People with bipolar disorder must distinguish a bad mood from the onset of depression to intervene early and prevent deterioration. Sudden downturns can rapidly erode judgment and increase suicidal risk, requiring prompt clinical attention. Hypervigilance toward mood fluctuations enables timely alerts to healthcare providers and initiation of protective measures. Constant self-monitoring can feel burdensome and emotionally tiring, yet it remains essential for long-term stability. Awareness of triggers and decisive action when depressive signs appear can reduce harm and preserve functioning. Maintaining routines and support systems aids recovery and reduces relapse risk.
I have to ask myself the same extremely difficult question: Is this the onset of depression, or is it just a really bad mood? The reason this matters is because if it is depression, I need to act-and act fast, before it gets worse. I've been suicidal far too often in the past not to know that my moods have extraordinary destructive power.
I've previously written about the responsibility those of us with bipolar disorder bear if we're feeling "too happy"-we need to be on guard against the sneaky onset of mania. The same reasoning applies to sudden downturns; depression might be just around the corner. We must always, always be vigilant. It can feel like an unfair burden sometimes, this constant oversight of flickering bipolar moods. I often get tired of being so intensely self-conscious.
These days, I don't often wake up unhappy. Quite to the contrary, I'm usually annoyingly chipper in the mornings-singing along with the oldies I love, and dancing while I deftly scramble some eggs. But I'm human, and I also live with bipolar disorder, so the odds are that some days I won't wake up singing. Some days are going to be plain awful.
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