Dealing with bipolar disorder dredges up different feelings for each patient. But, no where does it say that you must behave like a victim. Many things are within your control -- things you can do to keep the suffering to a minimum. "Oh, I can't," you say, "My episodes come out of nowhere. I never know how I'm going to feel from one moment to the next." Well, sorry to say, that just isn't true. It may seem true now but, if you've ever had a period of recovery with your illness and have been episode-free for a while, you will understand that statement. Please don't become so offended that you don't continue to read because some of these suggestions might just help bring you to that place where you actually reach the light at the end of the tunnel. It's tough to comprehend that people are responsible for their own illness. Although it isn't our fault that we were inflicted with bipolar, just like it isn't a diabetic's fault that they were inflicted with diabetes, it is up to us to learn as much as possible about our infliction. In the case of most illnesses, there are steps that can be taken to lessen the severity and frequency of reoccurrences and many of those steps fall on the shoulders of the patient. Your family, spouse, psychiatrist nor therapist can make you do anythingit's up to you alone.

The first thing that must transpire is the acceptance of your illness. If you have not reached the stage of acceptance then many of these ideas will fall upon deaf ears, reinforcing your notion that you have no control over your bipolar. Bipolar is an illness that does not "go away," or "fix itself." It is an illness you will always have, so the sooner you deal with it, the sooner you can concentrate on how to keep it under control so that it doesn't completely disrupt your otherwise productive and happy life. Acceptance is easier said than done; I realize this. In this area, I cannot help. Bipolar, for me, wasn't a matter of acceptance; it was an explanation for many years of odd, unexplained, erratic behavior and was quite a relief. I was thrilled to find out that medicines were available that could help my mind make sense of the world around me. For most people, this is not the situation. Most people must go through the typical grieving process to get to the final stage of acceptance. If you are not there yet, please work with your psychiatrist and therapist until you have fully accepted your illness. To do this, you must be honest with them about your feelings and your reservations in regards to bipolar. Also, read whatever information you can get your hands on. Whatever you do, ignore the ignorant people that will say you don't have an illness. They might tell you that you just need to get a hold of yourself, or snap out of it." These are people who are not educated in the area of mental illness and want to make you feel inferior. Don't let them succeed. Listen to your doctors, they have a degree that allows them to give you educated information, not just opinions.

Once you have accepted bipolar for what it is, hopefully you will be inclined to do whatever it takes to prevent another full-blown episode. Anyone who has been through bipolar Hell and manages to make it back should be willing to go to great lengths to avoid another trip. Unfortunately not everyone realizes that there are things they can do to help themselves prevent another trip. Well, I'm here to tell you that many resources are available to assist the proactive patient in doing just that. In this four part series I will share absolutely every tip, trick and idea that I have tried, or heard was successful for someone else, suffering through a life riddled with extreme mood swings. I hope that you will try some or all of them and adopt the ones that work best for you.

The first part of the series deals with medications, the second portion addresses your treatment team, monitoring tools and warning signs, the third section gives advice about routines and creative outlets and the fourth installment discusses the issue of self-esteem.

MEDICATIONS

The taking of daily medication is a big part of acceptance. Bipolar medications are the best step you can take towards stability. Of course, the bipolar memory makes it difficult to remember whether or not you've taken your medication. Try to get over the fact that you must take a pill, or usually several pills, to stay well. If you had diabetes and were dependent on insulin, you wouldn't just skip it. If you had heart problems you wouldn't go without your nitroglycerin pills. Any time you don't comply with your medication regimen you are jeopardizing your wellness. Every time you stop taking your medications you become more treatment resistant. So make sure you take your medications and take them as prescribed. Here are a few suggestions to help you:

~*~ Take you medications at the same time everyday. Try to coincide taking them with another event such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime or any other daily activity. If you forget, take them as soon as you remember unless you are close to the time of your next dose, in which case you should skip that dose and take your next dose as scheduled.

~*~ To help remember try setting alarms, leaving sticky notes, having your significant other or a family member remind you, or even try tying a string around your finger or wrist. Do anything and everything to make sure you don't forget your medicine. If you are still having a difficult time remembering, ask your doctor if your medications can be taken just once a day or if they have extended release medications that you could take instead. Never change your medication schedule without checking with your doctor first.

~*~ Organize your medicines into a daily or weekly pillbox (available at the pharmacy). I used a weekly pillbox in the beginning and always filled it on Sunday night. This also served as a good indicator of how much medication I had left, so I could order my refills before I ran out. I would also carry a daily pillbox with an extra dose incase I got to work and realized I forgot or got caught out late and needed to take an evening dose. Although this isn't normally an issue, check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure it is all right to store your medicines together.

~*~ A few important things you need to know pertaining to medications are: know what you take, what the dosage is, what each medication is for, what the symptoms of toxicity and overdose are, what the pills look like and how long it will take to feel the effects. Read the information about the medication that you receive from the pharmacy. If you know these things you will be less likely to take the wrong medication or the wrong dose and you will be able to recognize symptoms of toxicity before you become sick. Also, don't forget to double check each prescription to make sure your receive the correct number of pills. Even pharmacists can make mistakes. I also suggest you carry a list of medications and the dosage you take with you in case of an emergency. Make sure to keep it updated.

~*~ Don't forget to disclose ALL medications you are taking to ALL of your doctors, including your dentist. Sometimes medications can counteract each other and can even be dangerous to take together. Be sure to check with your doctor if you need to take any over the counter medications including aspirin, ibuprofen, cold medicine, cough drops, etc. ANYTHING! Also you need to make your doctors aware if you drink, use any street drugs or are taking any herbal remedies. All of these items can affect your treatment plan and need to be considered by your doctor before a psychiatric medication is prescribed.

Medication for the bipolar patient is a must. Sure, some people have gone years without taking medications and seem to do just fine, but they are the rare exceptions and most will eventually relapse. It is also common for people with bipolar to begin feeling well on medication and then stop taking it, often stating they don't need it or convincing themselves they were misdiagnosed and don't really have bipolar. I urge you not to fall into this trap as starting and stopping medications can make you more treatment resistant and bipolar is difficult enough to treat.

Terry J. Coyier is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.