Bipolar Disorder
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Natural Remedies for Bipolar Disorder

| Modified on Feb 07, 2024
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Bipolar disorder is an alarming condition that involves frequent mood swings. However, treatment is possible. Bipolar disorder typically responds well to natural remedies such as lavender, St. John’s Wort, fish oil, and other nutritional and herbal supplements.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is a condition that is characterized by frequent mood changes. These changes or mood swings typically involve periods of highs or manic stages and lows or depressive syndromes. As you feel manic, you will likely feel euphoric and full of energy; however, when you become depressed, you likely feel sad and even hopeless.

The condition ranges in severity for different individuals and may include frequent mood swings that occur multiple times a day or infrequent changes such as a few times a year. In any form of bipolar, the periods of mood swings are severe enough to alter your ability to function normally.

What Causes Bipolar?

While the exact cause of bipolar is not known, a few contributing factors have been identified. These factors seem to trigger or cause the severe changes in mood and include biological differences in the brain, imbalances in the existing neurotransmitters, imbalanced hormones, genetic predispositions, and environmental stress or abuse.

What Are Conventional Treatments for Manic-Depressive Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a condition that requires lifelong treatment that should be administered by a qualified professional. Most individuals affected by the condition work with a team of trained professionals to address the issue from all sides of the condition. Components of treatment typically include counseling, support groups, medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Can Natural Remedies Help Stabilize Mood?

Natural supplements are also an effective component of treatment. These options help stabilize the body naturally and decrease the prevalence of mood swings. Lavender, St. John’s Wort, and fish oil are three of the most common natural remedies; however, the condition typically responds well to a host of others as well.

1. Lavender

Lavender is a calming herb. It helps soothe your emotions and decreases your risk of emotional triggers. It also helps balance the neurotransmitters in your brain and regulate sleep.

2. St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is an herbal antidepressant. This treatment helps alleviate your symptoms of depression but should only be taken under doctor supervision as it can trigger complications when taken in conjunction with certain bipolar medications.

3. Fish Oil

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fats. These fats support the functioning of your brain and improves mood and affect. Fish oil can also help reduce the occurrence of manic episodes.

You should always consult your doctor before trying a new natural remedy for your bipolar disorder as these remedies could interfere with your current medication. Nonetheless, natural remedies are a beneficial addition to a holistic treatment approach for bipolar.

Continue reading below for more natural cure suggestions from Earth Clinic readers.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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5-HTP

Posted by Sheryn (Milwaukee, Wi) on 04/17/2010

Susan and others...I noticed while researching several options to treat low-level depression, that many caution against using if your depression has a bipolar (manic) component. My guess is that increasing serotonin in that instance leads to the manic activity and irritability (depressed mood manic energy me = one serious crabby-butt, lesson learned with an ill-fated combo of stimulants for attention deficit).

The solution for you may lie in working with other parts of your brain chemistry. Maybe see what folks are recommending for bipolar/cyclothymia.

Acetyl L-Carnitine

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Posted by Sveta (Des Plaines, IL) on 07/28/2009
 ★★★★★

Having been suffering from bipolar, bulimia, anxiety disorder and depression for 5 years. Tried ACETYL L-CARNITINE. Have one thing to say, it's freaking amazing! I'm surprised you don't hear about it much. It helps my anxiety better than cold showers, antidepressants, and even Xanax! I'm so happy that that i found out about it. It's like the hell I've been living in for years is over. This supplement has the strength of a prescription drug. I advise everyone who has anxiety problem to give a try. Though I need like 50 mg a day instead of 5000 the way they recommend. 5000 is too much for me to tolerate. Find your dosage. And never give up. Try every supplement for depression and anxiety out there, one by one. Some will do nothing, some will make you feel worse, but there'll be one, two, or even more that will help you and make your life a beautiful and joyful thing to have. Good luck everyone.

EC: More info about this supplement on our L-carnitine page.

