That moment u wake up from deep sleep...

[missmuppet]

And don't remember anything from the day before. I like that feeling of starting again. What happens after that moment, can coloured my whole day. I'm going to run with it! I can start afresh. And hope for right now, to improve from whatever was before.

The ups & downs of my bipolar 2 are quite mysterious. I'm a different person than I was last week. I'm seeing things clearer. Let's hope it sticks around a bit longer this time. If those challenges do come my way again, I need to be more prepared & be easier on myself.

[AGrace]

Hi missmuppet,

I'm not sure if we are missing the beginning of your post?

It sounds like you have come to some kind of acceptance around your mental health, which is a really big first step. I actually wrote a thread called A X 3 - B an equation for mental health that you might like to look at on the forums. It's about the idea that we need awareness, acceptance, and action in order to move forward from mental illness into recovery, and also that we need to remove the term "better" from our vocabulary as I feel it's such an empty term.

I too hope that your up sticks around, or that at least the ups tend to get gradually longer and the downs become less frequent.

Take Care.

AGrace

[TheSteve]

Hi Missmuppet,

Good to hear from you and thanks for sharing. I'm glad to hear you are feeling well. I like what AGrace has to say, so simple yet very effective in keeping your compass pointing in the right direction on a day to day basis. Certainly, follow this advice.

What I will offer in addition is that if you are feeling significantly better this week than last, there needs to be a reason why. Being mindful about this and not judging one's self but simply monitoring the situation as a neutral third-party may, do a stock-take of your physical world this week vs. last week and see what is different. Some things to look for as a start, perhaps:

- Did you change your diet in a week, eat anything different to last week? Did you eliminate certain foods or beverages, or did you add?

- Are you exercising more?

- Are you smiling/laughing more? Is your mood better for any particular reason?

- Is the weather different? Have you spent much time in the sun and fresh air? Are allergies/pollens lower this week than last?

- Are you associating with different people this week? Have you been around people that make you happy, or were you previously around people that made you sad?

- Are you taking multi-vitamins, supplements, or medication  different to the prior week?

If it makes sense, create a little journal and see what you can discover. Perhaps learning more about you and what makes you tick, will lead to a firm grip on these moods and feelings, and help give you conscious control over it all. At the least, it can't hurt to learn more about yourself.

I wish you all the best, thanks again for sharing.

Steve

[JessF]

Sleep is an amazing reset button. I often get hit by anxiety and depression at night, and I've learnt to trust that if I let it all go, try to relax and go to sleep that I will experience that feeling you describe in the morning - and it is true, for the most part. Even if it's not totally gone, I have a lot more perspective and freshness than before I went to sleep and I can cope better.

[missmuppet]

I've been encouraged to keep a diary but fail to keep at it! Grrrr but I see how it could be helpful. I'm trying to eat better & cut out the junk, even when I have a bad day. Chocolate in particular because I feel like it messes with my mood. But I can eat it only sometimes & after a meal - not a whole block to replace a meal! Lol