Living with Bipolar Disorder

Christianity and a strong belief in God is not enough to cure a bipolar disorder and it is not a sin to seek treatment outside of your church, it is also important to remember that this condition is not a sign that you are an unredeemable sinner or possessed by the devil. One of the most important steps you can take towards managing and treating your bipolar condition is to accept that you are not being punished and that you need more than faith and prayer to treat your symptoms. This is not to say that your strong faith in a higher power can't help you manage your symptoms, only to remember that it is only a sin when you recognize that you have a problem and expect God to fix it. If religious beliefs and certain illnesses and treatments seem to be at odds with each other the information included in this article can help you find peace in your faith and mind.

A major misconception associated with a bipolar disorder is that one of the symptoms commonly caused by this illness is the uncontrollable desire to cut yourself, or inflict other injuries to your body. While it is important to state that the desire to harm yourself is not a symptom of manic or depressed behavior, it is easy to see why this might be confusing and cause some people to misdiagnose themselves. In reality the desire to inflict self-harm is more often associated with a borderline personality illness and not a symptom of a bipolar disorder, but it should also be noted that manic depression can result in suicide which is definitely an attempt to cause injury to your body. In this article the differences between these mental health conditions will be explained, along with the harmful behaviors that can occur when you are in the middle of a manic mood swing.

It is important to remember that insomnia is not necessarily a sign of a bipolar disorder and it can be caused by a number of different factors, but it can be an unpleasant result of this mental health condition and lead to the appearance of other manic symptoms. In this article you will learn what health care professionals have been saying for years that your sleep patterns will and can affect your mental and physical health. Learning how to recognize certain behaviors that can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep at night is the first step to improving your general well being. With helpful tips that can make it easier to fall asleep at a set time and give your body the chance to recover from a long stressful day, this article can make it easier for you to control your manic mood swings and irrational behavior.

While it may seem like you are constantly plotting meal plans and writing up treatment contracts it is all in an effort to help you manage and control your manic mood swings, which is why many health care professionals will also recommend that you keep a daily chart. This chart should track your moods throughout the day and include information about sleep habits, medications and certain note worthy events that can cause a reaction. It is important to understand how these aspects of your daily life affect your bipolar disorder, and keeping a mood chart can help you identify certain factors that might have a negative effect on you. In this article you will find links to help you get started creating your own mood chart, along with pertinent information that can aid in your treatment. It only takes a few minutes each day to keep the chart updated, and the information that you write down can help you improve your treatment to meet your specific problems.

A poll conducted in 2005 showed that Americans are getting less sleep and that it is also linked to a variety of different health conditions, including a bipolar disorder. Too little sleep is often one of the signs of a manic condition and getting too much shut eye can be an indication of bipolar depression, both of which can cause your mental health to suffer. In this article you will learn how sleep and your body's natural rhythms affect your mental and physical health, along with helpful tips that can make it easier to get the rest you need to feel recharged and energized in the morning without any manic feelings. Living with a bipolar disorder doesn't have to ruin your life and understanding how getting the right amount of sleep can help you start managing and treating your symptoms so you can start feeling like yourself again.