Replied by Lighta
(Auckland, New Zealand)
09/23/2012
★★★★★

i agree! Started taking it on intuition a couple of days ago. My depression (bipolar2) is already much improved thanks to supplements, diet and stress-free lifestyle changes over 6 years, but this is giving me a noticable extra boost: dont get fatigued nearly as easily, noticably better tolerance to stress and to sugar-induced anxiety, better clarity, not wanting to comfort-eat, and finding a calm smile on my face. Have read briefly online about how it helps all kinds of things, from excercise recovery, energy, any degerantive brain diseases, heart function etc. Im taking 500-1000mg a day. I have read cautions for people with bipolar or who are taking some medications, and that doses higher than 3g may make some people nauseous, get stomach upset etc.

Blue Light Therapy

Posted by Teresa (Kenedy, Texas) on 09/01/2008

Some information on blue light therapy, link at bottom of page.

Using blue light for "light therapy"

As you probably know, there's a version of depression called "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD), or "winter depression". This kind of depression -- which is very common in people with Bipolar II -- can be treated with light. Plain old light will do, but in some parts of the country in December plain old light is hard to come by So several decades ago researchers studied whether sitting in front of a bank of lights for 30-60 minutes might help reverse the seasonal sag in mood, and found that indeed some people seemed to respond very well. In the most recent study of "light therapy", sitting in front of a box of light every morning during a Canadian winter was as effective as fluoxetine (Prozac).

But the light needed for this, from a suitcase-sized "light box", was hard to get: insurance companies almost never pay for these boxes, which are expensive, usually around $250-300. They are not very portable.

However, now a very small light box is available for around $140 (e.g. from Costco last winter) that's much more portable, so you can use it where you happen to be in the morning. The key was finding just the right wavelength of light for this purpose, which allowed the box to be much smaller. I hope you already know, from the story above, what wavelength that is: blue light -- the striped peak in the graph above, which comes from the manufacturer's website (I have no financial connection to that manufacturer, and get no gain from telling you this story. I'm telling it here because I think it's a great story, and because understanding it may help people get an effective treatment they might not have considered otherwise).

This little light box has been tested for effectiveness just as the older bigger light boxes have, and shown to be superiorGlickman to the "control" condition -- a dim red light, admittedly not the greatest control condition, but this research has been hard to do, coming up with a plausible "placebo" treatment. A better test would be a comparison of the blue light versus white light, which might be more plausible as a placebo, as the older light boxes emit a white light. That study has been done, and the blue light was superior (not yet published, the manufacturer tells me, as of June 2006). The best test would be a head-to-head study of the little blue one versus one of the older big ones, which we know from years of research are truly better than a placebo. But the blue-light manufacturers have little incentive to do that study (what if theirs was not as good?), so we're not likely to see that research unless one of the manufacturers of the old light box pays for it!

link http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/BlueLight.htm

EC: For more information on this remedy, please see our Blue Light Therapy page.

Cold Showers

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Posted by Trevor (Cambridge, NY) on 08/04/2005
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My hot water tank malfunctioned recently so I had to take cold showers. At first I dreaded the idea but have since found that tepid showers invigorate my spirit and lighten my mood. I'm bipolar and have crushing depressive episodes. Believe me when I say that I feel my cold showers mitigate the effects of my dark moods and project a feeling of well being and joy throughout my whole body and mind!

Detox

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Posted by Rcohen (Kingsport, Tn) on 06/21/2012
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On the track of researching a more broad based concept, having BiPolar Illness, Fibro and now Cancer in our family, I have discovered a few common demoninators across many "chronic diseases". First we must note our medical system's propensity to sell symptoms to the general public AS illnesses so they can "treat" them indefinitely. Then understand that most things we eat, consume as medicinal, breath or otherwise consume is TOXIC, and in the case of foods, contain little to zero nutritional value. Even if the food is SUPPOSED to be healthy for you, the way most companies TREAT / PROCESS it will leave it devoid of any of the good stuff.

With that said, MOST illnesses I believe, including Cancer (look at Essiac Tea), Fibro and BiPolar is due to a toxicity, deficiency and lack of good nutrition or at least nutrition that makes it where it needs to go on a cellular level. Most processed foods CLOG the body to the point where it can't ABSORB the nutrition FROM the foods that we consume, if even it WERE good for us.

