Overload is one of the most disabling parts of bipolar for me — not because I’m “bad at coping,” but because my brain hits overload quickly. Bipolar overtness can come from my mood state, a bipolar symptom, or even a side effect of medication. Taken together, these things make up a large part of my daily experience, and it leads to a lot of overwhelm. However, I have found that there are techniques to combat bipolar disorder. If you’ve ever frozen — you can’t decide, you can’t start, you can’t even start — this is for you. Here’s what bipolar exaggeration looks like, because so does my handy toolbox for getting unstuck.
Why Bipolar Overwhelm Hits So Hard
As I said, there are many sources of overload in bipolar disorder.
- Bipolar Moods: Whether you’re depressed, hypomanic, manic, or mixed, this emotional state can overwhelm everything else in your life. In all cases, your brain may be so focused on your mood that there is room for little else. The reason bipolar disorder is a mental illness is that we experience things at level 11 regularly.
- Bipolar symptoms: Not only can a complete mood take over your brain, but sometimes even a single symptom can. If you are experiencing inability to make decisions due to depression, you may become incapacitated, for example.
- Side effects of medication: While medication is critical to treating bipolar disorder, it is never free. For example, a common side effect is akathisia: an internal and external restlessness. This “itching” sensation can trump everything else.
Remember: Extravagance is not laziness. It’s overload.
There are, of course, many lifestyle factors that can cause anyone to experience excess. Extreme stress from work, home or social life can cause it, sadness is another source or major changes are examples of things that can make anyone feel great.
What Overwhelm looks like in real life
And while anyone can experience an overdose, that doesn’t mean it’s a harmless condition — especially if it’s extreme. When I am truly overwhelmed, I find that everything stops. I can’t accomplish anything. I can’t make any decisions. I can’t go out. I tend to find it intertwined with anxiety as I realize more and more how little I’m getting done. And the stress just grows overwhelming.
Being overwhelmed can look like:
- Retreat from the world by staying in bed with the covers pulled over your head
- He does not return phone calls or texts
- Does not open mail or email, does not listen to voicemail, etc.
- Not being able to start a new task or take on an unfinished one
- Not being able to make a decision as simple as what to have for dinner
- Seeing a to-do list grow in front of you, leading to things like an unwalked dog or a lack of clean underwear
It’s like being a deer in the headlights. My brain freezes into a useless block of ice. Thoughts don’t pass.
Plus, when I’m overwhelmed, my brain tries to convince me that I’m failing. I’m not. I’m overloaded.
The goal is not to “pass.” The goal is to reduce inputs, pick a priority, and take the smallest step that keeps me safe and moving, not abusing me.
The 5-Minute Reset: Reduce Stress and Stimuli
Start here when you’re tired (60-120 seconds):
- Change the input: low lights / reduce noise / cool the room if you can Focus on deep, slow breaths.
- Choose a goal: “What is the smallest thing that helps in the future?”
- Take a micro-step: set a timer for two minutes and stop when it’s over
One of the first things I do when trying to melt my brain ice is to remove as much stress as possible and reduce external stimuli. For example, if I have three (or 30) tasks to do, I prioritize them. I focus only on the high priority ones and give myself permission to ignore the rest for now. To help with this, I might make multiple to-do lists, each with a different priority, so I don’t even have to look at the items I’m not focusing on. For example, I might have lists for today, this week, and this month. I can mix things up as needed.
Part of that is also actively getting extensions where I can. For example, if three things are due at the end of the month, I might try to get an extension on two of them to ease the extra pressure. People are usually flexible if you just communicate.
I also work to remove unnecessary stimuli. It is very easy to add bright lights and loud sounds to bipolar disorder. If I can be in a quiet, cool, dark location, I feel like there’s more space for thinking. (Some people find that a really messy environment can also increase overwhelm. If that’s you, try decluttering a corner or room. That can be your safe space while you deal with the rest.)
My Bipolar Overwhelm Toolbox (Tiny Steps That Work)
Once I do the above, I can start using specific techniques to push my overworked bipolar brain.
- I cut things into parts. Looking at a large project is understandably overwhelming. However, when I break things down into the tiniest possible parts, each part seems more doable.
- I only do one tiny piece at a time. Cooking an entire dinner can seem overwhelming, and this can prevent you from eating the healthy food your body needs. To combat this, I might prep the kitchen for cooking in one spot, prep the ingredients in another spot, cook as much as I can ahead of time, and then cook the protein at the end. Each of these steps on their own is easier than all of them together (plus I can rest in between if I need to).
- I imagine I can make it. I can imagine myself taking the necessary step to move forward. This actually makes them stronger. Writing down each tiny part can also be helpful as seeing them in front of me makes me realize that I can do them.
- I plan the assignment. Taking a shower might seem like too much for me. To make it seem more doable, I break it down into parts and then do the parts I can in advance. I put my bath on the floor, prepare my towel and collect clothes after the shower earlier.
- I build on success. Once I complete a task, no matter how small, I congratulate myself on the victory and use it as motivation to keep going (or rest as needed).
- I get support. Sometimes, just having another person around is enough to nudge my brain out of amber. Yes, the person might be able to help me complete a task, which is great, but just their presence can make the little things easier. Discussing a task or the cause of my overexertion can also help.
- I am addressing professionals. If my overexertion is constant or intractable, it is very important to reach out to my care team and discuss this with them. A therapist can offer helpful tools, and if a symptom or side effect is causing the problem, a change in medication may be necessary.
You Can Overcome Overkill
If all you can do is one tiny step, take one tiny step. That counts.
Although I regularly experience overexertion for a variety of reasons, I find that I can deal with it using the above methods.
When you hit too hard, do you tend to freeze, dodge or spiral? And what is one tiny thing that helps?
