YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Besides taking medication, what are somethings you do to help you deal with BiPolar?
Habits? Vitamins? Foods? Routines? Exercise? Meditation? Nightly Routines?

Meditation and yoga help a lot. Also, finding a support group has given me hope and validates what we go through with bipolar disorder. If you're into it, prayer helps. I'm also finding that reducing my sugar intake appears to help my mood crashes. It's not a cure all, but I'm willing to do anything that helps.

I take 20+ minute walks at least every other day. This helps especially if I do it earlier in the day. Also, being outside and soaking up that Vitamin D-filled sunshine, even if only for 15 minutes. I'm working on better nutrition and making me feed myself. I have only managed to do this in short bursts but when I did, it made a huge difference in my mood and general over all feeling of well-being. Support groups and 12-steps are invaluable resources, when I can make myself go So far, the walking, journaling, tracking my moods and pains and food intake and re-starting AA is all I can manage right now. But it's a-fracking lot!

Solid advice! Mindfulness seems to be the common theme. Wonder if these is a 12 step program for different mental health issues.

There's a fitness studio in my town. The woman who owns it was a counselor specializing in mood disorders in a previous life. So I've been pretty comfortable talking with her about my BP.

I'm taking a TRX course with her. She takes particular (and sadistic) pleasure in getting me in a place where the seratonin is flowing. I feel great and I'm starting to get into something resembling shape.

If you can't do TRX, I do recommend some form of strength training. You'll feel great and look great.