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HealthInfo Canterbury

Self-care with bipolar disorder

Mother and daughter support There are many things you can do to help yourself if you have bipolar disorder.

Talk to trusted friends and whānau about your bipolar disorder. This can help them understand and be there for you when you need them.

Talk to your GP or practice nurse about your symptoms and how you're feeling.

Try to stay active to improve both your mental and physical wellbeing. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity most days. Read about ideas for getting more activity into your day.

Look after your physical health. This includes:

Read about medications as treatment for bipolar disorder and discuss this with your GP. You can find out more about the particular medicines you are taking in Medications for mental health issues.

Learn about talking therapy. This aims to teach people about triggers, reduce symptoms, help with recovery, and when to get help. Therapy also aims to reduce stress and distress in families.

Use a free phone service. These services will be able to talk to you about your day-to-day struggles or help you if you have a crisis.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

On the next page: Getting help with bipolar disorder

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2020.

Page reference: 52195

Review key: HIBIP-52193