The answer in most cases is to DETOX as a regularity and to supply your body with a nutritional boost of some kind (specific to your symptoms) to offset the rest.

Cheers, rcohen

Fenugreek

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Posted by George (Houston, Texas) on 03/24/2007
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My girlfriend suffers from bipolar mania and PMS, and I've tried hard to figure out why she can be the most perfect, wonderful, loving girlfriend for months, then turn into a mean, vicious, heartless, remorseless monster and kick me out of the house. Then she started taking an herb called fenugreek to increase milk production while breastfeeding. Within less than two weeks she transformed back into the wonderful, loving woman I fell in love with and it was better than ever! After doing more research I determined that the culprit was a neuropeptide hormone called oxytocin, the love hormone. It's responsible for milk production, bonding, trust, openness, reduction in stress/anxiety, and to some extent libido. It was a beautiful transformation! Apparently there was an intranasal form of oxytocin available previously, but now you have to get it custom made, but fenugreek seems to promote its production. I guess the key is to make sure that she takes it regularly while her oxytocin levels are high and she's still reasonable! Otherwise the bad version of her may refuse to take it!

Flax Seed Oil

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Posted by Magicgal (Cambridge, Ma) on 09/29/2013
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I have bipolar disorder. Being vegan, I diligently take my daily supplements. But on business trips, I don't bring flax oil which I store in fridge. I go without flax oil for 3-4 days and I become angry, paranoid, and a completely different person. As soon as I reach home and resume taking flax oil, my symptoms just vanish into thin air. So, I figure I should buy flax softgels to bring with me on business trips. As expected, my mood swings never ever come back and mess with my life.

In case you are curious, I weigh 50 kg, age 31. I take about 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil daily with my breakfast oatmeal. I also take niacin @100 mg after every meal, making around 300mg/day. I take it along with a B-complex. Both niacin & flax oil are indispensable to my normal functioning. Missing either one will set me in trouble. Hope this helps any of you.

Replied by Matt
(Rhode Island, US)
02/13/2015

I'm sorry to tell you but this is a placebo effect. Flaxseed oil does not have the omega 3 responsible for mood stability (EPA). However, fish oil does. There is no substitute. And for anyone else on this board with true manic depression (Bipolar I disorder), you can not substitute medication with herbs and vitamins. True bipolar I is a medical illness, which needs to be treated medically. If your disorder responds to vitamins and herbs alone, you probably have a personality disorder, such as borderline personality disorder. I am a mental health professional and see this type of misconception all the time.

Replied by Clay
(Louisville, Ky)
02/13/2015

I'm sorry to tell you that flax seeds contain ALA which can convert into EPA. So it seems there is a substitute.

Replied by Mckenzie
(Ca)
02/13/2015

Matt,

You may be a mental health professional, but you lack logic. You say the person experienced a placebo effect. Then your said that bi-polar can only be treated with medication. If a person was "healed" via placebo, there is a solution other than a medical one. Additionally, your concept that bi-polar can only be managed medically shows a narrow mindedness common among medical professionals. Have experiments been conducted to prove that every other possible treatment of bi-polar is ineffective? Obviously not. You cannot know that only medication is the solution. Most would agree that medication helps bi-polar, but you seem to believe that medical conditions can only be treated medically. You can read hundreds upon hundreds of posts on this forum alone where people who have not found satisfactory help with modern medical professionals and medications, have found health and healing with natural remedies or sometimes a combination of the two.

Because you are a medical professional, and you profit from people being sick, your statements come from a bias against natural solutions.

