How to Break a Mixed State

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mental illness in which the sufferer's moods swing dramatically. A person in the manic phase of bipolar disorder may be in a state of euphoria, grandiosity and, in extreme cases, psychosis. The depressive phase is often marked by hopelessness, lethargy and suicidal thoughts. A mixed state, especially common in those with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, is a period in which a person experiences symptoms of mania and depression simultaneously. This agitated depression may increase suicide risk for those who suffer from bipolar disorder.

Instructions

• 1

  Call your psychiatrist or physician immediately. If you are in a mixed state, you may require a higher or lower dose of a medication you are already taking or a prescription for a new medication to stabilize your moods.

• 2

  Take all medications exactly as prescribed. The first-line medication for bipolar disorder is a mood stabilizer such as lithium, valproic acid, lamotrigine or carbamazepine. If you are not taking one of these medications, or are uncertain whether the medication you are taking is a mood stabilizer, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Gather all the medications you take for bipolar disorder and other illnesses, including over-the-counter drugs. Take them with you to the pharmacy and ask your pharmacist for printouts of the drug information sheets and information about possible drug interactions.

• 3

  Regulate your schedule as much as possible. Eat, sleep and exercise at the same time every day. If necessary, ask someone else for help preparing meals, administering medication and getting you out of the house.

• 4

  Talk to other people. Isolating yourself is one of the worst things you can do. Call a friend, attend a bipolar support group or contact a suicide or mental health hotline. Search the website of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for a support group or hotline near you.

• 5

  Go to the emergency room right away if you feel you are in danger of attempting suicide or hurting yourself or someone else. Ask a friend or relative to go with you; it is always good to have another person to help you process and remember what the ER doctors say.