For those of you headed off to college for the first time, this next month will be exciting. Making last-minute purchases, connecting with prospective roommates, saying goodbye to your high school identity and preparing for what's next: a lot of unknowns, a lot to look forward to and for those of you with bipolar disorder, perhaps some things to be appropriately cautious about. Reality is that change, even when it's positive, can indeed be stressful. We may be filled with the excitement of positive anticipation, but excitement is still a far cry from calm.
For most that are not bipolar, it's normal to approach a major life transition knowing it will be intense but also trusting you'll get through it without being thrown off balance. The same isn't a given when you're bipolar, as your sense of resilience may feel more limited. If you identify with this statement then extra care will need to be taken to ensure that your sense of excitement doesn't take you towards emotional turbulence.
When you arrive on campus you'll find the experience will be like trying to drink out of the end of a fire hose. New opportunities will come at you fast and hard - new friends, new areas of study, new organizations to join, new academic expectations, new mentors, new places, new drugs, new lifestyle experiences ... and the list goes on. It's like a cornucopia of novelty that may all seem appealing.
As you consider your available choices your sense of excitement and desire will be perfectly normal. But my advice here is to back off from the fire hose and try to choose with moderation. You've probably heard similar advice before, but now is an important juncture where you're facing many aspects of change simultaneously. At the same time, you may not yet have a support system fully in place to assist if you do begin to feel unstable. That will take you some time to develop.
So, what should your moderation look like?
Maybe it's 12 credits instead of 16. Maybe you don't join more than one extracurricular organization or activity. Maybe you don't do a road trip with new friends during your first weekend at school. Essentially, you're purposefully taking it slow and seeing how you manage during your first semester before more actively immersing yourself in the college experience.
You've got four years ahead of you (at least) and saying no to some things now doesn't mean you can't add more come spring semester, or even next fall. Remember, approaching things gradually won't translate into being left behind. I can assure you, you're better off figuring out moderation than taking on too much too soon, becoming overwhelmed and having to bail out prematurely.
One other thing - at a time when most aspects of your usual routine are being turned upside down, it will be important for you to establish a new routine rapidly. Regular bedtime and morning awakening, regular study times, daily exercise, consistent mealtimes... the more these can become established in the form of regular routine without excessive variation, the better off you'll be.
Yeah, I know... sounds like a bit of a drag. But when you're bipolar, routine is your friend. It helps to set your brain's circadian rhythms and establish a predictable set of patterns which allow for healthy periods of activation and offsetting periods of rest and calm. Beyond routines, the bigger picture you're striving for is a sense of balance. With adequate balance you'll do fine and you can return to the cornucopia when you're sure you're ready for more.
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Russ Federman is Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia. He is also co-author of Facing Bipolar: The Young Adult's Guide to Dealing with Bipolar (New Harbinger Publications), see www.BipolarYoungAdult.com
