3 Key Coping Strategies for Bipolar Mania

Coping strategies for bipolar mania are critical in order to minimize the negative effects this mood can have on a person’s life. These coping skills are specifically for those with bipolar disorder type I as they experience mania; whereas, those with bipolar disorder type II experience a less severe mood known as hypomania. However, these bipolar disorder coping strategies may be effective in cases of hypomania as well.

While bipolar manias do vary from person to person, these three key bipolar mania coping strategies are helpful for most.

#1 Key Coping Strategy for Bipolar Mania – Understanding and Avoiding Triggers

There are often events, known as triggers, that precede a bipolar mania. Each person has a unique set of bipolar triggers but some common ones include:

• High degrees of stress
• Very enjoyable events
• Relationship troubles

No matter what your triggers are, it’s an important bipolar disorder coping strategy to minimize or avoid them when possible and watch for signs of mania if they do occur.

#2 Key Coping Strategy for Bipolar Mania – Seeing It Coming

Bipolar manias are best dealt with as soon as they begin. Some people are more able to see manias coming than others, but most people can learn to recognize prodromal symptoms – the signs that someone is headed into mania.

Prodromal symptoms for bipolar mania include:

• Hostility
• Ideas of grandiosity
• Distractibility
• Being uncooperative
• Ideas of persecution
• Increased religiosity
• Making decisions easily
• Reddening of eyes
• Being abusive
• Listening to loud music
• Recalling past events and ideas of reference

It’s worth noting that while learning about prodromal bipolar mania symptoms is a coping skill that those with bipolar can learn, it’s often the case that those around the person, such as family members, can actually see these prodromal signs more easily.

#3 Key Coping Strategy for Bipolar Mania – Reaching Out

When bipolar mania hits, it’s a critical coping strategy for bipolar disorder to reach out to others like your mental health team and loved ones.

Your healthcare team needs to know so they can help you take action to quell the bipolar mania. This may include a medication change or even an inpatient stay in a hospital, depending on the severity of the mania. No matter what your healthcare team decides, though, it’s important to remember that it’s for your own good. It’s understandable that reaching out to professionals is particularly hard to do in the midst of a mania, but if at all possible, trust that your healthcare team has your best interest at heart.

Your loved ones can help you through a bipolar mania, too. They can help look after your pets if you’re in the hospital, for example; they can help pick up new medications and more. Additionally, when people are in a bipolar mania, they often feel compelled to spend more money than they can afford. Loved ones can help with this by purchasing what is truly needed and temporarily taking away a person’s credit cards.

Bipolar Disorder Coping Strategies

In addition to bipolar disorder mania coping strategies, there are many coping skills for bipolar depression as well.