Maintaining Mood Stability with Bipolar Disorder

The overall treatment plan for helping a person with bipolar disorder is fairly straightforward. The goal is to help the person with bipolar disorder achieve and maintain mood stability.

• Take your medications as prescribed, even when you’re feeling good, and consult your doctor before making any medication changes.

• Establish routines that ensure a regular sleep-wake schedule. Lack of quality sleep is related to mood instability and is often a warning sign of an impending mood episode.

• Ingest healthy stuff and avoid the bad stuff, including alcohol and marijuana, which may interfere with medications.

• Exercise. Even a relaxing 30-minute walk every other day can help.

• Monitor your moods and seek help sooner rather than later. Early intervention can prevent major mood meltdowns.