Hi,

Here’s the news on time this week.

Anyway, to read this week’s news visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews461/

Here are the news headlines:

Improving the Workplace for Those with Bipolar Disorder
DO> Great article, don’t you think?

Report: [Hundreds of] Foster Kids given Anti-psychotics Without Consent
DO> This is TERRIBLE!

‘Fall to Pieces’: Mary Forsberg Weiland’s Story of Addiction, Rock & Roll and …
DO> Interesting story, take a look.

Poor Children Likelier to Get Antipsychotics
DO> Again, very terrible!

Home Comforts helps People with Chronic Mental Illness
DO> Great article, take a look.

For these stories and more, please visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews461/

==>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting: http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

David

Hi, how are you? I hope you’re doing well.

Well, we’re counting down to Christmas, and all the holiday events are starting, from store sales to shopping, to gatherings and parties, etc. It sure is an exciting time, isn’t it?

But there are some people with bipolar disorder for whom the holidays are not a happy time. If your loved one is one of these people, you will have known because of what happened last year. People with bipolar disorder usually repeat their patterns.

I know for my mom, these months are usually the hardest for her in the whole year.

If you had problems with your loved one going into a bipolar depression last year at this time, too, you will want to watch their behavior and moods very closely. The same thing is likely to happen this year as well.

So what can you do about it?

Well, if you are enthusiastic, excited, and in a general good mood for the holidays, some of this might rub off on your loved one.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re around an optimistic and positive person that it’s hard to be pessimistic and negative in return? It’s the same concept.

One way to help them not get depressed is to involve them in the holiday preparations. Have them help you make a Christmas shopping list, for example. It will at least take the emphasis

off themselves and their problems and have them thinking about other people and what they would like for a Christmas gift.

You could also enlist their help in getting the Christmas cards done. Activity is good for someone with bipolar disorder.

Get them involved! Do some holiday baking. Decorate the house. Put up a tree with all the extra stuff on it – ornaments, lights, garland, tinsel, etc. – with a great big star or angel on the top of it!

Get excited! Then maybe they will catch your enthusiasm. But be careful, you don’t want them to get TOO excited, or they may go into the exact opposite direction and go manic on you! Do everything with moderation and you shouldn’t have a problem.

Having your loved one help you to plan a holiday family gathering might help as well. But I would issue a warning here – If your loved one is already depressed, they may not want to have any company over the house.

In this case, let them help you choose just one or two gatherings to go to, with the agreement that if they can’t handle it, that you will leave early.

As always, you need to be vigilant and watch your loved one for any signs/symptoms of a bipolar episode.

Hopefully, by doing these things, they won’t fall into a bipolar depression. But if they do, make sure that they seek help. Sometimes just calling their doctor and getting their medication increased on a temporary basis is all that is needed.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how are you today? I hope you’re doing fine.

Sometimes people get the wrong idea of what being a supporter is. They think they have to do

everything for their loved one with bipolar disorder. Even things that they can do for themselves. And that’s called enabling, which isn’t a positive thing for a supporter.

I mean, I’m not saying not to help your loved one, you should, but just not to the extreme. Some supporters who go to the extreme treat their loved one like a child, and then wonder why their loved one resents them. You don’t want this to happen to you. You want to be the best supporter

you can be.

But you also cannot leave out one very important person in the process of supporting your loved one – YOU!

Let me ask you: Are you taking care of yourself? Because if you don’t, you may get sick (physically and/or emotionally), and then what kind of help would you be to your loved one?

You MUST take care of yourself first, or you won’t be able to help your loved one (or anyone

else, for that matter).

I know that some people will disagree with me. They may think it is selfish to put themselves first. But, again, I would say to you that if you DON’T put yourself first, you won’t be an effective supporter, family member, friend, co-worker, etc.

It is definitely not a matter of being selfish but, instead, a matter of “best practices.” Have you heard of “best practices?” It’s a business term that applies to those ways in which the company

(and/or its departments) can be most effective – by using “best practices.” You can be your most effective as well, if you use “best practices.”