Replied by Jason
(Wisconsin, US)
03/12/2015

I cannot tolerate Flaxseed. After taking it, I become extremely irritable. I suffer from seasonal depression and usually rely on alcohol to help during the rough times. For panic attacks I'll take a very small dose of Xanax .125mg - .25mg maybe 3-4 times a year. But I have never experienced the level of anger that results from taking flaxseed. It makes me feel frustrated and paranoid. There is nothing else in my 45 years that has made me feel so terrible and unable to control my emotions. I also have a sister and a brother who have the same reactions to flax as I do. My sister has suffered from occasional depression, however, my brother has never suffered any form of mental illness. Don't know if it is something we are allergic to or if it just creates some chemical imbalance. The disappointing thing for me is whenever you do an internet search for flaxseed, 99% of the results are praising the wonderful miracle cures that are possible but offer very little if any information on the possible negative side effects. I wouldn't wish the reaction I have on anyone. I just wanted to share in case anyone else out there has had the same experience.

Replied by Timh
(KY)
03/13/2015
2048 posts

J: How or by what method or type are you taking?? Whole seeds, milled seeds, or oil??

I always advise taking Omega 3's w/ Selenium & Vit-E for the greatest benefit.

Also, a major problem with Flax is storage. Flax oil must be kept cool & dark and not exceed the expiration date. If not, the "rancid" oil will make one sick.

Replied by KT
(Usa)
03/13/2015

Hello Jason, Our entire food supply has been made corrupt by hidden sources of manufactured glutamic acid (MSG) and genetically modified organisms (GMO's), in one way or another. This includes medications, vitamins and supplements.

Our food is being engineered to last longer. The animals we eat and get milk or eggs from are being fed GMO grasses and grains. Because everyone eats differently, everyone is going to react differently. I think anyone with an egg or dairy allergy/sensitivity is due to what those critters are being fed now. We get 2% milk. "Grass-fed" and/or "free-range" are terms that are deceptive and really don't make a difference anymore. "Non-GMO" is impossible just because of wind and bird droppings. Infiltration cannot be avoided.

I believe many of the farmers are sincere in what they're trying to raise or produce but are genuinely unaware of what has happened to our food supply.

My husband and I cannot eat whole wheat without having a problem with anger. My husband is affected by any wheat products. We do better if I get the unbleached white flour products. Nothing with any flavoring (no tasty crackers or cookies). I cannot eat plain yogurt because it makes me extremely agitated. Our daughter noticed and brought it to my attention.

I had been hospitalized twice for depression. Once in the early 70's and once in the early 80's. Over the last two decades we've had to change our way of eating and it has not been an easy endeavor. Reducing my meat and egg portions (more difficult for husband), cooking all vegetables until tender and only getting vegetables canned, without salt or frozen because they have been blanched is not as quick and easy as fast food or processed but safer. Only using RealSalt, purchased from the health food store and staying away from all added salt in anything because there is a flowing agent in that salt that I strongly believe is the culprit for many ailments. We get real butter (any store brand) without salt.

I get canned fruit in its own juice. Sometimes I get "fresh" blueberries and freeze them. Never bananas anymore. They have been cloned for several decades.

I know this may be a lot to digest but it is what I have had the opportunity to learn since my retirement. We have been desensitized to what has been going on for, at least, sixty years. It's been tough and took awhile to clean up my system the best I can.

I have been amending this, just about, all day but feel I've left something out. I hope it helps you identify what may be causing your difficulty. I can tell you that alcohol will deplete the B vitamins you need for your nerves and the troubles will never go away. You only numb them for awhile. I have been there and done that too.

Replied by Lesley
(Queensland)
09/03/2016

Yes I agree. My live in friend has bi-polar. he was on Zyprexa and valproate for 11 years. A year ago he just stopped medication completely. I noticed no change. Recently the past 2 weeks I noticed some mania. I thought OK he is just having a super thought and productive week. I also noticed that he was sleeping 4 hours a night. Three nights ago he started laughing like really uncontrollably. I commented on this as it was rather inappropriate like the humour in Funniest Home Videos-not really funny at all. He told me that he needed sleep as he was feeling crazy. That triggered me to realise that the past 2 weeks he was bi-polar again. Tonight for the third night of good sleep he should improve even more. His diet is unprocessed food and balanced. Fruit, veges, whey and hemp seed milk drink.

