What helps bipolar disorder is usually a combination of professional treatment (medication, therapy like CBT/IPSRT), lifestyle habits (sleep, diet, exercise), and strong support systems (family, friends, support groups) to manage mood swings, reduce episodes, and improve overall quality of life, though effectiveness varies per person, requiring close doctor collaboration.
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy.
This therapy focuses on stabilizing daily rhythms, including sleeping, waking and eating. A consistent routine helps manage moods. A daily routine for sleep, diet and exercise may help people with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, but there are treatments that can help manage it. A mental health specialist will work with you to create a treatment plan.
Stick to a routine
Day-to-day activities, such as the time you eat meals and go to sleep. Making time for relaxation, mindfulness, hobbies and social plans. Taking any medication at the same time each day. This can also help you manage side effects and make sure there's a consistent level in your system.
However, many people with bipolar disorder have found the following tools to be helpful in reducing symptoms and maintaining wellness:
Foods such as such as vegetables, fruit, oil-rich fish and whole grains may be more likely help with stability. Eating habits that benefit most people include three meals a day (or more than three smaller, nutritious meals spaced evenly throughout the day) at approximately the same times each day.
You can use a 48 hour rule where you wait at least 2 full days with 2 nights sleep before acting on risky decisions. Review your decision to avoid a tempting, but risky, behaviour.
Lithium is a mood stabilising medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. It can be prescribed as: lithium carbonate (Camcolit, Priadel, Liskonum) lithium citrate (Li-liquid, Priadel).
The Challenges of Living with Bipolar Disorder
These emotions can range from extreme highs of mania, where they may feel invincible and engage in impulsive behaviors, to lows of depression, where they may struggle with feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and a lack of motivation.
At the outset, bipolar symptoms are commonly mistaken for ADHD, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and, in its more severe manifestations, as schizophrenia.
Introduction
About 44% of people with bipolar disorder experience symptom remission; 23% achieve complete mental health. Outcomes should improve when current treatments reach more people and as new treatments become available.
Stressful life events
Or it may make symptoms feel more intense or difficult to manage. Things that can cause stress include: A relationship breakdown. Money worries and poverty.
There are various types of exercise that can be beneficial for managing bipolar depression. Aerobic exercises, such as walking, jogging, or swimming, increase your heart rate and help improve cardiovascular health. These activities also stimulate the release of endorphins, boosting your mood and energy levels.
You can also support your loved one by:
Using Natural Mood Stabilizers
If you're looking for a natural way to address symptoms of depression or anxiety, options include St. John's Wort, omega-3 fatty acids, 5-HTP and lifestyle habits. While there is some evidence that these things can help, a lot more research needs to be done.
Medications are essential for managing bipolar disorder, but lifestyle changes can support your treatment. Activities like art therapy, journaling, and relaxation techniques can help manage bipolar symptoms. Stick to a routine, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly to help stabilize your mood.
Research suggests that people with both bipolar disorder and anxiety often experience more severe mood instability, faster cycling, and greater difficulty managing daily stress. Anxiety can also intensify feelings of insecurity, disrupt sleep, and make it harder to recover from depressive lows or control manic highs.
Those with bipolar I depression were mainly hospitalized in summer and winter, whereas for bipolar II depression most admissions for depression occurred in the spring and summer.
As an alternative, non-stimulant medications such as atomoxetine (Strattera) are often considered safer for those with co-occurring bipolar disorder. Studies have indicated that atomoxetine can effectively manage ADHD symptoms without triggering manic episodes (Biederman et al., 2005).
9 tips for how to stop a manic episode immediately
During a depressive phase, individuals with bipolar disorder may need more personal space. They might ignore or distance themselves from others as a form of self-protection or because social interactions feel too overwhelming.
Moderate Stage: More frequent and intense episodes that disrupt daily life. Severe Stage: Extreme mood swings with increased risk of self-harm or hospitalization. End-Stage Bipolar Disorder: Constant, severe symptoms that no longer respond to traditional treatments.
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a leading national organization focusing on mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder.