Increasingly in recent weeks there has been less bounce to her step. Even extending to something more akin to a slow commando crawl…. 

I suspect we are for the first time seeing her experience a depressive episode without the waters muddied by agitation and aggression. This is thanks to her meds that the waters are clear and we can face this head on. She still occasionally bounces but it doesn’t have the height and it isn’t sustained as when she is manic. 

She sits across from me right now begging a day off school. We have been here before however one day can rapidly snowball into a week when she is at this point. 

We have already discussed this with the school as yet however they have not put anything specific in place. 

I have emailed the schools welfare officer requesting her school work today even if it is a list of text book units and chapters and which questions she can use to review. 

They already know that she may need a combined curriculum of work at home and in the classroom. 

Hopefully this transition will not involve too many obstacles and the requested work can be provided that she can work solo today with some peace and quiet. But until it arrives we can’t know. 

Being able to identify it and work with it can reduce the duration of the episode. The challenge will be not letting her completely cocoon herself which of course is the impulse. 

Cuddles with mum this morning being sent for a shower (she is covered head to toe with texta after spending the weekend with her best friend who is homeschooled) maybe we can make some pancakes today together and use the last of the strawberries. Perhaps even a couple of games of dicenstein with bruce and mum. 

Even when things seem to be going alright it’s important to keep taking meds. I can honestly say even though they don’t Stop all episodes they do change the episodes that they are easier to identify,  more readily tackled allowing cbt and other methods to be more effective and they don’t last as long.