Bipolar disorder is not about being moody. It is not flipping from happy to sad like a switch. It is waking up and feeling like your entire body is humming, buzzing, alive, and out of control. Your thoughts collide in your head, tumbling faster, and your heart pounds so hard. You talk and spend too fast. You send messages at 3 a.m. as if the universe itself is waiting for your revelation. Feel like fire, lightning, unstoppable, and terrified.
Then, without warning, everything shatters. The light vanishes. You lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, your body heavy, your mind hollow. Breathing is effort. Food tastes like ash. Calls go unanswered. Tears do not come because even that would be too much. The fire, energy, and light are all gone. In it is place sits a weight that presses down, and emptiness so dense it feels physical. You are not sad. Fear gnaws at you: Fear that people will forget you. Or worse, that they will remember the version of you just days ago. This is life with bipolar disorder, and this is why it is so misunderstood. Visit the Best Psychologist in Rawalpindi at PsychoAura to receive expert support and guidance.
WHAT IS A BIPOLAR DISORDER
Bipolar disorder is a disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. It is typically broken down into different types: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia. It is not about episodes, about the in-between moments too, the moment when you are wondering, “Am I stable now? Or am I just on the edge of another spiral?” It is walking a tightrope every day between too much and not enough, between chasing the sun and disappearing into the dark.
| Types | Details |
|---|
| Bipolar I | Characterized by full manic episodes, often followed by depressive episodes. |
| Bipolar II | Involves hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. |
| Cyclothymic Disorder | A milder form with more frequent mood swings but less severe symptoms. |
| The Highs | People like to romanticize mania, especially the hypomanic kind that comes with bipolar II. They see productivity, the creativity, the fire in your eyes. “I wish I had that kind of energy,” they say. No, you do not. Mania feels like flying until it does not. Until you are free-falling and you realize there is no parachute. |
THE LOWS? THEY ARE NOT JUST SADNESS
The depressive side of bipolar disorder is often mistaken for regular depression. And yes, they overlap, the hopelessness, the fatigue, the numbness. But when you have experienced those highs, the lows hit different. It is not just about feeling sad; it is about feeling broken. It is the grief of losing that better version of yourself. The person who was alive and electric and full of fire. You miss them, but you are also scared of them. Because they ruin things, too.
IMPACT OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
What many people do not realize is that facts about bipolar disorder does not just affect your mind; it affects your whole life.
- It impacts your career.
- Your relationships.
- Your self-esteem.
You start to question who the real you even is. Are you a confident version who feels everything deeply? Or the one who stares at walls and cancels plans and cannot answer messages? Or are you both?
COPING STRATEGIES FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER
1. MAINTAIN SLEEP SCHEDULE
If there is one thing that will tip the scales, it is sleep.
Mania thrives on lack of sleep. Depression creeps in when your sleep cycle collapses. Maintain your sleep schedule and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep.
2. TRACK YOUR MOODS
Keeping a journal or using a mood app is not about being obsessive. It is about seeing patterns before they become problems. You will start to notice triggers. You will learn what your early warning signs are.
3. THERAPY MATTERS
The therapist plays an important role in your story. Find a therapist who really listens to you without any judgment. But someone who sees you. Who hears the things you are not saying? A
good therapist does not try to fix you. They sit with you while you figure it out. They hand you tools, not advice.
4. MAKE CONNECTION
Tell your people the truth. Let them in. You can share your struggles with someone who truly cares for you. They can be your close friends, a family members, or a therapist. Build that safety net before you fall, not while you are falling.
5. STICK TO MEDICATION
This one is hard. Because when you feel good,
your brain will whisper, “Maybe you are cured. Maybe you do not need those pills anymore.” But remember, feeling good is the same as being stable. That stability often is the medication doing its job.
Conclusion
Bipolar disorder is like navigating a storm that most people cannot see, and the fact that you are still here, still trying, still showing up? That is not a weakness. That is a strength most people will never understand. So give yourself credit. Ask for help. Reset when you need to. Celebrate every win, even the small ones. You are more than your episodes and difficult days. You are a complete, resilient, and valuable person. Visit the
Best Psychologist in Rawalpindi at PsychoAura to receive compassionate, professional support.
FAQs
Why do the lows hit differently when you have experienced the highs?
Because you have tasted what life feels like at full power. The lows feel like losing something vital, not just happiness but your identity, your hope, your fire. You grieve the you that existed in the light. You wonder: Will I ever feel that way again? The contrast makes the darkness feel deeper, colder, more crushing, and often more frightening than if you never knew the high at all.
Can you be normal with bipolar disorder, even just part of the time?
Yes. But normal is nuanced. It might mean waking up and not being in crisis. It might mean working, smiling, engaging, and loving. But even on the normal days, there may be tremors, restlessness, shadows, traces; you learn to hold them gently. Normal does not always feel stable; it often feels fragile. You learn to nurture it, protect it, and show yourself grace.
How do you tell when a mood shift is becoming something more of a full episode waiting to break?
You learn to watch the whispers. Maybe your mind speeds up, sleep becomes harder, and you feel more invincible than usual. Or maybe you feel heavier, moody, slower, more hopeless. You begin tracking these shifts in sleep, appetite, thoughts, and behaviors because catching a swing early can make all the difference. It is about learning your own signals before they become storms.
