Bipolar Triggers

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Knowing what sets off your bipolar mood shifts can help you act early and stay balanced. Do you have a clear sense of what can shift your mood — the situations, stressors, or habits that tend to throw things off balance? And can you recognize the early hints that your mood might be starting to...

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Learn why shifting from hostility to kindness helps manage the emotional outbursts of bipolar disorder. Learning to speak kindly was a valuable lesson that I learned the hard way, and I’ll never forget how it happened. What I Learned From an Angry Outburst One day, I was in a bookstore and started walking down an...

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When political tension affects bipolar disorder, clear boundaries and media limits can help you stay grounded. The constant roar of election cycles, nonstop news, and social media can feel like a direct assault on your stability. For those of us living with bipolar disorder, these political stressors often act as significant triggers for anxiety or...

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Embracing routine has helped me manage bipolar disorder, reduce triggers, and feel safer during change. I’m a creature of habit. That’s just my personality. I have a difficult time handling change.  I like knowing what’s on the road up ahead. I find it challenging to be spontaneous. I used to view my adherence to routine...

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Energy drinks can seem like a quick fix for fatigue, but they may threaten your mood stability. Learn why experts advise caution. That quick jolt from an energy drink might feel like the perfect pick-me-up when you’re running low on energy. But if you have bipolar disorder, the high levels of caffeine and stimulants in...

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Anger and irritability can flare fast. Spotting early warning signs and channeling that energy constructively can help prevent emotional blowups. Key Takeaways If Terry L. had to give herself a diagnosis, it would be “what I call POPD — pissed-off personality disorder,” she says. Even though the Kansas resident has learned numerous coping skills to...

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Night owl or early bird? Learn how syncing your natural rhythm with a steady sleep routine can help with mood stability. Key Takeaways Cass M. has always been in love with sleep.  “I can easily snooze until 11 a.m. or noon,” says the Virginia woman. “I’m always ready for a nap.” Unfortunately, waking up for...

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Bipolar comes with free admission to the Bipolar Theme Park, where ups and downs are endless. But we don’t have to ride every roller coaster. In my journey with bipolar disorder, I’ve been puzzling over how to detect the signs of an oncoming mood episode. I want to catch them as early as possible so...

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From social media to everyday interactions, showing our real emotions can feel risky. But staying true to yourself is its own accomplishment. People are complex, with all kinds of sides to their personalities, and I’m no different. I joke around all the time and feel mental-health conversations don’t always have to be so dry and...

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Frequent, unpredictable mood shifts — even between episodes — are more than just moodiness. Here’s what mood instability is, why it happens, and how to address it. Key Takeaways When we talk about bipolar disorder, the focus often lands on the highs of mania and hypomania or the lows of depression. But if you —...

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From stress to perfectionism to poor sleep, our triggers vary — but with awareness and support, we can take back control. Key Takeaways In the delicately balanced ecosystem of bipolar, any type of stress — positive or negative — can spark a mood shift and lead to a return of bipolar symptoms. A spat at...

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Early signs of a bipolar mood shift can be subtle. These real-life tips show how to respond before things escalate. Mood shifts come with the territory of bipolar disorder. But sometimes, you can sense them before they fully arrive. Whether it’s an upswing into mania or a downturn into depression — which can show up...

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Examining your current sleep patterns and any disruptions to them can provide important insights into the stability of your mood when managing bipolar disorder. If you were to stop reading this right now — before you see my answer — what would you say is the most important question you can ask yourself about bipolar...

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Certain common medications, OTC products, and supplements may worsen bipolar symptoms — or even lead to a first-time diagnosis if you’re at risk. After successfully managing her bipolar 2 disorder for two years, Penny S., 63, an artist splitting her time between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, faced an unexpected challenge. While on a...

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Being manic and experiencing a trigger are two different things. So learning to avoid what sets you off is essential for managing your bipolar disorder. Understanding the Importance of Bipolar Triggers When I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 31, I was completely unaware of the triggers that caused my mood swings. I...

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Convinced I had the ‘perfect’ work/life balance, I dismissed red flags of excess stress — until my symptoms built up and led to a breaking point. I was sitting in front of my computer in my home office, cranking out a poster design for a movie set, when I noticed my leg was extremely itchy....

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Gaining insight into your triggers and treatment strategies to manage mood swings takes patience and dedication, but it can payoff by helping you achieve stability. Getty Images There is a term that is used in the mental health world called “insight.” In the dictionary, insight is defined as, “the act or result of apprehending the...

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If your mood evolves with the seasons, we have some tips for you on how to successfully manage them. The changing of the seasons frequently affects bipolar disorder. Typically, depression is present in the fall and winter, and hypomania or mania, kicks in during the spring or summer. Sometimes, the seasonal impact seems to be...

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If you are a ‘highly sensitive person,’ overstimulation from your environment can be a trigger for bipolar mood episodes. Here is what you need to know. Are you bothered by sounds and smells that don’t annoy the people around you? Are you often accused of being overemotional and too easily upset? If so, you may...

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Finding useful information and nurturing connections with friends, family, and people with common interests are good things. Depression, demoralization, and isolation aren’t. Today we communicate and interact in a manner unprecedented in human history. Social media — such as Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, etc. — are mainstream technologies that allow us to...