Mental illness recovery looks different for everybody and every mental illness. For instance, bipolar recovery looks different for someone with bipolar 1 with psychotic features and someone without psychotic features. Also someone with depression recovery looks different from someone with PTSD.
My bipolar recovery is different every day for me. I have psychotic features and ultra-rapid cycling. But most of the time, it seems it lasts just a couple of hours.
Yesterday, I experienced right-out mania that I could actually notice myself without someone else telling me. Usually I feel hypomanic or manic and don’t really realize it until later. But yesterday, I noticed it while I was doing it for the first time in a while. The rest of the day was pretty normal with a lot of creative energy.
What I have learned with my bipolar recovery is that I still might have symptoms like paranoia or hypomania, but the symptoms are not as strong or prevalent. I might have a pretty normal day, no extreme highs or lows. However, my paranoia will kick in and I think all the neighbors are watching me and can see into my house.
What does your mental illness recovery look like? Does it last very long? How do you feel when your mental illness takes a holiday?
#Bipolar 1 #Mania #Recovery