Maybe you’ve been feeling sad and more tired than usual lately. Or you’ve been spending more time alone and not enjoying the activities you usually do. Do you need to call your mental health care provider?
It depends on how severe your sadness is, how long it has been going on, and whether you’re experiencing other symptoms.
When you have bipolar depression, it’s important to be able to tell if your feelings of sadness are a normal part of life or if your medication isn’t working as well as it should and you’re having a depressive episode.
Here’s how to tell the difference, along with ways you can spot and manage triggers.
The Common Emotion of Sadness
Sadness is part of everyone’s experience, and it can range from mild to intense. There are many reasons you may feel sad at times. Anything can spark it, from a cloudy day that leaves you feeling down, to not getting the promotion you wanted, to grieving over the death of a loved one.
People respond differently to sadness. You might want to be by yourself, or you might manage by putting on a playlist of sad tunes that reflect your mood. You may cry a lot. But normal sadness doesn’t usually affect your functioning, and it eventually goes away.
When you’re regularly taking your medication for bipolar depression, feeling sad or down for a few days probably isn’t any cause for concern. This is especially true if your sadness is a reaction to something going on in your life.
Signs That Your Sadness Needs Attention
If your sadness is severe or it still hasn’t gone away after weeks or more, it’s a good idea to check with your mental health care provider. You may be having a depressive episode.
Other symptoms that your sadness may be a depressive episode include:
- Losing interest in doing activities you usually enjoy
- Feeling tired and low in energy
- Finding it difficult to find motivation to do your normal tasks
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or excessively guilty
- Having a tough time making decisions and focusing
- Being grouchy and irritable
- Crying for no reason
- Having a hard time going to sleep, waking up a lot, or sleeping more than usual
- Being forgetful
- Eating more or less than normal
- Thinking about death or suicide
If you’re feeling restless, energetic, and keyed up along with your sadness, you could be having a mixed episode. People with bipolar disorder sometimes experience this combination of manic and depressive symptoms.
Experiencing any of these symptoms warrants a call to your mental health care provider to check that your medication is working like it should.
Managing Depressive Episode Triggers
There are a variety of factors that can trigger a depressive episode, including:
- Stressful life events
- Not eating regularly
- Getting less sleep
- Drinking alcohol
- Using recreational drugs and tobacco
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a subtype of bipolar disorder that usually happens during the fall and winter months
- Not taking your bipolar disorder medications consistently
Your triggers may be different than someone else’s. Pinpointing your specific triggers can help you manage them and potentially prevent a serious depressive episode.
Here’s how you can manage and minimize your sadness triggers:
- Write in a journal every day to keep track of your feelings, thoughts, and stressors. This can help you handle life stress more easily. It can also show patterns that help you narrow down your triggers.
- Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, or tai chi. These are especially helpful when you’re feeling stressed.
- Exercise regularly. Research shows physical activity boosts your mood and mental health. It can also help with keeping your weight under control.
- Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning to reduce sleep disturbances.
- Get support from your loved ones or from people in a support group. Healthy relationships can play a crucial role in keeping your moods stable.
- Follow a healthy diet and eat meals and snacks on a regular schedule.
- Don’t use alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs.
- If you’re affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), talk to your health care provider about using light therapy. This has been found to be the best treatment for SAD.
Stay Consistent With Your Treatment
Follow the instructions for your medications exactly. Even when you’re feeling well, it’s important to take your medication consistently. If you don’t, you could trigger a mood episode. It also may take longer to stabilize your mood when you do start taking it as directed.
It's important to remember that it can take some time – even weeks or months – for you to feel the full effects of some medications for bipolar disorder. If your symptoms continue, let your doctor know. Your doctor can help you adjust your dosage or switch to a new medication safely with as few side effects as possible.
The Bottom Line
Sadness is a basic human emotion. It’s a normal response to the disappointment, pain, and major changes that we all have in life. That means that sometimes, feeling sad for a few days is part of a healthy emotional spectrum.
But if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned earlier or your sadness is not going away after a couple of weeks, be sure to check in with your mental health care provider.
Show Sources
(Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images)
SOURCES:
CDC: "Sadness and Depression."
Cleveland Clinic: "Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression): Symptoms & Treatment."
JAMA: "Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: A Review."
National Institute of Mental Health: "Bipolar Disorder."
Journal of Psychiatric Research: "Triggers for acute mood episodes in bipolar disorder: A systematic review."
MedlinePlus: "Seasonal affective disorder."
National Alliance on Mental Illness: "Bipolar Disorder: Support."
Mayo Clinic: "Living with bipolar disorder," "Seasonal affective disorder treatment: Choosing a light box."
