Bipolar relapse

[longversion]

I have bipolar disorder since last six years. Since Jan I regularly skip and overdose on my meds. How can I know if I'm having a relapse?

[chinahorse]

Are you under any mental health team you could discuss this with? It might be you need to discuss med compliance with them or ideas such as a depot or prescriptions every few days or something.

As you have had it a long time have you identified any warning signs? Are you displaying any signs, have friends or colleagues noticed anything? As you have asked this question you are obviously worrying about something.

[longversion]

There's no mental health team available at my place. About the signs, right now i'm feeling normal, but i make journals when i'm not feeling normal. last few months, i got grand ideas on how i can get rich fast and easy, but now i think it doesn't make any sense at all. I frequently get racing thoughts and sometimes it's too much for me to handle, like there's a war going on inside my head. then, just last week i became deeply depressed to the point that i want to commit suicide. i overdose but luckily didn't die. Now my mood stabilize (i think) but i'm worried about relapse... and very worried about my next mood swings. I'm really scare but i can't tell the truth to my family or my doctor because i don't want to be admitted into the psych ward.

[tiptoes]

Monitoring your mood on a daily basis can help you spot early signs of a relapse.

Watching out for warning signs ... maybe write yourself of list of the things you do/feel etc when going high or low.

Monitor your sleep, maintaining a good sleep routine is crucial for managing bipolar especially if you are struggling with compliance.

If you feel like you are normal now maybe it would be a good time to talk to your family or your doctor rather than waiting for you to relapse and end up in an episode that requires their help.

How come you started to not take your meds properly?

[longversion]

I started with overdose. I did it when I'm feeling very angry or feeling depressed. I need to calm myself. I know it's a wrong way to be calm down but it's easier than being honest to my family. I just need to fine excuses why I slept too much. Then, when I took my meds as prescribed it makes me feel numb. That's why I tried skip it, and it makes me feel high. I like this feeling. But then, I noticed the gaps between my ups and downs becomes more and more significant. I guess discussing this with my doc while I'm still feeling normal is a good idea…but I need to be sure whether I'm really is having a relapse or not.

[tiptoes]

Could you write yourself a list of evidence that you are doing ok and evidence that you are relapsing maybe have a think back to how you have been previously in an episode?