Hi,
I hope you’re having a good day today.
I wanted to write you today about why you are lucky.
I know, I was talking about this with someone the other day who has bipolar disorder, and when I said that, they thought I was crazy.
You probably do, too!
You probably can’t think of even one reason why you’re lucky at all.
And if you’re a supporter, you’re probably thinking the same thing.
But whether you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does,
you are lucky.
And I’m going to tell you why.
If you are on my list, then you are already thinking about a mental illness.
You may think you have one.
You may know you have one.
You may think your loved one has one.
You may know your loved one has one.
The great thing is, though, that you are thinking in this direction.
That makes you lucky. Because there are millions of people with a mental illness that don’t know
there is anything wrong with them.
Did you know that there are 1 in 4 people with a diagnosable mental illness?
And I’m not making that up!
It’s the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that says that! Now, that’s a national government agency, not me!
And many of these people don’t even know that they have a mental illness!
Do you know how sad, or even scary that is?
Just think of the statistic I’m always telling you about people with bipolar disorder.
That 20%, or 1 in 5 people, who don’t take medication for the disorder, will kill themselves.
Some of those people are those who don’t even know that they have bipolar disorder!
So, if you have bipolar disorder, if you’ve been diagnosed with it, and are taking medication for it …
You are lucky.
And if you’re supporting a loved one with it and are helping them with their medications…
You are lucky.
Because you/they aren’t going to be a statistic.
I have seen this 1 in 4 statistic in action.
I have had friends that fly off the handle for no reason.
Friends who spend money like the world is coming to an end.
I have one friend who is so paranoid that he thinks there is a global conspiracy (I’ve told you about him)!
I have seen people (and I know that you have, too) wandering around the streets homeless, dirty, and talking to themselves.
You know that these people have an undiagnosed mental illness.
So, you’re lucky that yours or your loved one’s is at least diagnosed!
Once a mental illness is diagnosed, then you can do something about it.
Then you can become educated about it.
Then you can take medication for it.
Then you can develop a treatment plan for it.
Like I teach in my courses/systems, about all the parts to a treatment plan, you can develop a good support system to help you.
NEW
LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH
BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/
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
Then you can learn how to manage your disorder.
You can talk to other people who have the same disorder.
You can do so many things to help yourself recover.
You can become STABLE!
Don’t you see how lucky you are?
Agree or disagree?
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 response below
Dave:
I really feel compelled to write this note to you, as your Supporters course has helped me so much already. I would like to tell you my story.
I am a middle aged, divorced woman, with grown children and grandchildren. About 3 months ago, I was trying to move a kitchen appliance down my driveway to be picked up, and a gentleman from across the street came over and asked if he could please help me. Of course I said yes, we started talking, found we had many things in common, and began getting along famously. Life is good! We began dating, he showers me with gifts, such as flowers for no reason, jewelry, candy, perfume, balloons, and pretty much made me fall in love with him. He is always finding “projects” at my home that need to be done, replacing screens, cleaning the garage, etc. We do these “projects” together and have a wonderful, fun time. He is fabulous, and treats me like a queen. He owns his own landscaping business, and works for someone else in the security industry as well. Having said all this, now I guess you want to know what the problem is, huh?
About 2 weeks ago, I discovered that my new “beau” was suddenly very agitated and irritated, but not with anything he could pinpoint, just with life in general. He admitted to me that he had been diagnosed years ago as a “manic depressive”, and takes medication for it every day. He has been very uncommunicative, doesn’t want to see me or anyone else, feels terrible in general, and just “needs his own space and wants to be alone”. He sits at home at night in the dark, saying he doesn’t need to turn on the lights. He even went so far as to ask me not to call him, but if I wanted to, I could just write him a note. Well, having been a single woman for quite a few years, my immediate thought was that it was me, and he wasn’t interested anymore. I just wasn’t ready to give up yet, because we had become so close. I did some research on Bipolar Disease online, which is how I found you! I signed up for your Supporters of Bipolar Loved Ones eclasses, and I have a much clearer perception of what is happening and how to deal with it. I have put several of your suggestions to use in the last week or so, and it seems to be working. He has been to several doctor appointments, has been calling me again, and told me just yesterday that he really is feeling alot better, and asked me to please bear with him and not give up on him. He has been very clear in saying that it doesn’t have anything to do with me. He also said he has only felt like this twice in his life, and he hates it. He also told me that the doctor adjusted his dosage of his medications, and he can already tell a big difference.
