Hi,
How’s your day going?
I hope it’s going good.
Yesterday I was hanging out with a friend and he was like, “hey dude the clocks change tonight.” I was like, “really?”
He was like, “Yea we are going to get less sleep.”
I said, “no fall back it goes the other way.”
He was like, “no dude, it goes the other way.”
So after like 10 minutes of going around in circles I just agreed with him. He will figure it out when he is not on time for work : ) He was totally convinced he has to move the clock forward?
Again for a reminder….it’s that time of year again – time to change our clocks back (“Spring forward, fall back,” right?).
I know it may sound silly, but it did make me think of today’s topic:
CHANGE.
Change is inevitable.
Change is a part of life.
Change is a part of our world.
Change is necessary.
And change is a crucial part of managing bipolar disorder.
Do you remember when your loved one was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
You probably had to make a lot of changes then.
Your loved one had to change – they couldn’t stay the same, keep doing things the way they were before they were diagnosed.
You had to change – you had to become a bipolar supporter.
And your lives together definitely changed, didn’t they?
See? Change is inevitable.
More importantly, though, you have to keep changing. Things have to keep changing.
For example, your loved one probably isn’t on the same medication they started on when they were diagnosed. Or if they are, they probably had to change dosages.
They most certainly had to change their lifestyle.
They (and probably you) had to begin eating right, exercising, and sleeping well.
They also had to develop a good support system, probably joined a support group (and you did, too, most likely).
And you both had to get educated about bipolar disorder.
These are all things I teach about in my courses/systems below:
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
In the beginning, that meant a lot of changes, didn’t it?
But then you got used to things. And they’ve probably been the same way for quite a while now.
And now here I come along and tell you that you and your loved one have to change again. And you probably don’t want to hear that. Because people get comfortable, and they resist change.
But if you look around you, you’ll see that things are constantly changing.
Your family changes – your children grow older, begin having their own children.
Look at the seasons – they’re always changing.
Look at the weather – it’s always changing.
Look at life – it’s constantly changing.
The one thing you can always count on is change.
And if you don’t change, you stagnate.
Think about a body of water that stagnates.
The water becomes murky, filled with all kinds of junk, it isn’t fresh any more, and it even begins to stink.
If your loved one doesn’t change, they can stagnate. If they stagnate, they can become bored, and even go into a bipolar episode, because boredom is one of the triggers to an episode.
So, see why change is so important? Agree or disagree?
Not just for clocks, but for people, too.
Hey I have to run. I am going hiking today and now I have less daylight so I have to leave earlier or go on shorter trips. Today I am only going 6 miles.
I will talk to you later on. Have a great day.
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Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials
David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.
Post responses below
Hi Dave,
I am up “early” this morning because of the time “Change” lol? Apparently you were too. What I say is the only thing we can be certain of in life is uncertainty. Our boy changes as we grow older, we change our mind a few times a day. I had to change my medication many, many times before I found what worked for me. We do have to be open to change. Change is a constant, we constantly grow older, wiser, learn more, do different things. The traffic is a little different everyday, the weather constantly changes, etc. We have to remain open to the present and realize things can change, and they probably will. Hope is that things will change for the good! Despair is when we believe things either won’t change, or will change for the worse.
I have found through all these changes the only thing that “can” stay the same is my gratitude that things are better than they were. I am stable for the most part now, and believe me, that is something to be grateful for. Another thing that shouldn’t change is our positive attitude when in comes to dealing with our loved one, or our disorder, or both. We can choose to stay grateful and remain positive though it isn’t always easy to do… we “can” do it. We shouldn’t change our routines when we are bipolar, we should always take our medication, these things should not change. But everything else, ya, life is change, and change is life. We have to be open to change as a good thing… expecting things to always go smoothly sets us up for frustration. There will be change, and I hope all your changes are good ones!
Well, it’s not taking my comment. If it appears twice, then it is because I had to sumbit it twice.
Bob
I love the email about change. I was diagnosed with bi polar disorder about 6 weeks ago or so, it took a long time to come with the diagnosis. However prior to my being diagnosed I was so horrible to my family, friends, my inlaws, spent so much money that the house got repossesed, my husband declared himself bankrupt. my children went thought a hard time, they are only little, the 2nd one is so insecure as a result.
