Click here to read part one of this series on bipolar disorder and travel.
What is the goal of my next book On the Road with Bipolar Disorder: Four Steps to Successful and Stable Travel?
The goal of this book is to help you manage your bipolar disorder before, during and after you travel. It’s a four step process:
1. Prep
2. Travel
3. You’re There
4. Back Home
Have you ever noticed that stories in the news about troublesome bipolar disorder behavior often involve travel? This happens because travel condenses a large number of bipolar disorder triggers into a very short period of time. Here are the most common bipolar disorder triggers due to travel:
1. Travel puts you in different time zones. Anything that changes your sleep has the potential to cause mood swings. The more opposite your regular sleep pattern, the more dangerous the time change is for bipolar disorder. Time zones that flip your sleep schedule are the most concerning.
2. Travel often takes you to stimulating situations such as business meetings, weddings, holidays and fun vacations to foreign countries. As you know, stress doesn’t mean something is bad. It means change. Any change can cause stress and travel is filled with changes.
3. Long term travel requires a lot of specific planning. Planning and bipolar disorder often clash. This is when anxiety can really show up and make planning difficult.
4. Travel puts you into small spaces with family members. Travel isn’t only about vacations. It can be a three hour trip to have a holiday dinner with your family. That’s still travel!
5. Travel upsets the structure all people with bipolar disorder need in order to stay stable. I believe that planning WAY ahead for travel works because you have time to create a structure that’s ready when you reach your destination.
6. Travel is unpredictable. Transportation can get changed or cancelled and anxiety is easily triggered. OCD is very common, especially in airports. Planning for chaos when you have a long travel itinerary is essential.
Check back for more travel tips!
Julie
Julie, my daughter ruined our holidays for many years. The Health Cards changed everything for us. Thank you. The problem is that my daughter often tells me she doesn’t need them as she has them memorized. We recently went to the beach a few hours away and I’m sorry, but she was her old bitchy self in the car. It has been so long we were all shocked. I wanted to say.. Get out your Health Cards, but I could tell it wasn’t the time. I almost got in a few bipolar conversations, but I remembered what you taught me and kept away from arguing with her. Our trip was not as fun as it could have been. What advice do you have on how I can talk with her before we travel again. I’m too old for her bipolar mood swings- especially since I know we actually have a tool that works if she would just remember to use them! Thanks! Rebecca
Hi, Julie. Thank you for the invaluable work you do. I just discovered your website yesterday and have already ordered the Health Cards. I hope your travel book will be published and available soon. In six weeks I am starting a cross-country trip with my partner. We will be staying in his 26 foot trailer and camping. Having just read your travel information I am extremely apprehensive. I knew we’d have to establish a daily routine regarding sleep and eating, but for a while things will be different each day. How can I best prepare for our trip, manage things during the trip so that it can be successful?
Thank you very much for the advice.
LoriAnn
Hello LoriAnn,
My travel book was put on hold- I’m traveling to Europe next year for at least six months and will be writing the book then. I just sent you an email- let’s set up a time to chat and I will give you my tips. I need to do a new post and our talk would help me see what people are looking for! Julie
[…] believe that planning WAY ahead for travel works because you have time to create a structure that’s ready when you reach your destination. […]