Hi,
What’s going on?
Hope you are doing well.
I forgot to tell you something and you are going to think this is strange.
If you are new to my list or maybe a friend told you to join and you saw my subject line, you might be questioning either yourself or your friend as to what in the world a toothbrush could have to do with bipolar disorder, right?
Ok, here’s what happened:
I was hanging out with a friend and we decided to go out.
My friend had just finished up a meal replacement bar.
(Many times these replacement bars get stuck in your teeth.)
So he was like, “Dude, I have to brush my teeth. Hold on – I’m going to use my new cool electronic toothbrush.”
I said, “ok.”
So he went into the bathroom and he was back in about 30 seconds.
I was like, “So hurry up and brush your teeth!”
And he said, “Dude, I’m all set! It’s done. Let’s roll.”
So I said, “It only took you 30 seconds?”
And he was like, “DUDE! Don’t go econ on me!”
NOTE: Econ is economics, which has nothing to do with why I was asking. My friend is kind of simple. He just focuses on body building and power lifting and according to him, “Nothing else matters.”
ANOTHER NOTE: If you have been on my list for awhile, you notice that I have several friends that use the word “Dude” and when they want to make a point, they just say it louder. So DUDE in all caps is louder than dude in lower case.
Ok, so I said to him, “You’re supposed to brush for at least 2 minutes.”
He said to me, “DUDE, you think too much. You are too smart. Just have fun!”
So then I said, “That’s why your teeth are falling apart. You need to have patience and wait the full 2 minutes.”
He said, “Okay, DAD…” (notice he said DAD, not DUDE) “…I will, can we go? I’m already hungry and I need to get in 325 grams of protein in my day.”
NOTE: If you’re saying to yourself, “Holy cow, 325 grams of protein in a day is a ton,” you’re right!
I told my friend, “Your teeth are going to thank me in 10 years, you know.”
So he just said, “Ok.”
I know this is a funny story, but you’re probably wondering what it could possibly have to do with bipolar disorder, right?
Well, I’ll tell you. After thinking about this, I know a lot of people that use an electronic toothbrush and use it for
only 30 seconds.
Why?
Because they don’t follow the directions and don’t have patience. They want INSTANT results.
It’s just like bipolar survivors and supporters.
Sometimes they want INSTANT results, too.
In my courses/systems, I teach that it takes TIME for stability to happen:
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:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
The good news is that stability CAN be reached.
But you have to do certain things to get there.
It’s not going to happen overnight.
It’s certainly not going to happen in 30 seconds.
And it’s definitely not going to happen instantly.
It takes TIME for it to happen.
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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
I agree with you.It takes time to set things right for bipolar persons.Nothing will happen instantly
He said to me, “DUDE, you think too much.
You are too smart. Just have fun!”
Dude… one thing I would never accuse you of is being too smart.
Re: Bipolars…”Because they don’t follow the directions and
don’t have patience. They want INSTANT
results.
Is this a bipolar trait or an attention deficit trait? Or just not having patience? I’ve heard these two conditions can overlap.
I have both and am on medication and it controls the attention span so it would appear that I would have renewed patience, when it’s really needing and having a normal attention span and ability to focus.
Was it really that this person wanted “instant” gratification (re: brushing teeth in 20 seconds) or was it his attention and focus were shot? Could it be that at the root of this is an ADD problem rather then a bipolar problem? If it’s both, how do we differentiate between the two conditions?
I can see if your friend was a tad hypo-manic he may brush and do things that way…because he’s rushing, because he’s hasty…hypo-manic.
Just a thought…
I thought my son was bipolar and I purchased your literature and read all the valuable information and we found out he has depression and has been doing great on the meds that the Dr’s have perscribed. I am very glad that you are doing the work that you are. It is so helpful and I really learned alot. So if you wold take me off your mailing list, I would appreciate it.
Regards,
Mary Claggett
I was diagnosed with bipolar disoreder nine years ago when I was forty-one years old. Actually, I believe that I been bipolar since I was a teenager. At sixteen, my father died and my world fell apart. My mother was not very good at talking to me in tne bad times. When at nineteen I tried to commit suicide, she didn’t do anything, not even take me to the doctor or better yet hospital. The Greatest Geneeration often had there heads in the sand. Thank you for this website. My life partner, Claire supports me now. You are a great son to your mother. My mother is a good person she just didn’t know what to do.
I diagnosed with bipolar disorder nine years ago when I was forty-one years old. Actually, I believe that I have been bipolar since I was a teenager. At sixteen, my father died and my world fell apart. My mother was not very good about talking to me about the hard stuff. When at nineteen I tried yo commit suicide, she acted as though I was doing it to her. The Greatest Generation often has there heads in the sand. My life partner Claire supports me now. Thank you for your website.
When I had my first “nervous breakdown” (actually, a manic episode), I thought – “This is stupid; I feel FINE!” I was totally manic, and thought that what I believed was actually the truth – although no one believed me. I really WANTED my feelings to be “real.”
When I was finally discharged from the second hospital – my “stay” actually lasted 5 months – I DID feel different. I had “crashed” from the “high,” and didn’t know WHAT to feel. Oh, how I wanted the “high” and my delusions to be real…
It DOES take some time to “come down” from a manic “high,” and become stable. I wanted “instant gratification,” but as the length of the hospitalization went on and on, I realized that TIME – and the meds they had at the time (1960s) – did heal. I had all 3 of my full-blown manic episodes (hospitalizations) in my 20s – the last at 29 – and have been relatively stable ever since. Of course, there’s the random hypomanic moods, when I need my meds “tweaked,” and intensive therapy (mostly after the deaths of my husbands), but I haven’t been hospitalized for mania in 31 years.
“Patience is a virtue” – we’ve all been told that. There is NO “quick fix” for either mania or depression; it takes TIME for the doctor to find your particular “cocktail,” and for your therapist to understand your moods. But – if you take it one day at a time, ultimately, you WILL get better, and “enjoy” your stability. Yes – the manic “high” is awesome, but you ALWAYS crash.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
I HAD TO GET RID OF MY CREDIT CARD A FEW YEARS AGO. IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO BUY YOUR BOOK DAVID I LIVE IN IRELAND IS TI IN BOOK SHOPS OR CAN IT BE PAID FOR BY CHEQUE. I REALLY AM INTERESTED IN GETTING ME HANDS ON IT.