copingskills

I started blogging in 2021 with the intention of creating a scrapbook if you will of all my thoughts and feelings about different things I have experienced and if my Bipolar had any influence on my perspectives and opinions. I found that writing was the best way to cope with my extremes of Bipolar as it occupied my mind and focused my attention on the writing and away from the nonsense that I had reverberating around my head. It started with only a solitary word that I wrote but I was thinking about the words and not the nonsense in my head. Slowly the one word became 2, which then became 3 and so on until I was writing full sentences. From these I tried to make a paragraph out of them and join them together as best I could as they weren’t really in a narrative that was comprehensible to understand. Since this I have written 27 songs about Bipolar and associated things that it brings. I have written 3 short books too. I’m under no illusion about these being any good or great pieces of work but I am proud of myself for doing it. I’m an example of how you can make a negative situation become a positive one. I don’t have the answers for anything about Bipolar Disorder but I do have some insight into how to deal with things that I can offer to help others. I have been a far worse person than most people, meaning that I can help others and relate with them in their journeys, as I’ve come back from the abyss and I can now tell the story of how I attempted to get out of it, and maybe even give someone a chance to do it too.

My blog is a collection of accounts of Living with Bipolar Disorder, explanations of the medication used, links to the 3 books I wrote, funny bipolar memes, quotes from a selection of people, a lot of philosophy of the great Alan Watts (someone I highly regard and someone I relate to completely), songs of the day, music polls, stories of my escapades and shenanigans, Fight Club influenced perspectives on different topics, I have actually written a narrative using quotes from the film Fight Club that forms a different narrative all on its own that I’m pretty proud of, it’s pinned on my home page so it’s the first thing that you see.

If you want to check it out then there’s a link below 👇🏼

livingthebipolardiary.wordpress.com

#Writing #copingskills #MentalHealth #MentalIllness #MightyTogether

Saw this on Pinterest, some are repeated, but I thought this might be helpful. #coping #copingskills #copingmechanisms #neurodivergent #neurodiverse #Neurodiversity #NeurodevelopmentalDisorders #IntellectualDisability #IntellectualDisabilities #Disability #ADHD #Autism #AutismSpectrumDisorder #AspergersSyndrome #Aspergers #SensoryProcessingDisorder #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #MentalHealth #Spoonie #MightyTogether #CheckInWithMe #DistractMe #Dyslexia #Dyscalculia #Dysgraphia #Dyspraxia #TouretteSyndrome

Which kind of rest do you need today?
Which kind of rest will you allow yourself?

#BipolarDisorder
#Anxiety
#Depression
#ChronicFatigueSyndrome
#Schizophrenia
#Selfcare
#copingskills

I've been reading about the benefits of gardening and getting your hands in soil and how it can help depression, anxiety....you name it!

I haven't had the courage to make a garden yet but we repotted some of our indoor plants today. My 10 year old said it really calmed her down and helped her anxiety.

Even a few indoor plants can be a huge help and coping skill- having something or someone to take care of can really motivate you to get out of bed and get moving!

Is this something you already do or something your be willing to try? Let me know in the comments!
#copingskills
#Plants
#PTSD
#BipolarDisorder
#Anxiety
#BorderlinePersonalityDisorder
#Depression

And what are your coping skills? ✨

I went to a second job interview yesterday. The job sounds amazing and I really want it. The interview went well and it sounds like if all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, I will be offered the job and start next week.

Over the weekend, I didn’t feel nervous. However the morning of the interview, my stomach was not feeling well and I could not eat. From past experiences, I know that sometimes this is how my anxiety manifests itself.

A few hours before the interview, my husband told me he was taking the afternoon off from work. He left it wide open for me to decide if I wanted him to go with me. I went back and forth for a long time until I decided I wanted him to go for moral support.

Since the anxiety was ramping up, I took one of my anxiety pills my psychiatrist had prescribed and tried my best to relax and let it work.

I was so glad that I asked my husband to accompany me on the trip to the interview. For one, he got to see the traffic I would be facing every day. Secondly, I was able to focus on my anxiety coping techniques on the way to the interview instead of fighting the traffic.

Below are the anxiety survival skills I used in the hours leading up to the interview:

1. I prayed! I really didn’t know what to say, so I basically chanted in my head Jesus, God, Jesus, God. I know the Holy Spirit speaks for us to God. Therefore, I knew God would know what I needed.

2. I took the anxiety pill that my psychiatrist prescribed for me. It is okay to use the medicine our physicians prescribe to help in times of distress. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

3. Riding shotgun while my husband drove, I was able to focus on relaxing my muscles. When my anxiety kicks in full force, every muscle in my body constricts. I have to be in tune with my body and actually tell my muscles to relax.

4. I also was able to focus on one of my go-to coping techniques and that is deep breathing. This works in a pinch when you are unable to get to a quiet place and practice other techniques.

5. I leaned on my biggest support person, my husband. It is okay to reach out to your support system and ask for help when you are struggling.

I am forever grateful that I have these coping techniques to help me manage my anxiety. With each and every anxiety-provoking event, I get better and better at leaning on my coping techniques instead of letting my anxiety become a run-away train.

I know that all jobs, even perfectly amazing jobs have stress. However, I am so fortunate to have learned these techniques so if I am offered this job, I will be able to manage my anxiety and be the best person that I can be for the position.

#Anxiety #copingskills #copingtechniques #MentalHealthAwareness