SELF: 5 People With Bipolar Disorder Discuss Their ‘Re-Entry Anxiety’

May 21, 2021

Now that more people are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and resuming some of their pre-pandemic activities, you may have some “re-entry anxiety” about returning to your old routines. If you have bipolar disorder and created new pandemic routines to help manage your condition, then you might be worried about changing things up again. 

There are actually several types of bipolar disorder, classified by their symptoms. With bipolar I disorder, you may have manic episodes, where you feel irritable or have an excess of energy, for seven days as well as depressive episodes lasting roughly two weeks, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Bipolar II disorder is characterized by depressive and hypomanic episodes, a less severe form of mania.

SELF spoke to people with bipolar I and II about how they’re dealing with re-entry anxiety. You might find inspiration and comfort in their stories if you’re unsettled by how quickly things are changing too. (These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Click here to read the full article which features Brave Alumni Erin Lorensen (Boise 2017-2019), Emily Fuller (Lewiston, ME 2017), and Charita Cole Brown (Baltimore 2018) are featured in this article.