Living Well with Bipolar
Overview
There isn’t one single way to live well with bipolar. What helps will be different for everyone and may change over time.
For many people, living well involves a combination of treatment, support and self-management.Â
The aim isn’t just to manage symptoms, but to help you understand how bipolar affects you, recognise your own patterns and find ways to support your wellbeing over time.
Explore ways to live well
Living Well with Bipolar
Medications
Medication is often an important part of managing bipolar. It can help to stabilise mood, reduce symptoms and lower the risk of future episodes.
Common types of medication used in bipolar include:
Mood stabilisers, such as lithium
Antipsychotics
Antidepressants (usually alongside other medication)
If you’ve recently been prescribed medication, it’s normal to have questions or mixed feelings. Finding the right medication (and the right dose) can take time, and may involve some trial and adjustment.
It’s important to work closely with your GP or psychiatrist, talk openly about how you’re feeling, and report any side effects. You should always feel able to ask questions and be involved in decisions about your treatment.
Medication is just one part of managing bipolar, and is often most effective when combined with other forms of support.
Talking Therapies
Talking therapies can help you understand your thoughts, feelings and experiences, and find ways to cope with some of the challenges of living with bipolar. They can be used alongside medication and other support.
Different approaches work for different people.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It can be particularly helpful for managing symptoms of depression, coping with stress and recognising patterns or early signs that your mood may be changing. CBT is not generally used to treat an acute manic episode.
Counselling gives you a safe space to talk through your feelings and experiences with a trained counsellor. It can help with things like relationships, difficult life events or coming to terms with a bipolar diagnosis.
Psychological therapy may be provided by a psychologist or another trained professional. They can help you understand patterns in your thoughts, feelings and behaviour and may use different types of therapy depending on your needs.
Finding an approach and a therapist you feel comfortable with is important. If you’re interested in talking therapy, speak to your GP or mental health team about what may be available to you.
Understanding and Managing Your Bipolar
Living with bipolar often involves getting to know how the condition affects you. Over time, you may start to recognise your own patterns, what helps you stay well and when you might need some extra support.
This is often called self-management. It doesn’t mean managing bipolar on your own or getting everything right. It simply means understanding yourself and finding ways to look after your wellbeing alongside treatment and support from others.
The more you understand about your own bipolar, the easier it can be to make choices that work for you and recognise when things might be changing.
Acceptance
Coming to terms with a bipolar diagnosis can take time. You may experience relief, sadness, anger, uncertainty or all of these emotions at different times. It’s important to remember that bipolar doesn’t define who you are or what you’re capable of achieving. Over time, many people find that accepting their diagnosis helps them understand themselves better, access support and connect with others who share similar experiences.
Self-Compassion
Self-compassion means treating yourself with the same understanding and kindness that you would offer someone you care about. During periods of illness, you may say or do things that don’t feel like you. Afterwards, it’s common to experience feelings of guilt, shame or embarrassment. While it’s important to take responsibility where appropriate, self-compassion can help you move forward without feeling defined by those difficult moments.
Mood Monitoring
Many people living with bipolar find that keeping track of their mood helps them recognise when things are beginning to change. The earlier you notice changes, the sooner you can put support and self-management strategies in place, which may help reduce the impact of a mood episode.
Alongside your mood, it can also be helpful to keep track of things like your sleep, energy levels, medication, menstrual cycle (if applicable) and any significant life events or sources of stress. Over time, this can help you identify patterns and recognise your own early warning signs.
One of the easiest ways to monitor your mood is by using an app, such as the Bipolar UK Mood Tracker. Some people prefer to use a notebook or paper diary instead. The best approach is the one that works for you.
Mood monitoring can also create a useful record to share with your healthcare professionals, or with trusted family members or friends who support you. This can help everyone better understand your bipolar and recognise changes early.
Identifying Triggers
Alongside mood monitoring, understanding what might trigger changes in your mood can be an important part of staying well. Looking back at what was happening before previous episodes of illness can help you recognise patterns and identify situations where you may benefit from some extra support.
Everyone’s triggers are different. Many people living with bipolar find that stress plays a role, while others notice that changes in sleep, medication, relationships, work, physical health or major life events can affect their mood. Some people also find that seasonal changes or alcohol and recreational drugs can influence how they feel.
It isn’t always possible to avoid triggers, and sometimes episodes of illness can happen without an obvious cause. This doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. However, understanding your own patterns can help you put support in place earlier and make informed choices about how to look after yourself.
Peer Support
Talking to other people who understand what it’s like to live with bipolar can be a valuable source of support. Peer support gives you the chance to share experiences, learn from others and feel less alone.
