Hi, how’s it going? I hope you’re having a good day.

I was talking to this guy at the gym the other day, and it really affected me. We were talking about the economy. He believes that everything is going to be fine, like, tomorrow or next month.

Well, I read the news and expert opinions all the time on all kinds of things, so I know that’s not true. So I told him so. He got really mad, and started to defend his position. I, of course, defended mine.

Well, guess what happened?

Nothing.

Nothing happened.

Nothing was accomplished.

He couldn’t change my mind, and I couldn’t change his. It was a total waste of time.

Your loved one may have told you some things that you don’t agree with, but fighting about it would be a waste of your time, too. It would help if you try to see things from their point of view.

For example, if they say that you never listen to them, you better really hear that, because they’re

saying a lot there. They could be feeling neglected, frustrated, angry, anxious, stressed, or any number of negative feelings that, if not taken care of, can put them into a bipolar episode.

So you really have to try to see their point of view.

First of all, reflect back to them what they have said to you – this shows that you’re actively listening.

For instance, you can say: “I hear that you feel like I never listen to you, but can you give me

some examples?” Then it is their responsibility to give you specifics. Then examine the specifics. Ask yourself if you really do all these things? Again try to see it from their point of

view.

Like, say they say that whenever they try to talk to you, you keep staring at the TV. So you examine it, and see that it is true. Then from now on, when they talk to you, turn to face them. This shows that you are actively listening.

You need to develop this habit. Because otherwise they could go into an episode because you didn’t heed the warning when they were trying to tell you.

Your loved one may be stable today, but you need to always be on guard for an episode anyway. Sometimes they can come out of seemingly nowhere.

The point is, always try to see your loved one’s point of view. Don’t waste your time arguing

about it, when there may be something you can do to fix the problem.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

How’s it going? Hope you are doing great.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews476/

Here are the news headlines:

Widely-Used Screening Scale Misidentifies Borderline Personality Disorder as Bipolar Disorder
DO> Great article, take a look.

Child Psychiatrists Embrace Videoconferencing Telepsychiatry
DO> Wow, do you think this is a good idea?

Is Celebrity Soul-Baring Spreading Depression?
DO> What do you think of this article?

Reform could Change Health Care Delivery
DO> Are you for or against this?

Bright Light Therapy Box for SAD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Sleep Problems
DO> What do you think of this?

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews476/

==>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,

Dave

Hi, how is your day going? I hope it’s a great one.

You know about my little goddaughter, right? Well, I think one of the greatest toys they ever invented for kids was building blocks. Yep, building blocks. Simple. Easy. But it can keep them busy for hours!

She builds these tall towers out of her building blocks, and you should see her go. Nothing interrupts her concentration when she is building one of her towers. Of course, sometimes the

blocks fall down before she’s completed her tower, but she doesn’t abandon her mission! She just starts over and starts building her tower again! She builds it as high as she is, sometimes, before it falls!

But you should see her when she’s building it… She is focused… She is quiet… No distractions… She is concentrating… And she is persistent.

That’s the name of the game when it comes to bipolar disorder, too – you must be persistent if you want to get stable or help your loved one to reach stability.

Do you have persistence when it comes to your bipolar disorder? When your “tower” falls down sooner than expected, do you just start building it again?

Like say you’re on a new medication. And it has some side effects. Do you abandon it completely? Or do you call the doctor and tell him about the side effects so that he can tell you what to do?

What if somebody says something you don’t like at your support group? Do you quit going altogether, scrapping the whole notion of going to a support group just because one person said something you didn’t like? Or do you have the persistence you need to keep going to that support group no matter what, because you need it?

What if you do go into an episode? Do you feel like it’s the end of the world? Like you’ll never get better? Like all your work toward stability (like my goddaughter building her tower) was all for nothing? Do you just give up? Or do you latch onto your persistence with everything you’ve got and build that tower – fight that bipolar episode?

You’ve got to have persistence if you’re going to beat this thing. It’s not always going to be easy.

But you CAN do it!

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave