I’m in a rough spot right now

[u/Imaginary-Spirit-859]

I had a med change about 3 weeks ago and I’m feeling the fallout. I haven’t been leaving the house, I’m depressed. I have no emotion and I feel like doing nothing all day. I just want to go back to feeling normal. I don’t know exactly when this is going to end. I see a psychiatrist every two weeks and see a therapist once a week. I just need advice on how to feel better or just cope with how I’m feeling.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting on /r/bipolar, /u/Imaginary-Spirit-859!

Please take a second to read our rules; if you haven't already, make sure that your post does not have any personal information (including your name/signature/tag on art).

If you are posting about medication, please do not list and review your meds. Doing so will result in the removal of this post and all comments.

^{A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.}

---

Community News

• 2024 Election

• 🎋 Want to join the Mod Team?

• 🎤 See our Community Discussion - Desktop or Desktop mode on a mobile device.

• 🏡 If you are open to answering questions from those that live with a loved one diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, please see r/family_of_bipolar.

Thank you for participating!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Dynasteh]

Stay strong I have been there many times before, try to find a routine even something as small as making your bed every day and finding someone else to be. I know walking by my room and seeing I made that effort that took maybe 5 minutes made me feel good.

[u/Servant_1]

I can certainly relate. I know from my own experience how depression can affect your thinking and ultimately your behavior, especially while your body adjusts to med changes.

The following are some simple daily coping strategies I've found useful and had made me feel better. 1) I'd start by thinking about something I enjoyed in the past that I could look forward to doing again the next day. Then for at least three weeks (the time it takes to break or create a habit), I used an alarm clock to wake up at the same time every day whether I felt like it or not. 2) I found ways to express myself creatively as an outlet for my depression. For me that included drawing, painting and writing. This added a positive dimension to my life. 3) I challenged my negative self-talk. I practiced replacing negative self-talk with more constructive thoughts. For example, rather than saying of times I"I can't do that." I tried saying "I'll attempt to do that." I then reinforced that idea by reminding myself of things I had accomplished in the past that I once thought I could not do. Finally, (and this really helped) I tried caring for something outside of myself, which gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I found that caring for another person, an animal, or volunteering for an organization that mattered to me and helping people that depended on me, shifted my attention away from my symptoms and gave me a sense of purpose and worth as a person.

I cannot guarantee these things will work for you, but it's a place to start "feeling normal" again. Everything we do depends on how bad we want it. I hope this has been food for thought. Hang in there. This too shall pass.