I felt compelled to write this because I believe him to be one of the “high functioning” persons you speak about in this article. I would never have known he had the disease had he not come out and said so. He is a wonderful man, and I hope to have a very long relationship with him. However, having been through the last couple of weeks with this episode, I don’t know if I would have been there for him without your classes.
Thank you for helping me understand this disease from your perspective. I really believe I will be able to support him and be there for him with the knowledge I have from you.
Cindy
Lucky???
What happens when as a supporter you know that your bi-polar loved one is not taking their medicine right, refuses to go to therapy, and continues to mix other medication with the meds they do take, trying to accomplish only God knows what in their brain, because I do not know. They’ve been diagnosed, but they don’t want to get stable. Maybe someone might expect something from them? I know that I am lucky she is alive, and this is a result of the diagnosis. But for how long? After only 5 months, she is intolerable again. How is this lucky?
her .I just wanted you to know that my daughter has bipolar when we fist found out she was only 16 years old, she was having a hard time in school and had no friends and we were having a hard time trying to find out what was wrong so we could help our little girl she realy is a wounderfull person but no one could see this only us.the school was not very help full and family just thought she was out of controll and we should just tell her to stop allthis stuff and just do as she was told,we tryed all kinds of things to help ,we took her to doc and had her put on some med for depression and talk therophy and it worked for a while we knew something was not right when she tryed to hurt her self, that was just the beging of the big fall ,,,,,,,,,,,,I did read about bipolar and got so many books and read as many as I could ,but I thought that would be enought,but with more meds ahd someone one to talk to it was very hard to keep up with her and her moods were way out of controll and teens are realy good at keeping things from the adults in there life,there were some hosptal stays lots of let downs ,,,,,,,but we kept trying all sorts of stuff and the docs we would talk to kept telling us that things would get better and that they new we were trying everything we just had to keep trying and not give up we didnt, but is seemed that the harder we tryed the harder she tryed to do her own stuff which never worked out, she did end up finishing school but we were all draged through a lot .she is 20 now and is still having lots of symptoms mainly because she keeps stop taking the meds and running away, and we didnt know where she was for months ,that was very hard for us we just love her so much and it hurts to not be able to stop this or at least help so that she can have a life;;;;;;;;;;;;;she did call home and now she is in a program that might be able to help her to help herself;;;;;;;;;but she realy needs to start helping her self more ,she is 20 and we cant say to much because she is an adult now and can make up her own mind ????????????????????some day i want to be able to look at my little girl and see her be all that she can be and I know she is very LUCKY that she has been able to have a family that loves her and keeps trying to help
I’m not lucky. My son is the one with bipolar and he took himself off meds 2 years ago. I have tried desperately to get him back into treatment but he views psychiatrists as quacks and believes that there is no medication that will help him. He will be 23 in June. He does not live with me or even talk to me right now because he’s angry because I told him he couldn’t yell at his grandmother. He tells me that he is just waiting to die. I pray for him but don’t know what else to do.
I love your positive attitude. I am a positive person and it is so great to have someone help me when I’m down. My tank is running low on “happy” and your email refueled me. I am a BP supporter and am very lucky to be part of your network! I believe the pay-it-forward of your encouraging words will find its way back to you.
Have a great day!
