How can you manage cycles of extreme motivation followed by burnout and suicidal thoughts when you have schizoaffective disorder bipolar type and anxiety?
The cycles you're describing—extreme motivation followed by crashes with suicidal thoughts—are common with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. This condition Show Full Answer
How can you manage cycles of extreme motivation followed by burnout and suicidal thoughts when you have schizoaffective disorder bipolar type and anxiety?
The cycles you're describing—extreme motivation followed by crashes with suicidal thoughts—are common with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. This condition combines schizophrenia symptoms with mood episodes like mania and depression.
During manic episodes, you might feel overly energetic or motivated, while depressive episodes can bring intense sadness, hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide. These mood swings happen alongside psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or delusions.
If you're having suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help immediately:
* Call 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
* Text "HELLO" to 741741 (Crisis Text Line)
* Go to your nearest emergency room Managing these cycles requires consistent treatment:
Staying on your medication is crucial, even when you're feeling good. Stopping treatment increases your risk of another episode. Set daily reminders and refill your pill box weekly to stay on track.
Work with your healthcare team to adjust medications if needed. Treatment often includes antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and sometimes antidepressants to address both the psychotic and mood symptoms.
Setting small, realistic goals with a therapist can help boost motivation without leading to burnout. Research shows goal-setting is effective for managing motivation challenges in schizophrenia.
Anxiety can make everything harder. Talk to your doctor about therapy options like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications that can help manage anxiety alongside your other symptoms.
February 5