Staying Sane and Happy

It has been four months or more since I was last hospitalized and boy do I treasure my freedom. Being behind bars for many months is no joke but is the past that I want to put behind. My concern now is how to remain healthy and mania-free. I am not so scared of depression as I am of mania. I have rode the highs and lows of manic depression for 14 years with most of the episodes being one of mania – that uncontrollable high which sees me mutating to a different personality altogether.

Staying sane occupies my thought most of the time now. I just want to manage my illness well by taking medicine religiously and monitoring my moods closely and don’t allow myself to hit the bar to  hypomania and then full-blown mania. For this I am charting my mood on a daily basis.

Having friends and family who are supportive of my illness helps a lot for I feel I am not fighting the battle alone. They give me inspiration to be strong and stay healthy every day. I want to be well especially for the sake of my parents and my two children who grew up with me and this disease.

I am happy that bipolars in Singapore now have a forum to share our struggles to maintain good health together. I believe one day I’ll wake up and feel confident that I don’t have to spend good time in my hospital of choice Institute of Mental Health (IMH). I want to live a long and productive life beyond the hospital doors.

Let us share our tips on how we manage our moods and stay sane and happy.