However, once I was diagnosed, everything made sense but I was not given a second chance by my husband or his family. It is almost like they think I am using this as an excuse, dont believe I dont remember being horrible or nasty, I have begged them to talk to the doctors, come with me to meetings/counselling, help me get better, etc etc they dont want to know, dont want to help. Just want rid of me because what I did is unforgivable. I dont deny my actions. my medication has been upped three times, I do forget the odd tablet and once came off it a whole week. Now i’m on tablet a full 6 days without forgetting to take it and have accepted that my husband must have never loved me in the first place.
I will get on with my life as best as I can, I will probably never, ever go with another guy again, I would rather die only loving one man. Its stupid I know, to love a man who doesnt really deserve my love.
Anyway, once again, love the change email – really makes alot of sense.
I happen to like change because I get bored easily. We do, however, have a few family members who are fearful of change, perhaps because of it triggering an episode. And sometimes rigidity is a winning formula to help one stay on task, so the change becomes a balancing act.
I always remember fall back, spring ahead as “having to sacrifice (losing)an hour of sleep in the spring while awaiting the warm weather and pretty flowers.”
Hi Dave
Hope you have a great day. I wish I could know more about Amy story, would like to understand her life.
Hope you have a nice day.
David,
There is one thing that doesn’t change, and that is God. He is always there. His Word is always true. If we have faith in Him, we can handle the changes in our lives. These changes can be insignificant as the weather changing to living with dipolar disorder.
God Bless and keep up the great work,
April White
Life’s changes have been more than overwhelming for me. I feel as though life has passed me by. I have lost people and things that I can nover recover. I have challenges in which I don’t think I can do. The depression is destroying my life. I am trying new meds, new therapist, new psychiatrist, but nothing is really solving my dilemmas. I am ready to give up because I am so helpless and hopeless after all the changes that have overcome me.
“Change” is the one stable thing I can count on in my life. It is the one “constant;” I can depend on it, and actually look forward to it. The challenges it brings keeps me “on my toes.” I don’t want things to remain “static;” can you imagine a life without it??
Though the unexpected can sometimes bring anxiety and “nerves” in my case, I’d rather have that than be bored or stagnant. My days, for the most part, have a rythm to them – get up, take my meds, shower, do laundry (occasionally), go grocery shopping, do mail, and go on the computer. BUT – it’s the little things, the little “changes,” that make life worth living.
Of course, it’s the BIG changes that can “throw you for a loop,” as has been going on in my life for months now. But – I’m resiliant enough to “roll with the punches.” As long as we EXPECT change to happen, we CAN deal with it. It’s not WHAT happens to us, but how we REACT to it, that makes all the difference.
Just a reminder: for those living in the U.S., Tuesday we vote. PLEASE exercise your God-given privilege and vote for the candidate of your choice. This is an historic election – there probably hasn’t been one this close in America’s history. So – just do it!!
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. My prayers and thoughts are with you all.
Change is not always for the better. Sometimes something has worked well for centuries and people want to change it just for the sake of change. When they realise that it has changed for the worse, it’s often too late to change it back again.
When change is necessary it’s best done slowly and gradually – evolution rather than revolution. Sudden change can come as too much of a shock to people; e.g. Sudden change in temperature can make you ill. If you have bipolar disorder sudden change can throw you into an episode.
The weather in Ireland changes every other day, sometimes several times a day. My boyfriend and I call it the rapid cycling bipolar weather.
Okay Dude, I don’t know about you but I never get an extra hour of sleep, my schedule gets so screwed up that I lose. You see your body doesn’t work on the clock, it works on atmosphere. You have been used to waking up with the sun in a certain position, maybe even a certain temp if you windows face the sun, your body says it’s time to wake up even if the clock is an hour earlier. Some people have trained themselves not to go back to sleep when they wake up, this usually keeps them from being late. or because they have to take meds right when they wake up before they do anything else….
Hi Dave, l enjoy receiving your e-mails, I find them of great help\because my daughter has bipolar. It has been a horrble for her and myself
Thank you
Hi Dave
Your saying is true time has really changed and so do we as Bp sufferers. The difference is the children grow by getting older and hopefully wiser, but we change all the time it never stagnates. The only time it stagnates is when you are really stable which I think is not always the case. You either manic or depress. I know what you maybe mean is that we should change the way we feel about ourselves. Change our lifestyle. Become wiser in controlling our illness. I think it is good to make changes in your daily routine because that is also a sign of stagnating. You become boring doing the same things day in and day out.
Thanks Dave