Twenty-five and a half years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I’ve been living symptom-free for over a decade. I consider myself to be in “remission” from my mental illness, because I no longer have symptoms that plague me, so I no longer fit the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder comes with a heavy stigma and is often confused with a personality disorder. For me, it meant I had seasons of depression (lasting weeks) or seasons of hypomania/mania (that didn’t last as long). Hypomania was “fun” and led to productivity, but mania was dangerous. If I didn’t sleep, it got worse.
People frequently message me, wanting me to know what I did to become symptom-free. Concerned parents reach out to me, asking me to help their child heal. I think it’s important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone’s illness affects them differently, and every diagnosis has a different cluster of root causes. My root causes were trauma-based and psychoneuroimmunological (I was diagnosed with mono the same month I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I had immune challenges all throughout childhood).
Another factor that is important in my story is personality. I’m a go-getter and a very determined, curious, research-driven person. When I was first told I would always struggle, I believed what I was told. When I began to see research that indicated otherwise, I dug deeper. I realized that I wasn’t as powerless as I once thought. That brought out a “fighter mentality” in me, and I refused to let my label limit me from living out my purpose.
I understand that for many people struggling for years, the exhaustion of fighting with symptoms can leave you hopeless, and that feeling is paralyzing. I hope the information I share next doesn’t fill you with a greater sense of hopelessness. Instead, I want to spark your inner curiosity to dig into what may be helpful for you to incorporate.
Here’s a short list of what helped me. I listed everything I did in order, and keep in mind this was a process over many years:
- I kept a strict sleep routine. Sleepless nights would almost guarantee mood episodes for me.
- I kept a predictable daily routine. Teaching worked well for me for this reason.
- Regular exercise (most days per week) calmed hypomania and helped boost mood if I felt myself getting low.
- For nutrition, I cut out all sugar-sweetened drinks (like soda) and diet drinks. Then I stopped eating cereal. Bread products and other refined carbs followed. Pretty soon I was eating gluten-free, lower carb, higher fat and protein without realizing it. This was a game-changer! I don’t like how I feel when I have sugar or heavy carbs. I feel buzzy, which isn’t good. (I do have chips and salsa and guacamole occasionally. I live in Texas, y’all.)
- I still have coffee with cream, butter, or full fat coconut milk in the morning about an hour and a half after I wake up. Caffeine helps me focus and doesn’t drive anxiety or hypomania for me. Breakfast is always savory with fat and protein, but it might not be traditional “breakfast” food.
- If I have grains, it’s only once a day and white rice. I am mostly grain-free and dairy free. It keeps my brain clear and energized.
- Supplements are crucial for me because I know my illnesses were psychoneuroimmunological in nature and my gut health plays a huge role in my mental stability. I always take magnesium and probiotics at night, a B vitamin complex in the day, along with cod liver oil. NAC is helpful, and sometimes I take quercetin too. As needed, I take amino acids like Gabacalm and tryptophan, sometimes l theanine/glycine/taurine/5 HTP for sleep.
- I’ve had to become familiar with my nervous system, my many incredible emotions and feelings that alert me to danger, and how trauma played a role in my diagnosis (including how my diagnosis itself left me with trauma that needed to be sorted out).
- Lastly, I monitor my energy expenditure and don’t overcommit—even if I want to.
This isn’t a substitute for medical advice; this is simply what helped me. I had really terrible side effects from medications, so I had to advocate for myself and find other tools to support my symptoms. The more I tuned into my body and let it speak up, the more I learned to support it.
I share a whole lot more in my upcoming book, which is available for preorder NOW at this link.
No matter what diagnoses or label you struggle with, it IS possible to live beyond your label.
you are not your diagnosis – such an important reminder! thank you, Linda xx