Q: Reach out to family and friends for support as you seek treatment for bipolar disorder. Discuss your treatment plan with your family and friends. Let them know how you are addressing your mental health issue. Ask for their support when you need it. Having a good support system as you deal with bipolar disorder can be really helpful. For example, you may say to family and friends, “I am currently on a treatment plan for bipolar disorder. I appreciate all your support and encouragement. I hope you will continue to support me during my recovery.” Look for a support group in your local area or online that focuses on the needs of those with bipolar disorder. Try to go to the support group on a regular basis. Share your recovery with the other members of the support group and listen to their stories of recovery. Often, having others who can relate to what you are going through will make your recovery more manageable and feasible. Ask your psychiatrist or your therapist for a referral to a support group in your area. Look for support groups online for those with bipolar disorder. To ensure your recovery is on track, set up regular check-ins with a mental health professional in your area. Try to meet with the mental health professional once a week or twice a month to ensure you are recovering well. Share any issues you are having with your medication or your treatment plan. Work with the mental health professional to find a treatment plan that works for you. If you start to feel manic or depressed, reach out to a mental health professional right away. Describe your symptoms and ask them for immediate care. You can also call the Suicide Prevention Hotline or your psychiatrist for help. You may already have a plan in place for episodes if you are on a treatment plan. Make sure family and friends know the protocol for episodes so they can watch for the symptoms and help you get treatment.
A: Talk to family and friends about your disorder. Join a support group for bipolar disorder. Have regular check-ins with a mental health professional. Seek immediate help if you feel a bipolar disorder episode coming on.

Q: Visit your local grocery store or farmers market and purchase some fresh fruits and vegetables. (Organic produce is best, if possible.) Pick up some lettuce, kiwifruit, banana, bell peppers, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, or any other fruits and veggies you like. Wash them thoroughly, and cut them up into very small pieces.  Hermit crabs don't like the taste of citrus fruits like lemon and lime and will probably not eat them. They also don't like herbs (peppermint, rosemary). They tend to avoid "Prunus fruits" or "stone fruits" (cherries, apricots, plums). If you have oak trees or red maple trees in your area, these trees provide a great source of nutrition for your hermit crab. Harvest a few oak leaves and some oak bark, or some red maple leaves. Be sure to wash your leaves and bark in dechlorinated water.  Oak trees have leaves with a "lobe and sinus" pattern. Maple leaves have three "fingers" (think of the Canadian flag). Oak trees drop acorns, while maple trees drop "helicopters." In addition to fruit and veggies, it is crucial for hermit crabs to have some form of protein everyday. Your crab may enjoy cooked lean beef, chicken, salmon, or shrimp. Or you can add dried plankton, krill or any other dried sea creatures (available at most pet stores). Be sure the protein you provide has not been seasoned with spices or table salt. Your hermit crab can eat almost any kind of vegetables or fruit, but they are very sensitive to fertilizers and pesticides. Whenever possible, you should seek out organic produce and untreated leaves/bark. If this is not possible, all produce should be washed thoroughly in dechlorinated water. Combine a ¼ cup of chopped fruits and veggies with ¼ cup of protein. Add a few leaves or bark (if possible), and 1 tsp. of sea salt. Mix everything together. Serve 1/3 of this mix to your hermit crab each night and refrigerate the rest. Note that sea salt is different from conventional table salt. Sea salt contains natural, unrefined minerals that are healthy for your crab, whereas table salt does not.
A: Purchase a variety of fruits and veggies. Harvest some leaves and bark. Add some form of protein. Avoid pesticides. Mix everything together.

Q: Depending on the song's rhythm, you may need to rotate between several different striking methods in a song. Practice going from one technique to another quickly so that if a song calls for several different tones or rhythms, you can match it with the right roll or strike. While using two hands may seem useful for complex songs, it can mess with your timing. Avoid switching the tambourine back and forth between your hands for the clearest rhythm. If you're playing along to a fast song, hold the tambourine in your non-dominant hand and prop your foot on something that puts your thigh parallel to the floor, like a box or stepping stool. Strike your knee or thigh with the tambourine's shell (back side) while you play a tempo with your dominant hand. This helps make the tambourine strike louder and more pronounced. If you're trying to play along to a song you didn't write, listen for a drum, triangle, cymbal, or other percussion instruments, and try striking your tambourine to the same beat. When in doubt, this is a safe way to make sure you're playing to the right beat.
A:
Practice transitioning between striking techniques. Play as much of the rhythm as possible on one hand. Strike your tambourine against your knee when playing fast rhythms. Play to the beat of the percussion if you don't know when to play.