Page 16 - Vision Manual

Mood disorders can develop at any point in an individual’s life, with bipolar disorder developing more frequently in late adolescence into early adulthood. While they may vary widely in the way a person experiences mood disorders, most people experience cyclical or episodic symptoms. For depression this might include periods of deep depression that are persistent for months, with less intense depression that is called dysthymia. This dysthymia might persist for long periods of time, even years, with intermittent more intense depression later on.
Bipolar disorder is similar in that it is cyclical, but how it cycles varies widely for each person. Some individuals will report rapid mood shifts and cycling between mania and depression. This can be very frustrating, as it feels like things are moving back and forth rapidly and there isn’t time to “catch your breath”. For others, a person may only experience one or two manic episodes in their lifetime and experience a greater number of depressive episodes, some that last for a very long time. Many will find that they experience more depressive episodes than manic ones, and that they are more gradual and predictable. It is very important that you keep track of your symptoms, and learn the patterns that go with your bipolar disorder so that you can communicate to your doctor about it.
Managing Mood Disorder Symptoms
Mood Disorders are challenging because they oftentimes take a long period of time to change and shape. Like other disorders, the most important things to do are to communicate with care providers, work to manage medication effectively, and work in therapy to directly confront and shift behavior. Strategies that can help in managing mood disorder symptoms are listed below:
 Developing a group of people that can support you without overly relying on one person for help.
 Taking medication as prescribed.
 Working to establish a routine that supports healthy recovery.
 Focusing on physical well-being and managing diet, exercise, and self-care.
 Applying coping skills to reduce distress.
 Develop a safety plan and make use of pattern recognition to reduce or shorten
the length of relapses.
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