If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 1-800-273-8225

I have two tools that I use on a regular basis to help manage my bipolar.  The first comes from Natasha Tracy’s mental health blog Bipolar Burble.  I love reading her blog and watching her videos.  She has an unflinching perspective on living with bipolar, and I find her honesty refreshing and her blog articles incredibly helpful. The tool that I refer to often is  Natasha Tracy’s Suicide Assessment Scale

She explains that suicidal thoughts are on a continuum, and can vary in severity.  She has a 0-10 scale that describes the level of thoughts you may be having at any given time. She also emphasizes that it’s much more effective to get help when you are at a lower level, then if you have reached a 7 or higher.

I recall a time that I was having suicidal thoughts daily, and knowing that I was at a 7 set alarm bells off and was the impetus for me to reach out for help.  Now I am thrilled to be at a 0 level for several months;  being able to check that daily, and know I am in a good place is beneficial, it helps me move through my day with confidence in my abilities. Knowing I am further up on the scale is a monumental help, and a life saver.  I also use it in conjunction with a bipolar mood chart, as a way to check in  at different times during the day to see how frequently my moods shift.

Another way of thinking about suicidal ideation that has helped me is Julie Fast’s concept of “cloud thoughts.”  She states that thoughts of suicide are a part of being bipolar and they come and occupy space in our mind, and then we can take steps to help them leave. Julie emphasizes that we must take all suicidal thoughts seriously  Knowing that thoughts of suicide are part of being bipolar  helped me to not overreact to a thought that drifts through my mind.  Again, all thoughts of suicide should all be taken seriously, but it helps to know that it is one aspect of the disease that I need to monitor using a perspective that allows rational thinking as much as emotion to analyze. Used in conjunction with Natasha Tracy’s scale, it helps me to allow logic to be the foremost approach to assessing my thoughts.

My other favorite tool to use is Julie Fast’s Bipolar Health Cards. The Health Cards enabled me to realize that there is so much more to bipolar mood swings than depression and hypomania/mania.  She addresses each mood state, or symptom in three fascinating ways.  In the first columns she describes the symptoms of the mood – it could be anxiety, paranoia, depression, hypomania – and it’s described in very specific detail of how your brain and body might be feeling.  The second column is things that are useful in this state – things you can do in the moment and over time to improve the symptoms.  The third column is for loved ones – it tells them what they can do to help you.  You can customize the health cards to your particular symptoms.  Julie makes a suggestion, that if you are having a hard time communicating a mood swing to a loved one, you can simply but the health card in an agreed upon place, such as a bedside table, and that will alert the person who loves you that you are experiencing that symptom, and it has helpful things that they can do!  I have used it that way many times, especially when I was hypomanic and had the urge to keep it hidden because I was feeling good.  It was a quick and meaningful way to communicate that it’s important to watch for red flags.

I am so thankful to Natasha Tracy and Julie Fast for all the hard work and ingenuity they put into their blogs, videos, webinars, and speaking engagements.  I encourage you to google them if you haven’t explored all they have to offer.  I continue to find hidden gems in their work.

Do you have favorite tools that you use to manage bipolar?