Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

Maybe you know a story like Lisa’s. Lisa had cancer. She was constantly dealing with her own mortality, and there was a constant struggle to keep her from dying. There were also a lot of good things that went on in Lisa’s life, but most of the time she was so focused on the bad that she couldn’t see them.

One day the doctor caught on to her depression, and told her that she was making her lifespan shorter! He told her that if she didn’t take time to enjoy life sometime soon, that she was quite literally going to kill herself! Her body was already compromised enough, it couldn’t handle the added stress of depression.

Lisa didn’t understand what she was supposed to do, so she asked the doctor what he meant. He told her to stop and smell the roses. There was more to life than just her cancer! There were also things she could enjoy and learn from. But she had been missing them…

Lisa went on to learn to accept her cancer as just part of her life. After some time of enjoying the rest of her life, she got some good news from the doctor: The cancer had gone into remission! The doctor flat-out told her he knew it was because of her change in attitude.

He had seen all sorts of people come through his office with cancer, and the ones that survived were the ones that were positive about things. That doesn’t mean that they were happy they had cancer, or anything stupid like that. It just means that they were able to push past the negative and find other things to focus their energy on.

Hmmm. Stop and smell the roses. How long has it been since you did that? I know, it’s so much easier to just crisis-build. That is to say, it’s so much easier to just focus on the negative until the negative takes over.

Your loved one has a horrible disorder that they’ll never be cured from. This disorder is affecting every aspect of both of your lives, and quite frankly, you’re sick of it. Well, these things are true, and they shouldn’t be ignored per say. But if that is the only way you ever think, then it will wear on you eventually.

People need to think positively. If you want to keep your mental health in tact, you need to make a point to see the positive as well as the negative. The good as well as the bad.

It will also set a good example for your loved one. If they see you acting in a more positive manner because you are thinking on a better level, then they are much more likely to do the same. Which could, in the end, help solve some of those problems that you could have been brooding over.

And the really good thing about enjoying life is – well – it’s enjoyable! It’s not like I’m asking you to do something you’re not going to like.  What are the roses you can stop to smell? What ways can you be more positive today?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I know someone who has bipolar disorder who is pregnant right now. Obviously, she has to work on her problems on an immediate basis to keep them from affecting the baby. But recently, she found out about a new complication. She has gestational diabetes.

Of course, this only serves to make her bipolar disorder worse, as well. I can only imagine what ways blood sugar can impact mood swings. And even if she wasn’t having mood swings to begin with, a messed up blood sugar count could start one! I’m sure that her bipolar disorder wasn’t particularly good for her blood sugar, either. It almost seems like a big catch-22.

It reminds me of when a person who has bipolar disorder has a co-occurring drug abuse problem. One affects the other, and vice versa. The only way to treat either of them is to treat both of them at once.

The same thing with the bipolar and diabetes. In fact, the same thing with bipolar and any other problem! There’s a concept called total wellness. What this refers to is that a person cannot be only partially well. If they have two problems and only treat one of them then the other is going to continue to aggravate the one that “got treated.”

Have you ever stubbed your toe? You probably have. In that moment that you stubbed your toe, chances are it hurt badly and you had a hard time focusing on anything else for a few moments. All that, just for a simple stubbed toe.

But if anything is wrong with a person, it’s like everything is wrong. It’s so easy to get caught up in the immediate feeling of hurt, conflict, or confusion that it becomes harder and harder to see anything right about the situation.

We’ve seen just how true this is for bipolar disorder. But it’s true for everything else, as well. What does this mean to you? Well, it means that if you handle your bipolar disorder well but don’t take care of that toothache, it’s going to eat away at you.

Eventually that toothache might just lead to a relapse because of the stress it causes. Maybe this won’t happen with you, but I personally think it’s better to not find out the hard way. Especially considering that if you avoid finding out you can also take care of the toothache – or whatever it is in your situation.

I considered calling this “Bipolar Wellness.” But then I had to stop and think. It’s very difficult to have wellness from bipolar disorder without having wellness from other things as well. So instead I thought “Total Wellness” would be a better title. Don’t you agree?

Isn’t that a good aim? Total wellness. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to work towards it. But it’s important to break down your goals into steps and to-do lists that you can take care of easily. That will, in fact, contribute to your wellness also.

