Bipolar Disorder:
Preventing a Relapse

Bipolar disorder cannot be prevented, but often the mood swings can be controlled with medications, if you take them regularly as prescribed by your doctor.

About 1 in 3 people will remain completely free of symptoms of bipolar disorder by taking mood stabilizer medications, such as carbamazepine or lithium, for life.⁵ (read more about medication compliance here)

Other ways to help prevent a depressive or manic mood episode include:

• Eating a balanced diet.
• Exercising daily.
• Avoiding extensive travel into other time zones.
• Getting approximately the same number of hours of sleep every night.
• Keeping your daily routines similar.
• Avoiding alcohol or drugs.
• Reducing stress at work and at home.
• Seeking treatment as soon as you notice symptoms of a depressive or manic episode coming on.

Changes in your sleep patterns can sometimes trigger a manic or depressive mood episode. If you plan extensive travel into other time zones, you may want to call your doctor before you leave to discuss whether you should make any changes in your medications, and what to do if you have a manic or depressive episode while you are away.

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