Sorry for your difficult time, @shawnamawna. I do have a few tips. I truly hope they might help you or another person reading your blog.
- I'm a huge proponent of vitamin D. Unless you're getting plenty of sunlight, you are probably in deficit. It can result in huge mood swings and depression.
- Meditation is really important for anyone who can't contain their thoughts and emotions. Lighting a candle, thinking about one thing that you can focus on that is calming, and really relaxing can help mitigate the severity of a really bad episode.
- Listening to upbeat music or watching an upbeat show can be really powerful as a way to divert your attention from the negative things you're thinking and feeling. If you can disrupt the cycle, you can hopefully get back to a more comfortable place of calm and stasis.
And if you're really cooped up, go walking. Get out in nature if you can. The risks are being with people, not being outdoors where you can breathe fresh air and enjoy daylight, which can be very uplifting.
These are excellent and very welcome tips! Thank you @jayna. I can put meditation into practice today.
I hope you feel better each day!