Hi Dave I agree with you totally.I feel very lucky to know that I have bi-polar I take my meds everyday like I’m suppose to an I have been stable for 6 yrs now!Its so important to take your meds regularly!
HI….
Wot makes you think i am lucky, I arn,t even on any medication, am just going with the flo of things at the moment. Davie you say it took you years to get your mam sorted, so how long do you think it will take me. If i go the doctors to morrow wot do i say, Any one got any idears cos a carnt walk in and say am a crazy mad woman. There will just look at me as if am making things up. Do all doctors have some sort ov idear about bipolor.A think am on a downer a need a pick me up wot ever that is.
Hi Dave as I wrote earlier this month,I have changed to a happy person since I found out that I’m Bipolar. My personality changed and I discovered more reasons why I did’t know before 2005. I had been dealing with depression for yrs.[1997] because I was holding on to past things that happened to me as a teenager and young adult.in 2005 I just let all the pain and hurt from the past out during a session with my Doctor. He was amazed because he had always seen me depressed.So I do feel lucky. It competly changed my Life for the better.I lost weight fixed all the outside things I didn’t like about myself.I feel like I have been reborn.So I feel very lucky to be enjoying my life happy and blessed after all these yrs.I have done some things that I would’t have done before but nothing to hurt anyone else.Now my Meds have stable and I embrace being Bioplar as a good thing,and Iam not ashamed of it.
get a f ing life you lonely bastard. The exaserbated perpetual marketing and your daily, way over done emails superceed any benefit you think, you offer.
I DONT THINK YOUR CRAZY DAVIE BOY
I’ll have to think about that one – LUCKY to be BIPOLAR?? If being bipolar allows you to perceive the world in a different way; makes you more creative in your thinking; has you be a more compassionate person because you’ve “been there;” than, YES, I’m lucky to be bipolar.
However, the pain I caused my adopted Mom – who did NOT believe in “mental illness,” and saw me through 3 major manic episodes followed by extended hospitalizatios, and could possibly have hastened her death – then, NO, I’m NOT lucky to be bipolar.
The mood swings are terrible. Just when you think you’ve got a “lock” on it, and you’re “beating” it – it up and slaps you in the face, and you’re back beyond where you started. I’m highly functional right now – albeit with a LOT of external stressers, requirig upping my dosage of antipsychotics – but am STILL looking “over my shoulder” as the spector of mania bears down on me faster and faster. My shrink says she “thinks” my mood has stabilized for now; how many more “tweaks” are going to be needed before I’m “safe” from bipolar??!!
It’s the completely UNEXPECTED-ness of this disorder that keeps me on my toes, and trying desperately to stay one jump ahead of “getting sick.” I’m all I’ve got to face this thing down – no live-in supporter – so I rely on the Cliinc to diagnose my mood. Fortunately, they’re only a phone call away if I feel I’m “losing it.”
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
I can’t hardly believe what u r actually saying in this email. I have been receiving ur emails for quite some time now and I just can’t believe what u have just said in this email. First of all ur talking about the National Government Agency, which by the way any Government Agency is evil. Then u talk about ur friend being paranoid about Global conspiracy. R U just totally blind? Or R U just like the millions of other people in this world, with their heads in the clouds and believing all of the lies, deception and propaganda. There is a reason that ur friend is paranoid ok, because he knows the truth. There is indeed a Global Conspiracy and if u were to seek the truth, u would find out that this is the truth. This doesn’t mean that ur friend has a mental illness, it just means that he has sought out the truth and refuses to listen and believe all the bullshit. If u knew the truth u would be paranoid as well. Because the Global conspiracy is very true and very real. I have Bipolar myself, but I seek the truth. I suppose u don’t believe there r FEMA CAMPS either right? If u even know what they R. My friend, u better start listening to ur friend, who u say is mentally ill. He is telling u the truth. Allen D.
