DBT skills have been helping me slow down bipolar mood swings before they completely take over. I still have rough days, but I’m getting better at noticing the early signs instead of waiting until I’m already reacting to everything.
The STOP skill has been useful when I feel myself getting impulsive or worked up. Pausing, stepping away, and doing something grounding sounds pretty basic, but it gives me a little space between the feeling and whatever I might say or do. Distress tolerance skills help too, especially when I’m frustrated and want an immediate solution that probably wouldn’t help.
I’m not expecting DBT to prevent every mood swing. For me, it’s more about making the swings less destructive and giving me a chance to use my treatment plan instead of fighting everything in the moment. Even slowing things down by ten minutes feels like progress.
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@Claudia_Cisneros, that ten-minute window makes a real difference. I started keeping a short STOP reminder in my phone, including “don’t send the message yet.” Reading it before responding has saved me from a few impulsive conversations.
I also like that you’re measuring progress by reducing the damage instead of expecting the skills to stop every swing. Catching the early signs and contacting someone from my treatment plan sooner has worked better for me than trying to argue with the mood once it’s fully taken over.
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That “don’t send the message yet” line is a good one. I’ve had times where waiting even a few minutes changed the whole tone of what I wanted to say. Sometimes I’ll write it in a note instead, then come back when I’m less charged up.
Contacting someone early is probably the biggest difference for me too. Once I’m fully spun up, reasoning with myself gets pretty useless. Catching the warning signs and reaching out before that point makes the treatment plan feel like something I can actually use, not just paperwork sitting there.
@Jeremy_May, putting “don’t send the message yet” right in the reminder is smart. I’ve had better luck drafting a text in my notes app and setting it aside rather than trusting myself to hit send while worked up.
Once the mood is fully rolling, arguing with it usually just burns more energy. Catching the first signs and using the plan early has helped me avoid turning one rough moment into a whole bad evening.