early warning signs
 

I have recognised some early warning signs over the past few days and my mood diary shows that I have been getting more anxious, irritable and low in mood.

Now I have recognised them what do I do?

I have been taught how to spot them but not what to do once you spot them?

Have you learnt any skills that help with these symptoms? For example, when I am anxious I find it difficult to concentrate so it is important for me to set myself small targets and to get some fresh air if I feel like it is getting too much.

What unhelpful things do these symptoms cause you to do? For example, low mood often makes me isolate myself further so when I notice the first symptoms I try to keep an eye on whether I start turning down opportunities to meet friends etc that I would usually accept.

I generally try to reach out to my care team if the symptoms continue a few days after I have noticed them and we discuss things that i have found helpful in the past and any possible triggers and how we can minimise the impact of these triggers in this moment and what would possibly have helped in the days and weeks in the run up to me spotting these symptoms.

Thanks for the reply.
I'm forcing myself to meet a friend tonight rather than sitting in the house crying.

I got in touch with my cc and she made me write a to do list so I stay active but feel better every time I tick something off.

I did it and it helped a bit.
Talking to my cc helped a lot though just to have a big cry about how scared I am of getting ill again.

I want this to be a blip not a crisis. I'm not sure how ill do that yet but I'll start by just keep asking for help and support.

thanks guys.
my mood is still quite low.
I saw my CC yesterday and asked her if I could have more support this week just to help me manage the mood issues Im having. she said she would call me to check on my tomorrow and see me again on friday just for support.

Im not great at managing my symptoms but I want to learn to be in control of them so I can stay well and take responsible for myself.