Do you take bipolar disorder sick days? I do!

I have NEVER in the ten years since I started writing professionally finished a project without experiencing significant bipolar disorder symptoms when it was over.  

It’s unfair! How can bipolar show up after something good is accomplished! 

It’s just the nature of the illness.  Stress can be joyful or negative and bipolar doesn’t care.  Stress is a trigger either way.

One solution is to expect the inevitable and plan ahead. I give myself a few sick days after I finish a big project. True sick days where I respect the bipolar and take care of myself. I have to plan fun things to do on these sick days. I have to tell my friends and family what to expect and then I have to EASE UP on myself and let myself get back to my baseline. 

 I need movies and karaoke and places to go when I’m crying and unhappy.

When you have bipolar disorder or care about someone with the illness, be ready for a mood swing after a big event ends. Any kind of event.  It helps to talk about this ahead of time and be prepared. My Health Cards (my treatment system) are waiting for these times. I know what to do now.

 I promise myself to prepare for the inevitable after my next project and praise myself that I WILL work again no matter what my brain is saying. That I CAN get things done. I remind myself that depression lies.

 I hope this helps you as well- I don’t want you to accomplish great things and then have bipolar take them away.  I want you to be in charge.

Julie