Another thing that I am interested in adding to my treatment, is a "trigger journal." Triggers are what brings about your mania or depression psychosis. It could be anything from a look, TV show, board game, to something a loved one said that gets under your skin. Understanding what triggers the episodes of psychosis could help with lessening the duration of the psychosis, or maybe prevent it from happening next time. By writing down our triggers, we can resolve the situation before it gets out of hand.
The things that trigger me are just silly when I think about it with a clear head. Things, like, someone's current mood. I may think that that I bother them. This might send me into a depressive state. Not being able to find something important, may send me into a tailspin. Things like this can trigger my depressive state. As for mania, I might wake up in an abnormally happy and energetic mood, where my energy is high, and I become impulsive. This is how I am on my rapid-cycling days. When I'm in a depressive state, however, I get very depressed. Sometimes it is hard to break out of.
This is why I think it might be beneficial to jot these triggers down, analyze them, and maybe figure out different coping skills that could prevent a manic or depressive episode.
(photo courtesy of: http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/gcelliot/bipolar.jpg)