You don’t need to be going through a difficult time to benefit from peer support. It can also be a place to build connections, share ideas and learn from how other people manage and live well with bipolar.
Bipolar Scotland runs peer support groups across Scotland and online.
Sleep
Getting enough good-quality sleep is one of the most important ways of looking after yourself when living with bipolar. Changes in sleep are often one of the earliest signs that your mood may be changing.
During periods of depression, you may find yourself sleeping much more than usual or struggling to get out of bed. During hypomania or mania, you may need much less sleep or find it difficult to fall asleep, even when you’re tired. Learning to recognise changes in your own sleep patterns can help you spot early warning signs and seek support sooner.
Many people find that having a regular routine helps. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day, including weekends where possible, can help your body develop a more consistent sleep pattern.
Some other things that may help include:
- Getting outside in natural daylight, particularly in the morning.
- Reducing bright light from phones, tablets and computers before bed.
- Avoiding caffeine, alcohol or large meals close to bedtime.
- Creating a calm, comfortable sleeping environment.
- Doing something relaxing before bed, such as reading, listening to music or practising mindfulness.
Some people find that their medication makes them feel sleepy or drowsy, especially when they first start taking it. If this is affecting your work, studies or everyday life, don’t feel that you have to just put up with it. Speak to your GP or psychiatrist, as there may be ways to reduce these side effects, such as adjusting your dose or changing the time you take your medication. Always talk to a healthcare professional before making any changes to your medication.
Food and Nutrition
Eating well is one way of looking after both your physical and mental health. While research into the relationship between metabolism, nutrition and bipolar is continuing to grow, there is no single diet that has been shown to treat bipolar. Some small research studies have suggested that a ketogenic diet may help some people manage the symptoms of bipolar. While these early findings are encouraging, more research is needed before it can be recommended as a treatment for bipolar.
In general, it’s recommended to aim for a healthy, balanced diet, such as the one outlined in the NHS Eatwell Guide. Eating regular meals and staying hydrated can also help support your overall wellbeing.
If you’re considering making a significant change to your diet, it’s important to speak to your GP or healthcare team first. They can help you make sure any changes are safe and appropriate for you, particularly if you take medication or have other health conditions.
During periods of depression or mania, eating regular, nutritious meals can feel much more difficult. If this happens, try not to be hard on yourself. Small, manageable changes are often more realistic than aiming for perfection.
Physical Activity
Many people living with bipolar find that regular physical activity helps them manage stress, sleep better, improve their mood and feel more energised. It can also provide structure and routine, which many people find helpful.
The best activity is often one that you enjoy and can make part of your life. That might be walking the dog, gardening, swimming, going to the gym, yoga or even dancing in your kitchen!
When you’re feeling depressed, exercising can feel like the last thing you want to do. On those days, simply getting outside for a short walk or doing a few minutes of gentle movement can feel like a big achievement. Try to be kind to yourself and remember that something is almost always better than nothing.
If you’re experiencing hypomania or mania, you might notice yourself exercising much more than usual or finding it difficult to slow down. Paying attention to changes in your energy levels, routines and sleep can help you recognise when exercise is supporting your wellbeing and when it may be a sign that you need some extra support.
Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking
Alcohol, recreational drugs and smoking can all affect your health and wellbeing when you have bipolar. Some people may use these to cope with stress, difficult feelings or the challenges of living with bipolar. While this may feel helpful in the short term, it can sometimes make things more difficult over time.
Alcohol and recreational drugs can affect your mood, sleep and judgement, and for some people may increase the risk of becoming unwell or make it harder to recover from a period of illness. For example, alcohol is a depressant and may make symptoms of depression worse.
Substance use can also affect your treatment. Alcohol and drugs may change how well some medications work or increase the risk of side effects. Smoking can affect how your body processes some medications used to treat bipolar, so if you stop smoking or significantly change how much you smoke, it is important to let your GP or mental health team know as your medication may need to be reviewed.
If you are concerned about the impact of alcohol, drugs or smoking on your wellbeing, or would like to make a change, you can speak to your GP or mental health team about the support available.
Other Ways to Support Your Wellbeing
Many people living with bipolar find that other wellbeing approaches become an important part of their self-management. This might include mindfulness, meditation, spending time in nature, massage, yoga, cold water swimming, acupuncture or simply making time for activities that help them relax and recharge.
Some people also find that spirituality or faith plays an important role in supporting their wellbeing.
While there is limited evidence that these approaches directly treat bipolar, many people find they help them manage stress, improve sleep, feel calmer or simply cope better with the ups and downs of everyday life.
If you’re thinking about trying something new, it’s worth finding out what it involves, whether the practitioner is appropriately qualified and whether it’s safe to use alongside any treatment or medication you’re taking.