I love sleeping, honk-shoo is so goated.
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CW distress, looking for bipolar advice
Looking for help, how do I ground myself and make it through a bipolar episode (mixed state)? I feel like I’m destroying my life and don’t want to make it any worse
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Theres a few grounding techniques you can try.
Sit somewhere or lie down, then name (slowly) 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste (all things around you right now, not just like in general. Smell and taste are tough ones, focus on the sense and name it).
The instructions for this one are a little long so if you can focus skip it. You can try some box breathing, trace a rectangle out with the long sides on the top and bottom with your finger in the air. When you trace a short edge, take a breath in. It should take 3 seconds or so. Hold it for a second, then trace a long end for about 5 seconds. As you trace the long end, breath out. In like sniffing a flower, out like blowing out a candle - is what I told children having panic attacks, just breath in with your nose and breath out through your mouth.
You will probably feel like you need to speed up breathing, you dont. Your heart is attached to your diaphragm and by pacing your breath like that you will slow your heart down to a more calm rate - which by whatever receptor can help your brain stop firing off as hard and you can get back to a less agitated up or mixed state.
You can look at your hand and trace the lines. Nice and slow. Do some nice and slow stretching or yoga (yogas nice for pacing your breathing).
Is this your first mixed episode? If it isnt, you already know it doesnt last forever. You will be okay ♡
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My ex has bipolar and I could feel when they were going to swing up in a day or so. Theyd literally be hotter, like when we were in bed sleeping. Theyd talk a little faster. Then theyd start having REALLY GOOD IDEAS lol, sometimes genuinely good and creative and sometimes it was the mania/hypomania talking.
Upswings, seem more about waiting for it to chill out. And it will. It doesnt last forever. Ground yourself, get good sleep. No lights when its time to sleep (including phone). Rest in a dark room for sleep, 8 to 9 hours no exceptions. If you ever go full mania, maybe consider hospital… I dunno it sucks but also if youre really up there they can help managa your meds