It seems with regulated sleep, at least 7 hours every 24 hours bi-polar conditions do not exist. He believes that the Doctors Medication had him completely overweight and mind fogged. No side effects! I am speaking from experience.

Replied by Sandy Smith
(Usa)
04/05/2017

Hello, maybe eating cow dairy is not agreeable with everyone. I eat raw goat yogurt, anyone who says goat is the same as cow is misinformed. I make my own raw goat yogurt and eat it plain or sometimes with a smudge or raw honey. I will tell you that there are certain times to not consume goat products as it can get pretty pungent. But anyone raising goats and knowing the changes are the best to purchase products from.

Replied by Sam
(Santa Barbara)
03/10/2018

I have this reaction with chocolate.

Flax Seed Oil
Posted by Kira (Saratoga, NY) on 12/20/2008
 ★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

If you have bipolar tendencies (e.g. getting hypomanic when taking an SSRI anti-depressant) be careful when taking flax seed oil, a very small percentage get hypomanic (e.g. you feel like you have ants in your pants and can't sit still). When such a person continues to take the flax oil, it may trigger a manic episode.

I can tolerate Omega 3s in fish oil but not flax oil or flax mixed with cottage cheese. Not many people seem to know this side effect of flax that effects like 1% or so of users but somewhere online I came across it after already experiencing it myself. Most people aren't bothered.

Gaba and Lithium Aspartate

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Posted by Monique (San Diego, California) on 08/07/2008
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My husband has bipolar disorder, mostly manic. He has been taking GABA (amino acid), about 3 or 4 per day, which really helps. He also takes lithium aspartate, about 5 per day, 5 mg. each. Both of these are found at our local health store. These are both calming for him, provided he takes enough. If he escalates into mania, he takes a little more GABA daily, until balanced again.

Garlic

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Posted by Libraloveshealth (Los Angeles, California) on 02/27/2017
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Garlic Overdose for Bipolar disorder

I know this sounds crazy and totally off the wall, people probably will doubt me, and think I'm nuts but overdosing on garlic, it cured my bipolar disorder. I took aged garlic tablets. I have read about garlic causing brain changes it can be very toxic in high doses. When I was taking the aged garlic tablets I took 3 pills with each meal 3 times a day. During the time I could feel lots of zinging zaps in my brain, my brain did feel as though it was changing like. I also felt like a splitting type of feeling in my head. I believe that the sulfur and other compounds in the garlic can change brain cells. Garlic is a very potent compound and used to reverse and repel many things, so I believe it can reverse and repel bipolar disorder as well. I did end up with an anemic reaction from too much garlic and ended up in the ER though, but at the cost of my bipolar disorder being cured. I believe the people who eat garlic and the countries which eat large amounts of garlic do have less incidence of mental illnesses/disorders. I know it is toxic in high doses, but this could possibly be a cure, it did fix me. My bipolar was very severe I tried every medication and even considered electroconclusive therapy. I'm not saying that my bipolar is 100% cured but I would say it is 90%. I am no longer dealing with suidicidal thoughts, mood swings, depression, anger fits, etc. I am very calm. I wish there would be more medical research done on the compounds in garlic for bipolar disorder. As toxic as lithium and Depakote are, this is something to look into.

Just be wary though cause too much of the garlic can cause anemic reactions but I hear there are some special tropical fruits which can prevent it for those who want to take garlic daily for the health benefits.

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

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Posted by Donnie (Albuquerque, New Mexico) on 09/26/2008

Hey Daniel, I had a bipolar girlfriend. In doing Internet research I found a natural supplement company out of Canada called "True Hope." Though Julie never tried it (in denial about her bipolarity), I heard some good things about it. I remember that it was a lot cheaper than lithium or other less-natural symptom suppressors. Since you're on an all-natural kick, this might be something you might be interested in.

