Any tips on controlling mania and depression?

Stay active. Stay aware of yourself, as much as possible. Find mentors.

Oh and, I have saved myself a lot of therapy by recalling the wisdom of the stoics; to paraphrase “If you are worried about something, ask yourself how much control you have over the outcome. If you have none, then stop worrying. There is nothing you can do and that will be OK.”

Firstly you sound like you’ve got your head screwed one as you were able to ask a very insightful question. Good work. The mantras that work best for me was the ones I created for myself. My experience is with depression and when I found myself going down an oppressive thought I would tell myself to calm down and that the thought I was experiencing was just me being hard on myself. And that that’s how I was brought up. It helps me affirm why I’m doing things that got me into a depressive state in the first place. With regards to being manic at work, I find mindful breathing good to calm me down. This is where you relax and observe your breathing. I hope this helps. You show alot of wisdom regarding your meds. Take care.

Get help, there are free groups that can help you.

I’ve found in the last week that exercising has helped me a lot. I’ve started to dance around in my own living more, I’ve gone back to the home aerobic dvds too. Even though i haven’t mastered the art of not eating too much…I’m at least starting to do something that makes my body feel good and thereby makes my mind and soul feel good. I don’t know how it does this (because I’m not an exercise fanatic and would rather eat chocolate and drink tea) but it works… so it might help a little. Whatever you feel…do it… even if it’s just a walk round the block…bearing in mind blocks in America i believe are a lot bigger than ours?

I have found for myself that putting positive thoughts into my mind really helps. For example, when I’m dealing with anxiety about something, I say things like “it’s going to be fine” or “there’s nothing to be afraid of” – even better are self-affirming thoughts like “you can do this”, “you are stronger than your mind”, etc.

I’ve heard that saying things out loud is even better than just thinking them because saying them out loud “records” them to your subconscious. I don’t know what there is about this in terms of scientific research but I can tell you it works for me – I don’t even care if it’s a placebo effect. ;)

In short, we have more control over our thoughts than we realize. It takes EFFORT to regain control when they start racing, but with practice, it gets easier. Force your mind to think about something else (like numbers or spelling long words or remembering good times) and eventually, your mind will obey quicker and possibly even for longer periods of time.

Just a sidenote: these strategies have never worked for me personally in and of themselves. I have usually had to be involved in counseling or taking some kind of supplement, whether medicinal or herbal.

The therapy will help your problem and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.

The Psychiatrist giving you the meds – is he aware of the problems you described? He might have to change your dose and/or your meds. Is the Psychiatrist not doing any therapy at all?

You can’t drink alcohol on your medication. I’m sorry to state this so bluntly but it is an empirically-validated research finding. Other than that, research shows that regular sleep patterns, regular exercise and healthy diet are all important adjunctive treatments to regulate mood.

As others suggest, you should really discuss all of this with your treaters. If you only see your prescribing physican sporadically (i.e., PCP or psychiatrist), then you should make sure you have a therapist with expertise in working with mania.

Some studies show beneficial effects of fish oil (Omega 3) on mood regulation.

I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this. Hopefully your manic episodes aren’t too severe. The course of your illness won’t necessarily be a downwards slope. Take care of yourself to give yourself the best shot at real happiness.

Aviona, here’s what I’ve learned from my own experiences with a similar situation. I agree with @lynneblundell; exercise works. I recommend walking: fast and far. For me, it seemed that the physical activity triggered something in my brain that fought against that evil, heavy feeling of depression.

Here’s something else: have a plan so that the moment you feel it starting, you can do something that will help to block the onset of those feelings. Like, have someone you can call, a dvd you can put on, a song you can listen to, running shoes you can throw on, whatever. Once you feel it coming on, do your thing.

You might also check out the homeopathic remedies from Hyland’s. I’ve found some success with Nerve Tonic. These are completely safe, no side effects, and can be taken in conjunction with prescription meds.

Another suggestion: Keep a journal of your symptoms and feelings. Write everything down and see if you notice a pattern. This helped me to figure out both things that triggered and things that alleviated my feelings of depression.

Also, understand that often, the physical and mental sensations you are experiencing can be side effects of the medications. Especially the racing thoughts and general anxiety you seemed to have been feeling. Doctors don’t like to mention or admit that these are common, but they are. If you’d like to hear more about my own experiences with this, pm me.

Take comfort. You can get through this.

I would check out the book-
“Depression-Free, Naturally: 7 Weeks to Eliminating Anxiety, Despair, Fatigue, and Anger from Your Life” by Joan Matthew Larson.
A friend of mine tried it, and she is much better now. I know just because it worked for her, doesn’t mean it will work for you. I think it is worth checking out, though.

@Mr_M I was seeing one, but we didn’t click at all. Then a lot of shit went down and I had to find a new one. And it’s a long, complicated story involving leases, physical distance from home and doctors, etc.

I always have a problem with the concept of “not clicking” with a therapist because I know that some people don’t “click” because they don’t like the truth the therapist is saying. Some people don’t click because they have legit grievances. PM me if you’d like to talk more.

That was the problem, though, there was no truth. She didn’t talk, at all. She was a student, no offense students. But from the time she greeted me from the time I was making my next appointment she gave me no feedback. So I wold go in there like “Shit, I have to think of what to say for an hour.” Rather than looking forward to making some progress and getting some help.

Yeah, get yourself an established Psychologist.

Exercise. Over the years it’s helped with both the mania and the depression. If you’re manic it’ll burn out some of the extra energy if you’re depressive it’s kick start your adrenaline and endorphins. Seriously, exercise may be good for your body, but it’s great for your mental health.

I fully understand why you do not care for being medicated. There are great natural supplements on the market. One which helps restore a healthy mood would be “SAM-e”. There is a significant amount of info on the net regarding SAM-e,of course you should always consult a professional first. Best of luck to you.

:) thanks @koldblue I’ll check it out

first, know that your neurotransmitters are indeed influenced by activity, sleep, stress, diet, and so on. proven. so, from experience, observation, and research (plenty of all three): yoga, meditation, proper diet, possibly herbs, possibly meds but you’ll still be able to do less, and being around others who are good for you to be around. doing the usual: helping others, creating stuff, and so forth. isolation leads to depression for most (not all) people, but also quiet time helps keep from going to far the other way. the key to imbalance is—hey presto—balance. the nervous system is complex and delicate, and balance isn’t static. highs and lows happen, but obviously they can become too extreme. my lover took his life in the grip of such things. and here i will get more clear about balance: my lover was trying, through far too MUCH yogic type activity—to fight such things. everything i named here (except food) can be overdone. the key is awareness. you need to pay attention to it when you start to drift noticeably and problematically up/down. it will happen, it does happen. to everyone. and it’s not a willpower issue. i’d like to see those who say that take some intrinsic, lifelong thing of their own—temper or trust issues, health problems, trouble cooperating, whathave you—and solve” them thru willpower. it isn’t possible. everyone has strengths and inborn weaknesses. everyone. no one has ever become perfect thru willpower. that’s just an easy way to blame the victim, to not have to extend compassion. this includes myself, far too many times. i’m quite impatient in person, much to my regret. anyway: balance, in a deep sense. and it’s awareness and flexibility that an give such balance. also, some people may need meds, not always forever, but there’s no hard and fast rule. it’s always what in medicine they call a “balancing test” (in this use, they mean you must balance the benefits against the costs of a given treatment). last, i highly recommend reading the blog “spiritual emergency”—it’s a personal, very intelligent, thorough study from one person’s experience of chemical imbalances. good luck, please take care of yourself.

except healthy food, i meant. (can’t get fluther site to let me do corrections. what am i missing here?)