Struggling to Get Out of Bed? Here are Some Tips!

The only thing I've found the genuinely helps long term is medication. Everything else is a temporary fix, a habit I'll fall out of as soon as I'm manic or depressed. One thing that helps even without meds is reminding myself that any progress is an accomplishment. If I can't shower, wipe down the dirtiest parts of my body. If I can't eat, drink some ensure. If I can't go to the store, Instacart. I read something somewhere about a woman with ocd so severe she'd be hours late to work sometimes because she'd be so scared she left her curling iron on and have to drive back home to check. She was sharing this with her therapist who suggested she bring the curling iron to her with work. Sure it's not solving the root of the problem and it seems a little weird, but it's helping her live her life until she's able to address her mental illness better. Mental illness, especially severe ones like bipolar, are all about adapting. We don't have to be normal, just functional.

I have a dog that I take out several times a day. He keeps me off couch and bed so I will play with him.