I know i'm not the only one on here with this, how do you guys cope when the usual tricks don't work?

I'm type II myself. Be sure you get sleep, get the right meds & keep taking them. Recognize when you're losing it & get people who are aware & educated for friends. I'm not ashamed of it, & I try hard to be responsible.

Definitely have meds and I make sure to take them. They're supposed to wear off after 25 hours but i've noticed by 6 i'm feeling depressed. But because I also take meds for ADHD, I can't take an antidepressant with the meds. So I have to find ways to control it in the evenings until I can fall asleep. It seems like being bipolar makes it hard to keep friends. The few I have try to help, but they struggle to understand. And they have their own lives that keep them busy. TV doesn't keep me distracted well enough to work much so i'm hoping there are better ways to keep my mind occupied.

Well, I care. What I do for sleeping is to really try to not sleep during the day (but I often do); I am currently not addicted to destructive behavior (I consider imgflip a big help), when I lie down to sleep it's dark & quiet plus I have learned to lie still & consciously breathe deeply & I listen to audio books with a speaker or Bluetooth earpiece, and almost always a fan for noise & air circulation. I don't go back on computer in the middle of the night, but try the same steps already mentioned again. I assume you get obsessive & racing thoughts like I often do.

Oh yeah, that's a big yes on the obsessive and racing thoughts. That's what usually causes a panic attack. I'm getting better at calming down on my own, but i wish I could learn how to shut them down before they start. I'm not currently having problems of destructive behavior, but I admit to having a history of it and a tendency to lapse back into it when the episodes are at their worst. The paranoia is the worst though, I obsessively worry about things that i'm afraid will happen, even if I have no reason to worry. I need to learn the deep breathing exercises, that might help me sleep. For the last couple years i've played futurama on my ipad and turned that over so I can listen to it as I sleep. But I've noticed that i'll wake up when netflix pauses the playback to ask if i'm still watching. If I play season 6, the one that's made up of 4 movies, I don't wake up. But i've tried white noise and classical music and i can't get my brain to shut off with those.

Ah, the paranoia & anxiety. I think it's sort of normal when we don't have easy control of ourselves. I've had to explain bipolar openly to bosses & coworkers, etc after some overreaction I've had. Of course at the time it seems reasonable for a bit. Some people don't buy the difficulty, but being diagnosed & under treatment has given me protection at work (retired letter carrier). Maybe you can find a support group to hear other stories to know you're not that unusual. I am extremely fortunate to be much healed now; my sister is a psych nurse (diagnosed me unofficially about age 5), & my wonderful wife became very helpful over the last few years. Always feel free to contact me here, just make a comment under one of my memes until I catch you. (Sometimes I lose track)

**I MEANT AGE 52!! Lucky I survived until then.

Will do, thank you for all the advice. That's the problem with my sudden mood swings, my over-the-top hysteric reaction seems completely normal at the time, until it passes and I have to pick up the pieces from the destruction I caused. I don't know how to stop myself when they happen. Logically I know i'm being ridiculous but emotionally it doesn't feel like I am. i've practically ruined my relationship with my boyfriend and although we're still together, I don't know how to regain what i've lost with him. It's hard to tell him things will get better and I won't always be this way when even I'm not sure it's true. Are there any good books he can read that might help him better understand and handle my symptoms? I quit my last job because I tried explaining my condition to my supervisor and he was less than willing to be understanding. He didn't believe that a mental illness could cause someone to change or have such a strong effect on their daily life. It's hard to explain it to someone who doesn't have it without getting the "you could be happy if you tried" or "I got depressed once so I know how you feel", or the standard I-didn't-know-you-were-crazy look. Or worse, that you're just making excuses because you're a lazy failure. I'm thinking a support group might be good to look into, but i've never been to one before so I don't know what they're like. Someone said daily exercise helps manage the symptoms, but does it really? I've started to avoid caffeine and get back on a regular sleep schedule, but is there a certain diet that bipolar people should stick to?

Your experiences seem quite classic & I could say all the same things about myself. Education for yourself & (boyfriend,etc) should help, but of course many people won't care enough to work on the difficulties. I would try to find a GOOD experienced counselor & look for (at least) online support groups. You might also look for churches with resources. Exercise and diet absolutely do help! When you fail, start doing the right things again as soon as possible. I've gotten my info from talking to my sister, psychiatrist, counselor & by research on the Internet. I should ask my sister about any specific books. I'll try to get back to you.

Thank you again, i really appreciate your comments and help!

Imgflip is good for a distraction. One of these days i'm going to check out this page 9 party I keep reading about.

What type do you have?

Type 1, but I tend to have at least 4 episodes a year.

Ever had to go to a psyche hospital?

Yes, several times during the first few years when my symptoms emerged and I wasn't being correctly diagnosed by the doctors that were treating me.