Replied by Jillery
(Nc)
11/25/2013
86 posts

I used TrueHope to wean myself off my psych meds about 8 years ago. I did pretty well without meds but I also stopped taking supplements (bad! ). I had a hefty bipolar event in Sept-- came on situational (lost job) and then I became terribly depressed. I started with the TrueHope stuff again and they also referred me to a holistic shrink in the area. Thru trial and error (and intuition) I am also taking 5HTP, GABA, magnesium and Vit D. I feel I am the kind of person who lacks serotonin and those add ons helped me a great deal. My doctor had me read the book NUTRITION POWER by Dr. Walsh (Welsh?) and there are folks who don't make enough serotonin, some who make too much copper, some who need extra Zinc, etc etc etc. My doc can do the blood tests but being unemployed I cannot afford the testing (all in all about $800 for like 4 various tests) so I/we did the trial and error stuff. So the reason some people respond well (or poorly) to some supplements has to do with what your body is not making enough of or over-manufacturing. ~jillery

Replied by Mr. Ree
(Usa)
11/25/2013

Google niacin and bi-polar/schizophrenia..It cures bi polar problems 100% of the time...Can't rememeber the name of the doctor, but there is one that treated people for many years. He's also on the site..

Replied by Louellen
(Calgary, Ab, CA)
12/05/2014

I have used True Hope EMP initially for Post Partum Depression. I found it helped balance me after a few days... But eventually I realized that I was simply deficient in basically everything after growing a human (did not take a prenatal). Many people swear by EMP but it is also costly and you need to take 9 pills a day.

Replied by Alissa
(Cache Valley, Utah)
12/03/2017

Hi Jillery,

I have a daughter who was diagnosed bipolar about 18 months ago. I have now read the Nutrient Power book. It was very detailed. I'm interested in find a book that helps family members better understand how to be supportive to the bipolars needs. Particularly when they are depressed. Can you recommend anything like that? Thanks

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by Daniel (Los Angeles, California) on 08/16/2008
 ★★★★★

I am 37 years old and bipolar. I never knew that I had a 'kidney stone' problem until recently. I have investigated anything that could be considered to be the cause or culprit to trigger my bipolar, and until recently, I thought I was incurable...I actually used to laugh at people that took so much time to respond to ads like this (like, 'what losers....'); but now I am one of them. I have had pains in my right side where my kidney was, but always attributed it to being dehydrated, or something I ate or just some kind of sprain. But then I wondered if I might have a kidney condition and none of my doctors would do any tests to find out. I began to lose faith in my doctors and western medicine altogether...I firmly believe that anyone who is diagnosed with a mental illness should consult a professional, but now I also suggest seeking alternative measures. Having considered my kidneys as part of my problem, I tried the olive oil and lemon juice (2oz. and 2oz. each), for about 3 days every 8 hours or so, and I started having spasms in my right kidney area almost immediately. After about 24 hours, I felt the 'tumbling' sensation in my bladder when I urinated. The second night I woke up in the middle of the night with shooting pains in my rectal area, which immediately subsided. The next morning I urinated and out came a few stones and I feel soooooo much better. I actually feel more 'clear headed' and not so pessimistic (if that's even possible...). I don't know if this is a cure for bipolar, but I SINCERELY believe that is has helped me immensely with my mental balance. Thank you for posting all of your supportive letters and Earth clinic for allowing us to post them here. God bless you!

Replied by Ric
(California)
08/22/2016

You may have something there, Daniel. Your kidney stone issues reminded me of my ex-wife. I used to be married to someone who was bipolar: nice and charismatic one moment, unbridled with anger the next. Whenever she was pregnant, she seemed to be a much nicer person. During one of her pregnancies, she had to have her gallbladder removed because of "gallstones" and the pain they were causing on her right side. After getting divorced from her and looking to recover my own health and well-being, I started looking into natural home remedies. I began by doing gallbladder flushes and liver cleanses (with a method using Epsom salts, EV olive oil, grapefruit juice) followed in later months by a combined bowel cleanse (psyllium husk and bentonite shakes) and detox ("lemonade diet" - using lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper). After experiencing the health benefits of those cleanses I was left to wonder if my ex would have benefited both mentally and physically from the same. I think there is a connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind. Someone else here posted a Bipolar cure as Detox (relating to detox, deficiency's and good nutrition). I believe all of those things are beneficial and worth looking into. I will do more research on kidney stone removal methods and benefits, as I may have some - an inherited trait. Thanks.