Today’s the day to start being well. What ways can you work to improve your overall wellness?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews499/

Here are the news headlines:

Mental Illness Alone Not Linked to Violence
DO> Interesting article, what do you think?

Better Mental Health Care for Arkansas Community Health Centers
DO> think this will work out?

Living With Mental Illness
DO> Good article, take a look.

Bipolar Disorder in Children Is Persistent and Familial
DO> Another very interesting article.

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews499/

==>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’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

Recently I had someone asking me for advice on a topic that I didn’t expect. They were a supporter to a person who has bipolar disorder, and they were looking for a pet for their loved one. They wanted to know what type of pet they should be looking into.

They had heard of psychiatric service dogs, and were also wondering whether that would be appropriate in their situation. A psychiatric service dog is a dog who helps out a person who has a mental illness to do the things in life that they would normally find difficult.

They can remind the person to take their medications at a certain time every day, or cheer them up when they are depressed. They can help calm them down when they are irritated, and can even call 9-1-1 if a medical emergency arises!

But psychiatric service dogs need a lot of training, attention, and care. They need an owner who will love them and understand their needs, and they need to be taken with the person nearly everywhere they go. Psychiatric service dogs are a great thing, but they are only appropriate in certain people’s lives.

But a pet in general can work into most people’s lives. And, of course, there are many different kinds of pets. The two most common are dogs and cats, but I’ve heard of everywhere from fish and hamsters to snakes and birds, and even to more exotic animals.

Some of these animals can be great therapeutic animals for people who have bipolar disorder. Sometimes that’s just because something else is depending on the person, and it’s just like as if they were growing a garden or something of that nature. Other times it’s because the animal can interact with the person.

And, of course, some people are just not animal lovers, so you need to take that into consideration, also. Don’t get a pet for your loved one if you think they will ignore, abuse, or dislike it. But if you are convinced that it will do them good, then the next step is to pick out which kind of animal would be best.

To start off with, as a rule of thumb, I would avoid the more dangerous animals. Then, think about whether the person will need the animal to interact with them or not. If they will need interaction, then I would not suggest a hamster or a lizard.

Then you might think about how much energy the person is going to have to deal with the pet. Dogs usually require a lot of energy. So if they have a lot of energy to give to a dog, then that might be the best bet. If not, then you might consider a different animal.

Finally, we get to temperament. Each animal has its own temperament. So does each person, for that matter. Matching up your loved ones temperament with the animals should be done with your loved one present, as it is often like finding a new friend.

There are lots of things that are great to do as surprises, but picking an animal for someone is probably not one of them. They need to be there to help pick out which individual animal is right for them.

In the end, you may need to help your loved one to take care of the animal while they are depressed, but don’t completely take over the job. Encourage them to get up and take care of their pet, reminding them that their pet depends on them. This will most likely help out with their depression, as well.

Pets can, under the right circumstances and if chosen right, help out a person who has bipolar disorder. Do you have any pets? If so, have they helped out your loved one?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

If you have a loved one with bipolar disorder that is NOT following through with his/her treatment plan or taking his/her medication, I have good news. I have a resource that you’ll be interested in.

Take a look:

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

Dave

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews498/

Here are the news headlines:

How Being Bipolar Can Affect Your Career
DO> Great article, what do you think?

Vivid Dreams, Nightmares, Night Terrors and Bipolar Disorder
DO> Take a look at this.

Three geniuses with mental illnesses
DO> VERY interesting, did you know this?

Risk factors for bipolar disorder
DO> Take a look but you should know this already.

Family Struggling With Mental Illness Finds Support In Area Classes
DO> Good supporter article, take a look.

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews498/

==>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’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I overheard a story once that stuck with me. A young child was talking to his mother. He was trying to understand in his young mind what to feel now that his grandpa had died. His grandpa had been very sick and miserable for a long time. He had a belief system that said that his grandpa was in a better place now.

So in some ways he felt happy for his grandpa. But in a lot of other ways he felt sad, because now he would have to miss him. He was confused by the fact that he felt happy and sad at the same time. Up until that point he thought that he could only feel one or the other at a time. But not that day.

This is kind of what a mixed mood is like, only a little more extreme. With a mixed mood, it’s not just a couple of emotions that are being mixed at the same time. It’s everything about your mood.

