Moon Mind Balance

I try to take holidays religiously every six months. One or two weeks away is a must for me to recharge my batteries.

I don’t travel overseas as this can cause major mental health issues with my bipolar. People don’t understand that flying over numerous times zones can reek havoc with mental health issues in particular with bipolar.

It’s all to do with the circadian rhythm of your body (your body clock as such) and when this gets out of sync….then disaster can strike.

I prefer heading to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland or road trip to Sydney.

Relaxing poolside at a resort, exploring new areas including the Sunshine Coast hinterland keeps me balanced and happy.

I find the above caption so true. I am an avid reader and yes it does relax me after a long day at work. Excercise and me aren’t the best of friends. I can be quite lazy in fact, and as they say “excercise is beneficial to leading a healthy life” but living with bipolar requires a lot of down time, relaxation and low key stimulation plus plenty of sleep, sleep…. did I say I love sleeping…..hahaha

Depression is the absolute pits. Extremely hard to deal with, to live with. The cycle can be long winded but perseverance is a must because there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I have had numerous bouts of depression some lasting 6 to 12 months.

One time when i went to the pharmacist to fill a script for Zoloft, an antidepressant, he said to me…..be patient, the medication will assist, and you will wake up one day, and it will feel like a light switch has been turned on and you willl be ok. And my god, he was right, 6 months later, I woke up feeling fine, the shrowd of darkness had lifted and cleared.

It was an amazing experience, I cried with tears of joy.

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I won’t sugar coat it but living with bipolar is like riding a roller coaster at times. You need to ride the ups and downs of this disorder, but with experience, knowledge, and the power in your own hands to medicate and adjust meds when needed, makes for a stronger person in the long run. Never ever give up. Life is precious. Reach out to some if you feel like you are struggling. Never go it alone!!! There are people out there that can assist and lead you in the right direction.

Everyone loves music for one reason or another but those with bipolar do need to be careful. To much loud music over extended periods of time can push you into the dreaded “high”. Once again it’s about balance and moderation.

Pink is my favourite go to rock chick music. Her words resonate about her own life experiences about love, lost love etc.

When I need something more relaxing I go to The Eagles, Dire Straits, Elton John, Paul Kelly, Shania Twain.

I love hooking up my IPhone to the stereo and select 80’s and 90’s music. Road trips are awesome with some good music. Me and my best friend “Siri”.

We all have our good and bad days but unfortunately with bipolar it can be at the extreme end of the equation. When we have a bad day it can end up on a down hill run very quickly. It’s hard for normal people to understand the difference from a down day and the depths of depression.

That’s why it’s so important to try and keep a positive mindset. Perhaps you just need a few days off work, to rest up and recharge the batteries. Rest and sleep is vitally important in remaining on an even keel.

I haven’t had to deal with anxiety in a long time, probably due to the mood stabilisers I am currently on. It is very debilitating when it comes on, your mind worries about the most trivial of things, sweaty palms, heart races, you don’t feel like leaving your home and facing the outside world…..luckily today medications are so advanced and are extremely fast acting to assist in relieving symptoms.

Spring has sprung already in Queensland. The days are getting warmer and slightly longer. My mood shifted last week, the first sign was difficulty with falling asleep as the temperature starts to rise. I must admit I much rather the mild winters than hot summers. Medication plays havoc on my body and heats it up, thus requiring cool showers, air conditioning, swimming in cooler waters etc.

My journey cover the past to present, the ups and the downs along the way (which feels like a rollercoaster ride at time) and hopefully some of you out there may gain some inspiration and come to the realisation….that it can be a positive and rewarding experience once you have learnt the tools of the trade…and enable you, or someone special in your life, to have a fruitful and rewarding life.

I have definitely had some fun along the way. You will get to hear about some mischievous things that arise from time to time when your mind and body swings to what is called a “high”. It all seems exciting at the time till you rebalance and look back at the stupidity of some of your decisions.

I suppose the main thing is excessive spending of your hard earned cash. But at least you end up with a lovely wardrobe of clothing, most of which you will never get to wear…… because there is not enough days in the year to wear everything lol.