Replied by Rebecca
(Mn)
10/09/2017

That is awesome. In some schools of thought, your right side regulates your emotions. So awesome you tried that...

Lifestyle Changes

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Posted by Jasmine (Budd Lake, Nj) on 03/14/2011

So true your article was. I just wanted to say that I appreciated it. I am bipolar as well. I am an artist and a musician and mechanic and a cook and so on and so on. I have learned to embrace my multi talents and my deep emotion. Like you said most of the world will never feel as we feel or be as talented and interesting as we are. Well said!

Lifestyle Changes
Posted by Taylor (Chicago, Il) on 09/30/2010
 ★★★★☆

I haven't found any food/substance that helps with my bipolar, but a recent lifestyle change has really helped me. My doctor suggested I track my moods daily, which I do, and it helps me notice patterns and when to expect my ups and downs. Each day, write down a description of how you felt and rate your mood, from -10 being the most depressed you've ever felt, to 10 being the most manic you've ever felt. Also, record how much you slept that night, if you drank alcohol or consumed other drugs, and if you had any suicidal thoughts (no mater how fleeting- as we bipolars know, suicidal thoughts can often be... For lack of a better word... Casual, not of much concern. What matters is that your mind for whatever reason thought about suicide, no matter how severe). Keeping track like this has really helped me. Oh ya: THERAPY. It rocks. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy is ok, but I suggest using that therapy in combination with another. CBT can be difficult for bipolar people because we think abstract. Look for a therapist who's been trained in more than just cognitive behavioral. In therapy sessions, it's vitally important to tell the truth. If you are guarded and afraid you'll cry, tell your therapist, and work out a way to communicate; maybe write letters and bring them into therapy. Insist that you just can't tell the truth in normal conversation and you need to find another way. Art therapy is also great; However, I think that therapy should be more that just art therapy. I think art therapy should be used in combination with talk therapy. Also, don't be afraid to tell your therapist that you think they're wrong, or that what their saying isn't helping. They're not perfect, and you need to work as a team. Also, don't be afraid to switch therapists. Trust your gut. Also, I stumbled across an article called The 7Habits of the Highly Productive Bipolar. I've started to follow these more rigidly and it's helping a lot. Exercise and Sleep make a big difference.

-Exercise
-Eat a proper diet
-Incorporate Scheduled Relaxation time into your life
-Have a morning and evening routine
-Learn to be organized
-Don't take yourself too seriously

I have also found that marijuana kicks me into mania. I was in denial for a while because I like smoking and mania can be really fun, inspiring and significant, but weed induced manic episodes ultimately threw off my routine too much and put me behind in the more important things in life. So, rule of thumb... Be wary of the weed. Its ok once in a while, but the mania can last well past the few hours after smoking. It's kept me up all night and into the morning through the next day. In college, it can often be normal to be smoking 1, 2, 3 times a week- that just doesn't work if it makes you manic. Cut back. Once a month. Once every three weeks.

You get the picture. When slipping into a manic episode, I have found the following tips helpful:

-do not write emails, send letters, leave comments online, or call someone you normally wouldn't call because what you'll end up writing/saying is likely to be unusual, and you will regret it once you come down. If you really want to communicate, write it down, save it for later when you cool down. -don't spend money. Don't go near a store, don't look at any online shopping sites. -stay off the internet, in general

