Hi @jbyrd,

I'm sorry you're going through this. And please excuse my delay not responding sooner.

I know what you're going through. Although I am not bi-polar, I too battled a long time ago with depression and anxiety. Most anti-depressant medications had little to no effect, but for anxiety, at the time I found Clonazapam 0.5mg worked for the social aspect since it had few side effects and started working within minutes. Now please don't take my word, speak to a doctor (which I'm sure you have so many times).

In the end. A good diet, meditation once a day, changes in my behavior and a strong support system from my family and friends helped me to rebuild my life.

Diet:
Energy is essential

Meditation:
Learn to relax the mind and heart (outdoors / social events)

Support System:
Someone to talk to and who's always there for you providing that boost needed daily.

I love what "Ro" @twptrustrek wrote. Small little things daily can help to turn your life around. It's not an instant fix, it's a long term solution to help change your historical thought mechanism. Just like habits, it takes some time and practice to help make true positive changes in our lives.

Take baby steps once a day. Write down all the "small" things that give you anxiety on a sheet of paper, also write down all the "thoughts" that initiate your depression. Knowing your triggers can help NOT to avoid them, but to do something positive to change the behavior.

For ex: Anxiety

Trigger:
Bus stop, silence, people

Reaction:
Nervous, sweating, panic attack

Things to try:
Read a book while waiting, keep yourself occupied with something, drink LOT's of water, say hello to someone instead of silence, give someone a smile and say good day 🙂

Small things make a HUGE difference.

We here at the Mayo Clinic discussion group are all here for you. Please share and connect with us anytime you need someone to talk to. Click on our "names" and send private messages if necessary.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Regards,
Martin R. Lemieux

-- More info --

Here's a link to the Mayo Clinic Anxiety Disorder Department:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/psychiatry/services/pediatric-anxiety-disorders-clinic

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