Activity during down times

[TaleSpin]

Hey,

I'm not bipolar, I'm cyclothymic... which is apparently basically the same thing.

I'm curious what you think is better during the depression part of the cycle... is it better to just give in to the urges and just stay home doing nothing feeling depressed and ride it out? Or is it better to fight through the awkwardness of remaining social and being active even though your head is doing everything to drag you down?

"You're not good enough, nobody likes you, you can't do this"

What do you think?

Thanks

 

[berry2000]

I find you cannot "continue as normal" of the depression will be worse and so will the crash. On the other hand, if you retreat completely you will find rest and recovery but you might find yourself so isolated those dark feelings may make you unsafe. I try to keep in contact with a select few. Check in with them, cry with them, and drop out of all other contact until my brain can reboot.

 

[angelkiss]

I personally, have found that things only get worse for me if I sit and try to ride things out. I learned a long time ago, that if I don't fight, eventually, this illness will consume me. So, even on days that I feel like I don't have any fight left, I keep on pushing.
s and es!!

 

[Lilli]

I agree with the others. As much as I want to sit back and ignore the world - it only makes matters worse and the funk lingers longer. I try to get out of the house and get my mind thinking on other things.

 

[Alive again]

I have to do a combo of good self care ,as I tend to push myself to hard, so that does involve staying home and resting relaxing, but also staying in touch with others, and definitely fighting th good fight by praying and talking with God and asking Him to help me take captive each thought and to fill my mind with His truths not the thoughts of this illness. Whether manic or depressed I have to stay on top of thoughts this illness causes that are not in line with the truth. I am loved and precious, not forsaken, this is God's truth. I am not anymore special than anyone else, for all I do I do only thru the strength of God. I cannot add or take anything away from the sacrifice God, as Jesus made at the cross. Tends to help me realize which of my thoughts are illness generated.

Blessings and prayers!

 

[CrazySage]

My reaction to it depends on how low I am. Sometimes I'm so low that all I can do is cry and try to ride it out... sometimes I find that if I feel a little mixed, inactivity just makes it worse.

 

[angelkiss]

I have to do a combo of good self care ,as I tend to push myself to hard, so that does involve staying home and resting relaxing, but also staying in touch with others, and definitely fighting th good fight by praying and talking with God and asking Him to help me take captive each thought and to fill my mind with His truths not the thoughts of this illness. Whether manic or depressed I have to stay on top of thoughts this illness causes that are not in line with the truth. I am loved and precious, not forsaken, this is God's truth. I am not anymore special than anyone else, for all I do I do only thru the strength of God. I cannot add or take anything away from the sacrifice God, as Jesus made at the cross. Tends to help me realize which of my thoughts are illness generated.

Blessings and prayers!

That is a good way to look at things. There have been times that I've felt so low I just wondered if I had any fight left. Then, when I think of what Jesus went through............my worse days, the worse things I've been through in life are nothing compared to what He suffered.
s and es!!

 

[BlessedMommy05]

There are days to where I ride it out,and there's others if I dont get up and do some thing, I feel generally worse.. So its a mix for me.. I feel once I am able to get up and get things done, I do feel some what better,and then I can relax and retriet into a nice book that I enjoy and let my mind reboot awhile and veg.. I find that when I step outside and get some fresh air while I take the trash out or do laundry and get the mail it helps make me not have to interact but good air around is nice..

 

[bipolarbear]

I know deep down the Lord gives me the grace to know what to do. It's asking for the help, letting other in, adn sharing my thoughts and feelings that get me. keep in mind, some thought are best not shated wioth my Beloved, because they would scare him, and he would not understand that I will not act on them, so that is what my tdoc is for. I often choose to isolate myself, I tend to think If i don't let anyone in, they can't hurt me, but the problem with that is they can't help me either... So, I do try, but I have days where I am just sick and tired of being bipolar, adn riding the rollar coaster, that I just want off... i just don't deal with it, adn that just means when I am rready to deal with it, it is so much harder. I know I have the Lord's grace, adn can take any burden to Him, but sometimes I forget, and struggle along by myself... last summer, I didn't fight, i isolated myself, and stayed inside, only leaving the house when nessary. that caused a three month (summer) depression to be a six month one... I was put on an agressive meds treatment to pull me out, adn in about a week, of rapid increase of heavy stuff, I was out, but then I had to flex the muscle of keeping out fo teh depression. Like all muscles that are flexed, they get sore, adn you need to relax them. I just should iot relax my fight aginst this illness! I know I still ahve days and even a week (ish) that I don't try, but it is not at all like last year. I take baby steps, adn try to learn about this ilnesse's effects on me, adn learn form them. My Beloved knows long before I do Hwat mood I am in, where as I ahve to think, adn concentrate about the surrounding facctors of my base line mood, and why I have the other emotions floating around with it and what they are. Am i making any sence? It's like if you choose to stop taking in fluids, you will loose , and the same with not eating, also the same to go off your meds, adn allow this illness to control you with out any effort to be healthy. That's when people loose the fight.. So that's why we are good bipolars, adn take our meds, follow the advice of our doctors, and even keep appointments with tehm. For those of us that walk with our Heavenly Father, we pray, adn allow His grace, adn even curl up in his hands for a really good cry... Have a blessed day! Sorry for all teh spelling errors... My mind and fingers don't usually have teh greatest connection.