With a mixed mood, you can be experiencing extreme highs and extreme lows at the same time. Have you ever felt manic and depressed all at once before? If you have, then you’ve experienced a mixed mood.

Maybe you’re the supporter, and you’ve been confused by the mix of symptoms you see in your loved one. They are sleeping most of the day, but when they do wake up they have manic energy. They are excited easily and talking a hundred miles an hour, but they are feeling negative overall and may even be suicidal. They can’t control how they spend their money or who they sleep with, but they don’t have the energy to get up to do simple chores.

This doesn’t even make sense. Well, guess what? It doesn’t make sense to them, either! This is the weirdest part of bipolar disorder. As if depression and mania weren’t confusing enough when they were separate!

But, for many people who have bipolar disorder, this is a part of life. Some even deal with mixed moods all the time. Those people are particularly hard to diagnose, because they don’t show the usual mood swings that are common to bipolar disorder. They don’t have to show mood swings, though – they have all the moods right there!

One of the hardest parts about dealing with mixed moods is figuring out which part to treat first. There’s only one right answer to this. Can you guess it? Both! If you just treat the depression first and ignore the mania, then it may start uncontrollable mood swings. The same thing can happen if you just treat the mania and ignore the depression.

Another hard part to dealing with mixed moods is even recognizing what they are to begin with. That’s why it’s important to keep a good mood chart that charts your symptoms, and not just your “overall mood.” You should be charting things like irritability, hours of sleep, emotions, self-control, and anxiety. This will help you recognize when your mood has shifted to a mixed mood.

When you do determine that you are in a mixed mood, you should tell your treatment team immediately, including your psychiatrist and your therapist. Your medications or therapy may need to be adjusted, and you may need to look into different coping techniques than the ones you have been using.

Mixed moods are difficult to deal with, mostly because they are so confusing. Hope this cleared it up a little bit for you.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I had an interesting conversation with two people yesterday. They both had bipolar disorder, and had both been in recovery for some time. One of them was completely passionate about going into the field of advocacy and making a career out of it.

The other one felt – well – almost like they were being guilt-tripped into it. Not that anyone was trying to put pressure on them to do anything, just that they felt obligated to give back. But they didn’t really have the passion behind them.

This had me worried. I sat down and talked to her about whether she should really be doing this or not. If this wasn’t what she really wanted, then it wasn’t going to make her happy. She would burn out easier that way.

She would also just flat-out not be as much use as someone who was more into it would be. Someone who was more into it would be more capable of getting other people excited about the cause, and of giving hope to someone who had none before.

If she did this because she felt obligated, then those factors would be missing. It’s even possible that she’d do more harm than good.

I had to explain to her that not every person who has bipolar disorder was made to be an advocate. Some are, of course. But those people are usually very sure that it’s what they want to do.

She had been under the false assumption that because this hand was dealt to her, that she should help others who had been dealt the same thing. Well, maybe to some extent that’s true. Maybe it’s true that if she meets someone who has bipolar that could use some advice she has learned that she should pass it on. Maybe it’s true that if she meets someone who is having similar difficulties that she ought to be nice to them and encourage them. But that’s different from being an advocate.

Maybe you’re considering becoming an advocate. You might be a supporter or someone with the disorder. If you really want to become an advocate for your own reasons, than that is great. All the better, in fact. But if you feel like life, someone, or your own feelings are pressuring you in that direction, then it’s probably not the right direction to go.

If you’re not sure, then there are things you can do to make yourself more sure. Like, for instance, volunteering for six weeks at a non-profit support group. If you don’t like it, you’ve only obligated yourself for one hour a week for six weeks. If you do like it, then you’ve just gotten your foot in the door to do more work like that.

We need all of the advocates we can get. They come in many shapes and sizes, and even many titles (ranging from psychiatrist and psychologist to social worker all the way to volunteer!) But we don’t need any advocates that are in the wrong place doing something they don’t want to do.

It’s a great life, if that’s the one you want to live, and I’m certainly not trying to discourage anyone from taking it on. I would just ask you to make sure of yourself that this is what you really want to do.

If it is, then welcome aboard.  If not, then I wish you all the happiness in the world doing whatever you should choose to do! Any thoughts?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave