Bipolar Disorder had rudely, uninvited, walked into and disrupted my life. How did I get myself out of the deep morass that I had found myself in?
To be honest, in the initial years there seemed to be no hope whatsoever, or the little there was seemed to be as fleeting as a mirage.
I had an advantage, albeit not a pleasant one, of having tackled a life threatening condition previously. I have chronic and asevere Asthma. It began to rear its ugly head when I was fourteen and spiralled out of control by the time I was twenty. I was hospitalised twice in intensive care during that period and my asthma attacks had become life threatening. The mentoring and treatment by Late Dr.Pramod Niphadkar started bearing fruit: to such an extent that he thought I was a case-study for all Asthmatics: this was because my recovery had been rapid and he thought it was nothing short of remarkable.
What has that got to do with Bipolar?
Dr. Niphadkar was among the rare breed of modernc medicine practitioners who went beyond pills and inhalers. He conducted a 
Yoga workshop for us, taught us breathing and relaxation exercises. The Yoga and fitness regime I learnt from him has stood me in good stead even today: it has been almost twenty years: during this period there has rarely been a day when I have missed my Yoga routine.
This gave me hope..
If I could have fought and overcome asthma, couldn’t I draw on the some inner resource to battle Bipolar?
In my darkest days I kept telling myself this:
“I might be in a hopeless situation right now but this is not how I’ll end up!”
Asthma had taught me another huge lesson: eradicating the illness wasn’t the goal: living life fully despite it was. I was repeatedly told by Psychiatrists that mine was an incurable condition, I would have to be on medication for life. This demotivated me no end. Gradually, I began accepting this fact, bitter as it was. Began to shift focus to how could I take charge of my situation? What could I do to improve my health?
Having made the vital transition from resistance to acceptance, I eagerly began looking for resources that would supplement my treatment. I read many books in this process (most notably among them was, Dr.David Burns’ FEELING GOOD). What seemed to be temporary boosts to my confidence and resolve firmed up in shaping a whole new me. I attended Self-Help Seminars, had the benefit of listening to Spiritual Masters of world renown. It had to rub off on me. Importantly, I adopted and implemented what I felt best suited me.
Mindfulness Meditation
In my case Mindfulness practice has helped me become calmer, more reflective. An active brain at most times prevents our creative energy from being fully tapped. From being constantly bombarded with thoughts to the serene oases that these sessions were: was a welcome shift.
Spirituality
This is an area of personal choice, a matter of faith. In my darkest of days, I have drawn strength from my spiritual belief. The reassurance that I was not alone gave me the energy and conviction to plough on.
Discipline
Discipline also includes my dogged perseverance. The treatment does have many unpleasant side effects. Keeping a focus on healing and ignoring the discomfort is crucial. For eleven years now, there has not been a single day when I have skipped my prescribed dosages. 
Apart from my treatment, I have maintained a fairly strict physical fitness regimen. Simple ‘Healthy mind in healthy body’ logic. Pranayam Yoga and vigorous exercise have been my morning routines. One issue I face even today is sluggishness and daytime sleepiness. This morning regimen helps counter that to an extent. Exercise is also said to be as effective as anti depressants in management of depression: that was perhaps the added bonus.
Self Control
Keeping things simple! Avoiding the obvious triggers such as over stretching myself, avoiding addictive substances and in general being discerning about what would nourish me and what would derail my recovery.
Family
A strong support system is a blessing. Having a doting family which has adjusted, accepted me as I am has helped in no small measure. I am ever grateful to my wife, daughter, mom and especially sister who is ever vigilant. I am a firm believer of strong and enduring relationships. We had our blips in our marriage.. in the end, love won the day.
Creativity
We Bipolars are essentially said to be creative at heart. Throughout history we have examples of creative geniuses who were tormented by Bipolar, Beethoven and Van Gogh the most notable among them. I have used writing, mind mapping and other ways of expressing myself that tap my creative side.
