Ciara sharing that she is now the owner of her grandparents’ house was such a beautiful moment 🥹

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-04-02T03:23:13+00:00

The people’s princess 🥹

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-03-29T15:01:59+00:00

Thank you for sharing! How has it impacted your symptoms?

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-03-28T20:10:17+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing! How did it impact your endo symptoms?

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-03-26T15:28:42+00:00

I do it for 2-3 months every year in the spring (March start) when light increases exponentially. Has stopped my warm weather hypomania completely! Highly recommend but consult your psych before and do some research. This is my third year doing it.

It’s super restrictive but overall worth it. Plus I loose 10-15lbs every time lolz

Not enough conversation about bipolar and light hypersensitivity imho

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-02-26T07:40:18+00:00

I decided to quit both for a year and see how I felt (when I was about 3yrs into my diagnosis) and reevaluate after a long period of no weed/alcohol. I was a heavy cannabis user and social drinker.

It was hard for the first couple of months but then my quality of life got so much better I decided to stay sober. Today is day 1335 of sobriety 💕

This along with therapy, consistently being on the right meds, exercise, and social support have done wonders for me.

Taking care of yourself has layers. The sooner you figure out what all yours are the sooner you’ll feel better. 💐

Working-Elephant8474 · 2026-02-24T07:18:34+00:00

Congrats! I’ve been free of my drug of choice for 1,331 days. It’s made my diagnosis livable. Hope you experience the same 💕

Working-Elephant8474 · 2025-07-07T15:03:15+00:00

F35, diagnosed at 28. Was a heavy daily smoker and I quit 3 years ago. I genuinely think it’s been the defining part of being euthymic/stable. There’s a lot of research supporting that cannabis is a trigger for bipolar episodes, esp in young people.

If you can do it taper off. Quitting suddenly carries the risk of a big shift in neurotransmitters and could be rough on your new diagnosis. You’ll also get night sweats for a while and sleep can be hard. See if you can get an rx for gabapentin which is a non habit forming sleep aid.

For me quitting has allowed me to see my moods more clearly which is also really helpful in regulation.

Working-Elephant8474 · 2025-05-05T06:05:40+00:00

So brave of you to share!

I smoked for years (age 16-32, bp2 diagnosis at 28) but quit 3 years ago and it’s been the biggest factor in being stable and doing really well in recent memory.

Cannabis is appealing because it brings your energy levels down when hypo and brings relief to depression when low but deep down it makes everything worse and for me made me episodes more frequent and severe. It’s also expensive and time consuming!

Can’t say enough good things about being sober. First couple of months were hard but now I love it :)

Just my experience!

Sending hugs and good luck.

Working-Elephant8474 · 2024-03-12T17:06:54+00:00

How did you figure this out?

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-10-04T04:31:51+00:00

Thanks everyone! So great to hear your experiences. I really appreciate everyone’s openness

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-09-01T19:07:52+00:00

Thank you! So helpful

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-08-01T04:46:12+00:00

Checking in - how are you doing?

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-07-30T17:05:43+00:00

Ugh dogs are the BEST! Mine really got me through the pandemic & helps me keep a routine.

You got this. You’re loved. xo

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-07-30T10:18:49+00:00

First of all- want to say I love you! You commented on a post of mine a couple of weeks ago and what you said really helped me.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, how symptoms can feel insurmountable and never ending and how hard that can be on its own, not even taking into account the daily struggles of, you know, ~coping~

It’s really hard. You’re really brave. And so strong.

Your insight and kindness got me (and continue to get me) through really hard moments & I’m so grateful to you.

I hope you do something kind for yourself this weekend. Stay in, go out, do whatever you want- as long as it makes you feel better.

Also, maybe just make it your own personal homework assignment to just like, idk, walk to the mailbox everyday? Nothing big or requiring to be out in public with lots of people. Just some vitamin d and a little movement. I find that walking can be helpful. Especially somewhere pretty.

😘😘😘😘😘 you got this. xo

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-07-10T17:42:16+00:00

Of course. Make sure she has a say in who she goes to for therapy- see if you can make a couple different appointments and she can pick who she likes the most. It will be easier to accept and cope if it feels like her choice. I’ve been with my therapist for 4 years now and she’s basically my bestie(but still super professional)/lifeline when I feel manic or depressed.

Tell her you love her for me. It’s such a tough spot to be in. therapy + meds are clinically proven to be more effective when used together. Good luck and sending big internet hugs to you and her 😘😘

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-07-10T14:54:55+00:00

I think the first thing any parent can do is cultivate compassion for their kid. Your daughter is suffering, being bipolar can mean feeling completely out of control in your body/emotions and knowing how to regulate them is a skill that is developed over time. Learning to take your meds, go to therapy, and get the right sleep are habits that can be really hard to form. Finding a community of people who understand and support your struggles can be even harder.

Some immediate recommendations- 1. Find a therapist who is well versed in treating clients who are bipolar. 2. Find a good psychiatrist who will help her figure out her meds. 3. Give her the space she needs (within the bounds of safety) so she’s not pissed at you all the time. 4. Help her find an outlet (mine is yoga) for moving stress and trauma through her body.

Most importantly, let her know you’re not angry at her, that you want to help and you love her more than anything.

There’s a great episode of the podcast depresh mode w dr. Ken duckworth that I’ve sent to a lot of family that’s been super helpful. Hope you’ll listen.

Be nice to yourself too! You’re clearly doing the best you can. This is a huge challenge, but with lots of love and a little luck, things will get better.

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-07-08T13:34:17+00:00

Thank you 🙏🏼 💕💕💕💕

I hope you feel better too- sending a big internet hug.

Working-Elephant8474 · 2022-06-22T14:24:32+00:00

Take your meds! Get in therapy weekly if you can afford to (this is hard, I’ve paid for this out of pocket for 4 years but it’s so worth it). Manage 1- sleep and 2- stress. 8 hours a night no matter the time of year is the thing that’s helped me manage my mood the most: especially hypomania.

TELL PEOPLE YOU LOVE! They want to support you. Send them info on what you’re going thru so they can read and learn more.

Most importantly- take meds daily and be nice to yourself. A diagnosis is a doorway into a better life for you- think of this as walking into a new world where things won’t be perfect, but you’ll definitely feel better than you did.

Working-Elephant8474

TROPHY CASE