Letting Go Can Help You With Bipolar

Hi,

I saw an ad the other day for this new reality based show. Now, I usually dismiss these kinds

of shows, because most of them are, in my opinion, downright silly. And this one probably will be, too. I think they just take advantage of people. Some of them even hurt people. But I don’t know of any of them that really show people in a good light. And I don’t think this one is going

to show people in a good light, either.

It’s going to be about people who hoard things. People who pile things up and don’t let them go.

There are more people than you can imagine who are like this.

There was one woman who bought all kinds of things from a TV shopping network, and hoarded everything she bought – she didn’t even open anything she bought – she just hoarded it all! This can be a type of illness. This not letting go of anything.

There was one woman who collected all kinds of birthday wrappings, boxes and boxes and boxes of them! For all kinds of occasions – she just wouldn’t let any of it go. And not just the wrappings – but all the party supplies that went with them. She hoarded them and wouldn’t let go. She lived in a little trailer, and all these party supplies and wrappings took up a whole room in themselves! Still, she wouldn’t let go of them, even though she really didn’t have room for

them.

Now, you and I can look at people like this and think, “I would never do that.” But it’s not for us to judge. Because we may do the same thing in other ways. What am I talking about? Bipolar disorder, of course (I always bring everything around to bipolar disorder, don’t I?).

I’m always talking about how you have to live one day at a time and try to cope and deal with the problems and issues that are facing you that day. If you try to take on too much, you will become overwhelmed. Like the lady who has a whole room full of party supplies is overwhelmed (to the point of not being able to get rid of any of it).

If you have too many stressful situations facing you all at the same time, and you try to tackle them all at once, you will find yourself overwhelmed, and unable to tackle any of them at all.

So you have to take a step back… Look at them realistically… Figure out which ones you can solve… Deal with what you can at the moment… And let the rest go.

That’s right – you have to let them go.

I didn’t say it would be easy, just that it’s what you have to do. You’ll probably find that some of the situations will resolve themselves if you let go of them. Others may take longer, but may also

resolve themselves. The ones that you do need to resolve will do better if you have let go and have time to rebuild your strength and energy to face them and be able to solve them. This way you aren’t overwhelmed by them.

It’s hard to let go at first, but it leaves you the energy you need to come back and “fight another day.”

Your Friend,

Dave