Hi,
You know, in everyone’s life there are milestones – those events that mark time or progress in something. For example: Your first milestone was, as a toddler, learning to talk. Then walking was probably your next milestone. Then teething…Then starting to grow up. Then maybe your next milestone was just getting through adolescence (which is a job in itself). A milestone in adolescence might have been getting your first girlfriend/boyfriend. Another milestone might be getting your first job. Then your first car. Then your first apartment. Then (maybe) your first credit card. These are all milestones to becoming an adult.
Then when you’re a young adult…A milestone might be getting engaged, and another one the wedding itself. Then come children. Many parents think just getting through the “terrible twos” is a milestone in itself. You should also have milestones to cross at work, if you plan to get ahead. You might work as a stock boy in a grocery store…Then your next milestone might be a clerk, then head clerk…Then even assistant manager…Or even store manager someday.
Milestones are goals that we set for ourselves. You may set a long-term goal, and the milestones are the short-term goals you have to reach to get there. That goes for bipolar disorder as well as in life in general. Your loved one’s first milestone was probably just accepting the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. For many people, this is a very hard task for them to accomplish. But once they accept it, they can go on to other milestones.
For example: Getting used to taking their medication (without complaining). Or finally finding that right combinations of medications could be a milestone. Finding the right professionals is another milestone your loved one will have to reach on their way to stability. Your loved one’s learning how to communicate their needs to you might be a milestone. Going to a bipolar support group could be another milestone. Then charting their progress on the way.
There will be several more milestones before they reach stability. Hopefully, the medication will make this easier. Sometimes getting over the side effect hurdle from their medication is a milestone. And especially having the right medical and mental health professionals. They will have milestones to cross in therapy alone. So they will have professional or business milestones.
They will have financial milestones to cross if they go on disability, because it’s hard to live on that limited income, and some spending habits will have to change. And also personal milestones to cross along the way. Getting through a bad bipolar episode is a milestone. But once they cross their bipolar milestones, the result is stability. And that is the result you’re looking and waiting for.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Post responses below
This is sooooo true – for EVERYONE! Thank You – I needed to be reminded of how important milestones are.
I have a 17 yr. old grand daughter who lives with me. She was diagnoised with Bi-Polar at a very young age. We’ve never been able to find the right professionals to help her or the right medication. She sees and hears all kinds of things, but none of the therapists have even believed her, much less try to help her. They want her to say she doesn’t see or hear things anymore and that they’ve helped her, when all they’ve really done is waste our time and money. I don’t know what to do.
Fortunately I never “fell short” of needing the perfect partner. That seems to be something I do quite “steady”. If my resume matched my love life, there’d be not gaps but that’s an entirely other story, Dave! lol!
A milestone for me though is that I’ve become accustomed to going without after centuries of being “spoiled” so it’s just been a thrill to see myself and some fine friends get back on the saddle as it were and remain steady – a job for two years, no uninterrupted friendships, good vacations etc. it was a little interrupted about 4 years ago but like Bipolar – if one gets educated on what they need to do to “get through” that difficult period and stay at it till the situation alleviates, it will! Milestones are very important!