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

I’m really concerned about something, and I think you need to know about it as well.

You know I volunteer at several places where there are people with bipolar disorder, like support groups and such. Well, sometimes I like what I hear, and then I bring that information to you, because I think you can benefit from it.

But what is really bothering me today, and I think it’s been building up and I’m surprised I haven’t brought it up lately, is something that I’ve noticed happens at some of these meetings that is NOT a good thing.

I’ll tell you about it:

It’s when people who have NO clue about bipolar disorder give advice on it – even though the advice is sincere, it is still sincerely wrong! Now people can truly get hurt by this advice, and that makes me mad!

For instance, one person at the support group meeting said, “My friend told me that since I seem

to be doing so much better, that I should stop taking my medications.”

Then other people say, yeah, my friend said the same thing… and before you know it, this one comment is controlling the whole meeting, and it is a totally FALSE thing – a LIE!

I’m sure they’re not trying to steer someone else wrong, they just might not be aware of how harmful bad bipolar disorder advice can be. Even fatal, when you’re talking about going off your medications.

Then, when I try to tell them that that comment can’t be true, or that it could hurt them, or at least that they should check with their doctor before going off their medications, they ALL look at me like I’m some crazy person! Know what I mean?

Or they say their friend told them to stop working and get on disability. Another person said that their friend told them that another friend said that they should take this supplement on the market instead of their medications, and that it worked for their friend’s friend!

But I ask myself, where are these people getting this stuff? And how come people are believing it? Really, sometimes I just want to walk out of these meetings and just keep going. But then I remember why I am there – to help. And sometimes that help is just to tell them the truth about what their “friends” have been telling them.

Unfortunately, there is still no cure for bipolar disorder, no matter what you may hear at a support group meeting. Even though these people are well meaning, always check with your

doctor before you do anything like taking a supplement instead of your medications just because you heard “a friend of a friend of a friend” says it works. Everybody is different. What works for one person great may not work for another person.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave