolonged manic episode where I left my husband, didn't renew my work contract, burned $40K in credit cards, and moved across the US numerous times in less than six months. (Tbh, I'm annoyed with myself I didn't go to Europe or do great travel.) After crashing, I found a doc on ZocDoc who prescribed me Lamictal, Abilify, and Klonopin. She worked out of a messy room in a house turned into businesses where for $300 a visit, she would give you drugs, no question asked. I didn't even fill out paperwork.


The combo seemed to work and things started to stabilize and I found a doctor who wasn't so shady. I reconciled with my husband, the saint that he is, with the condition that I stay on my meds and get therapy. He was not going to go through all of that again. I don't blame him.

I've had a few rocky starts with therapists. One of the last ones wanted cash only and once asked me to take her to a conference in another city, and then stick around during said conference, and bring her home. She would give me a few therapy sessions in exchange. I fired her.

I'm glossing over a lot but I wanted to tell you, you're not alone. I have considered ECT because I was just tired of dealing with it all. Fighting for your life is painful and hard work, but you're worth fighting for. I've been stable for a few years now, relationship with my husband is good as well as with friends and family, and I've been in a great job since February.

I'm going to piggyback on many of the suggestions to find a therapist. Keep in mind that they work for you. But give it a few sessions before you make a decision. Many list their specialty on their website. You might even venture onto ZocDoc to find a local one if you get in a crisis. I know I found a quack but I know many people who've found wonderful providers through it. If you can't find one you're comfortable with or local, try talkspace.com. I've had a few friends who've used it and found it to be really helpful. They cost $70 or so a week which seems expensive but then I pay $90 a week for my therapist so maybe not but they are online. (I know she's cheaper than most local ones but she's really good.)


Support groups can also be useful. I was in one for DBT. There is also Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (https://www.dbsalliance.org/) who have support groups all over the country. Local DBSA groups have websites for info, others are on Facebook, and yet others are on meetup.com. These are free and peer lead. They only ask for a dollar or two for support since they are self-sustaining. The one I went to meets up for coffee after the meeting. I will warn you that it MAY be triggering.

DBT and CBT are slightly different but they both heavily use mindfulness which if you're prone to massive anxiety attacks and racing thoughts, can work wonders. I have found meditating can also help if I do it regularly. I really like Headspace, which is a pay app, but there are a lot of free ones available. Our couple's therapist recommended Mindfulness for Bipolar which I haven't really gotten through yet but plan to. My therapist and I are laying out a plan for me to work on interpersonal issues that stem back years to help me move forward.

If you don't mind snail mail from internet strangers, I have a few DBT books I can send you for free. I kept buying them when I kept moving and things finally settled down, found I had bought four or five. I can't possibly go through all of them but if you want one, I'm more than happy to send it to you.

I've recently gotten more active in this sub and I've found it super helpful to read stories from others going through what I'm going through and interacting with these strangers, even anonymously. A lot of my friends are bipolar so we kvetch but knowing people outside my circle is a wonderful reminder I'm not alone. I've seen nothing but compassion and empathy for people here so I try to pass it on to others. Good luck. We're always here.


*I'm a librarian. If i'm not explaining things in great detail and giving you sources, I've failed at my job.
** I do not get any kickbacks for any of my recommendations, even Amazon links. It's stuff I've used and found helpful or I know people who have used it and found it helpful. You may have heard about some of these things before but it doesn't help to have second recommendations.

://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1626251851/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1466429016&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=bipolar+mindfulness&dpPl=1&dpID=51vtsyN3WfL

Having read them, I can recommend the following:


The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide

Bipolar 101: A Practical Guide to Identifying Triggers, Managing Medications, Coping with Symptoms, and More


Treating Bipolar Disorder - This one is more clinician based, but interesting.


Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder


Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder

Edited for layout.

Mindfulness based cognitive therapy exists, and there are specific applications for a variety of mental disorders, including bipolar. A quick google search came up with this: https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Bipolar-Disorder-Neuroscience-Symptoms/dp/1626251851

You could also ask your shrink about mbct as part of your treatment.