Living with Bipolar Disorder can be challenging

My 3 rules for staying healthy

I lived most of my life as a happy-go-lucky person filled with vibrancy and a thirst for adventure. Everything was great. I was accepted in one of the best medical schools in the world, then a year later, everything unraveled. My grandmother passed away in 2010, and I slipped into a deep depression that was not responsive to medication. One night, I went manic and tried to end my life. I was hospitalized and later diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar Disorder.

I was lucky to receive world-class treatment at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, but it was still challenging, and I experienced frequent debilitating depressive episodes while constantly changing medications. I barely finished my dissertation, and I was ultimately unsuccessful in my postdoctoral fellowship. However, after nine years of ups and downs, we finally found a treatment that stabilized me. It’s been two years now, and I haven’t had a major depressive or hypomanic episode since.

Over the past 11 years, I’ve established a routine that helps me manage my disease and remain healthy. They may seem simple and obvious, but they aren’t like other things from which you can take a break. Taking a break is not an option and can have disastrous consequences if not followed.

Rule 1: Take your meds

This may not be the case for everyone. Still, I’ve tried exercise, therapy, and other homeopathic remedies to reduce the severity of my episodes, but medicine has been the only means of managing my mood. When I was first diagnosed, it was very tempting to stop taking my medication when I felt better. But, found it was a horrible idea that led to major depressive or hypomanic episodes. Missing one dose can alter my mood, and I have to take them religiously. I assess my mood regularly, and if it begins to wane, I reach out to my psychiatrist.

Rule 2: Get proper sleep

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