-don't go to bars/parties, and do not have sex with anyone that you're not currently in a sexual relationship with. Just go masturbate if the horny takes over. -be wary of driving, cooking, lighting candles, operating machinery... Anything that could burn down your house, cause an accident, etc. Mania leaves you pretty absent-minded. -occupy yourself with doing something you like! Don't fight the episode and try to function normally through it. Take a deep breath, admit that your manic, then go make some art, dance, sing, hang out with a friend, workout, listen to music/audiobook, etc. Similar tips for if you're depressed. Make sure to call a friend for help if you need it. If you're feeling suicidal, call a friend for suicide watch. They can just hang out at your place/you go to theirs and chill. They just need to keep an eye on you is all. I also find that taking a really hot shower or burying myself in lots of blankets and overheating can help quell the depression, like literally sweating it out. I'm considering eating a decent amount of cyanne pepper next time I'm depressed- seeing as it heats and stimulates- to bounce out of depression I feel like one needs some kind of a kick. It's probably a good idea to pick a few friends you can count on and tell them about your condition and how to handle it if you come asking for help. And something many readers might not agree with:

-Take your medication as prescribed

Now I know, no one wants to be taking pharmaceutical mind control drugs- eek!! BUT... I find that with the right medicine, taking a pill can make life a lot less stressful, traumatic, hectic, wild, depressing... Etc. I don't plan to stay on my medicine indefinitely, but I consider medicine a valuable tool to help keep you stable as you learn life skills and find a living situation that works for when you go unmedicated. I view it as the lesser of two evils. Medicine helped clear my mind, helped me in therapy to work out all the demons my mind was plagued with from years of my body kicking me with depressed phases. (self confidence, self hatred, negative attitude, etc. )

BUT.. Its very important to find the RIGHT medicine. Thats where tracking the mood becomes vital. I went through a roulette of antidepressants, anti anxiety and add drugs because I didn't have a clear picture of my own situation. Bipolar people, as a rule of thumb, are NOT supposed to take antidepressants. You can get away with a mix of a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant, but if you don't have a mood stabilizer, the antidepressant can kick you into a crazed, off the charts manic episode. Which happened to me. Not to mention that starting the antidepressant can make you uber depressed and suicidal too. Bottom line: track your moods, be wary of ANYTHING other than a mood stabilizer. ***

Love to all the bipolars out there- they say it's a "disorder", but no one has the right to label you in any way. So forget the negativity. Accept yourself and appreciate the fact that most of the general population will never know the depth of emotion that we do. For all the depression we suffer, a good day means more to us than most. For all the mania, we brim with life and energy unlike most. I consider myself blessed.

Replied by Lauren
(California)
02/07/2024

Thank you to this kind stranger for such a thorough and reflective post. Very helpful, thank you.

Lithium Orotate, Lithium Aspartate

1 User Review
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Posted by Burblemesh (Austin, Texas) on 06/12/2012
 ★★★★★

I have taken lithium orotate (40 mg, 4 of the Gabatone pills per day provides this and other useful supplements) to help control bipolar disorder, specifically the mania. It has, however, helped even me out overall, including my depression. I have OCD as well and take 1800 mg of Inosotil and 1500 mg NAC to help with that. This combination has worked better than anything else I have tried, and I have tried a lot (completely exhausted Western medical options to no avail).

Replied by Desperatemom
(Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada)
08/02/2012

Hi Burblemesh, I want to understand how serious is your Bipolar especially during mania. Did you get into very angry episodes before taking the Gabatone pill. Maybe if you can share some information regarding your mania state. How long you have been taking the Gabatone pill and did you have any mania episodes since? My son has bipolar for several years and in the last several months he got into very angry episodes often. We are using GABA 500mg to calm him down. However I am very interested in getting my son the Gabatone pill if it can even out his mood and prevent the angry episodes. I really appreciate your reply. Desperate Mom

Replied by Jillery
(North America)
11/26/2013
86 posts

Hi Mom, Check out the ingred's of the Gabatone. You may be able to adjust the supplements you give your son to get the affect you want. It's just that the Gabatone is so expensive....

Also check out the book NUTRITION POWER by Dr. Walsh. My holistic shrink suggested it to me. It is highly technical but it points out there are basically 6 different avenues of depression and what dietary things need to be changed. My doc has the blood tests but right now I cannot afford them but I figured that I lack seretonin and I have been taking additional 5HTP and GABA. Seems helpful for me.


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