Every supporter is different, but best practices for you might include:

• Going to your own therapist

• Attending your own support group

• Keeping in close contact with your friends and family

• Having a social life

• Doing things outside the home separate from your loved one

• Doing things that you enjoy

• Having hobbies

• Being of service to others besides your loved one

• Being active in church or a civic organization

• Volunteering for a worthy cause

• Taking care of yourself physically

• Taking care of yourself mentally

• Taking care of yourself emotionally

• Taking care of yourself spiritually

• Keeping a positive attitude

• Improving your self-esteem

• Bettering yourself

• Learning more about bipolar disorder

• Learning something new

• etc.

The better you take care of yourself, the better you can take care of your loved one with bipolar disorder. It’s not a matter of selfishness, it’s a matter of necessity.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I am offering a special FREE Trial on Bipolar Supporter’s Master Course.

I am only taking 50 people and it ends 10:00 pm EST Tuesday, December 22, 2009

For complete details, visit:

https://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/supportercourse/

Dave

Hi, how are things going for you? I hope you’re doing well today.

You know, it’s not just the churches that promote being of service to others. It has been shown that people who are of service to others are more positive, outgoing, self-confident, and successful.

I think part of it, at least, could be that by servicing others, they are thinking about the other person and not themselves. In other words, it takes their mind off their own problems.

Everybody needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Everybody needs a purpose to

their life. Especially people with bipolar disorder.

If you or your loved one with the disorder are too idle, you will have too much time on your

hands, for one thing. And then you risk the part about concentrating on yourself and your own problems. Even worse, idleness can sometimes lead into a bipolar depressive episode. And you don’t want that to happen. So you need to keep busy. And what better way than of being service to others?

It could be as simple as helping with the coffee at your bipolar support group. It could be as complex as becoming a tutor or teaching music lessons, or volunteering at a charity or even

a business. Or it could be anything in between. It’s all up to you.

The point is to take your mind off the negative aspects of your life and train yourself to look at

the positive aspects of it – like helping others.

We especially think of this at this time of year, at the holidays. Not everyone is in a good position right now. Some families are really suffering under financial weight, loss of job, loss of home, etc. There may be something you can do to help, even if it’s just in a small way.

There are other ways to help as well. You can use your gifts and talents to be of use to others. For example, like I mentioned before about being a tutor. You may even be able to make

some money for yourself while you are being of service to someone else.

However you help others is up to you, and where your interests lie, because what you do best will be best for the people you’re trying to help. For instance, I know someone with bipolar disorder who loves to read. So she became a Literacy Volunteer and helped other adults learn how to read, who couldn’t before her help.

Being of service to others is so important to the stability and self-esteem of someone with bipolar

disorder. The more you help someone else, the better you will feel about yourself.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

I wanted to drop and email to you about something that came up.

The other day I sent out a notice about my new resource titled:

“How to deal with your loved one’s lying,
manipulation and bipolar disorder.”

Located at:

http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/dealwithlying/

People have written me asking why I am saying that all people with bipolar disorder lie. I am NOT and I repeat I am NOT saying that.

I am not.

What I am saying is that when a person is going through a bipolar episode he/she can start lying and manipulating.

To say this true means either you are lying yourself or just not informed. This is the sad truth and I find it one of the most difficult things to deal with when it comes to bipolar disorder.

One of the biggest questions I hear asked is, “How do I deal with my loved one’s lying?”

Most supporters just don’t know what to do. Neither do therapists, psychiatrists, doctors, and many other experts. I have been to many support groups and heard experts say, “There’s really nothing you can do except try to do the

best you can.” THIS IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE.

If you have a loved one with bipolar disorder who is lying constantly and manipulating then I have great news for you.

I have a new resource you have to check out.

Take a look if you need it.

http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/dealwithlying/

I actually have to take off and head to my Goddaughter’s birthday part. She is turning two years old.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Dave