I recently had a month and half relapse. I didn’t stop my medications I just was stressed, anxious, and frustrated because I was having a hard time sleeping. I started rapid cycling between hypo mania and depression. It started off with a volunteer opportunity not working out and almost running out of my medication.
Relapses do not mean you are a failure and you have to be ashamed of yourself. As long as you seek help from others and are trying to get better then you have nothing to be ashamed of. Relapses are a very common part of the recovery process. It is important to contact your psychiatrist and therapist the moment you think you might be relapsing so that you can begin receiving the extra support and treatment you need right away.
Sometimes this means a medication adjustment…sometimes you need to better use the coping mechanisms you already have. Victoria Maxwell wrote a great article on how to prevent relapse.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/crazy-life/201903/help-prevent-relapse-mental-illness. She’s a writer, an advocate, and a motivational mental health speaker and former Canadian actress who lives with Bipolar Disorder. Check this article out!
Every time I get sick again I hope it will be the last time but I know my life is never going to be easy living with several mental illnesses. I don’t mean to sugar coat relapse because it a really awful thing. I just refuse to let look back on it and let it ruin the rest of my life. Sometimes the nicest things happen even when I feel terrible. I was sitting outside at a coffee shop feeling lonely and depressed and someone bought me a cup of decaf. I was crying walking home from where I had tried to volunteer and I got to talk to my best friend and he was a great listener.
CMRBipolarDreamer 