Big hugs coming to you Miriam from a mum with a daughter with Bipolar:I think you hit the nail on the head it is the unexpectedness of the Bipolar that is the key the one thing that keeps us all sufferers and supporters alike on our toes- my daughter went into a period ( suddenly ) for 3 weeks a real downer ( her words) and life she said had become intolerable and pointless, she couldnt see why she should be this low- ( we went onto suicide watch)- Rachel told me of her wish to suicide -not to scare me- but so that I would batter down doors get someone to listen, to get her the help she needed- that I would tell the authorities I would demand an intervention.When she visited her shrink for her regular monthly check they discussed her drug regime and he and she agreed to amend what he had given her- as a result her black cloud of despair lifted quite quickly.
I just cringe at the the thought of what if we didnt know of Rachel’s disorder- what if her disorder had somehow managed to slip in under the radar so to speak- in some ways I feel blessed Rachel did have a major episode otherwise she would never have been diagnosed she would never have been admitted to hospital, she would never have gotten the attention and drugs she needs to keep her alive—– the consequences would have been awful.
the trick for me as a supporter is to never get complacent about Bipolar.
Big hugs and God bless
Regards
Shona
Yes I do feel lucky with the knowledge that you so graciously share. I am very thankful that you are you! Your Mom is very blessed with you as her son. I support my husband who beyond a shadow of a doubt suffers with bipolar disorder. Your daily emails with my faith combined are simply my sanity some days.
Thank you David!
Hi David.
When I just started getting your mails I wasnt so sure but now one year later you have helped me a lot with understanding what it is I am dealing with and also that I am not the only one.
I have a question though. As far as I know you have not adressed bipolar and alcohol. What influence does alcohol (to any extent) have when you have Bipolar Disorder?
Thank you
Lucky,I don’t think so.Here in UK the mental health people are useless.My husband who is seeing a psychiatrist as part of his three year community order after being in court-the consequences of a manic episode which could have been prevented if he had been properly treated by the mental hospital in the first place.He has since been in a depressive mode since appearing in court last June.Just before he went to court he took an overdose-luckily not enough.
He has still not been diagnosed with bipolar as the psych doesn’t want to label.He is being tried on various anti-depressants the last of which he is not taking as they upset his tummy and bowels too much.
The last three years have been hell and I don’t know how I have kept going.It all started off with not sleeping because he could hear a noise no-one else could hear and escalated into unusual behaviour=all the symptoms listed as manic.ie.spending,porn on the internet,dangerous driving,delusions of grandeur,all of it.And still no further on except that I know he has it and visit this site.What can I do?
First of all I really enjoy your e-mails as I have bipolar, also my Brother and his new Fiance. My Brother and I do see a Psych. he attends AA meetings (was a past drug addict – now almost 4 yrs sober), where I see a Therapist. We are the lucky ones. However, I am concerned about his fiance’ she did go off her meds. because she is pregnant, when we asked her she did say that her DR. has her on only 1 med. (where she was taking 6 meds), I do understand that it is not good taking meds/over the counter meds. but is this not a concern? I just needed to ask you what your thoughts about this situation. I really care about her, and then my Brother being that he will be marrying her in June.
i agree with some posts describing how bpd keeps both the sufferer and supporter on their toes. when my s/o was going through a manic phase i would wonder to myself when would it begin to subside, when she was out of that phase i would wonder when it would return. not a good thing because i found that i would project all sorts of things to her bipolar disorder that wasn’t necessarily correct. also, she suffers from anxiety disorder, and this normally would “flair up” after a manic episode, so then i was left wondering when this would subside. unfortunately this never did. the bpd didn’t really contribute to our breakup, it was more her extreme forms of anxiety that kept me on pins and needles. she was also very covert in her behavior and was manipulative in terms of parceling out information related to her medications. during her anxiety swings she would be highly adversarial and combative. anyway, it wasn’t good. she now lives in her own apartment and has returned to taking her bpd meds along with anti-anxiety medications and yet i don’t see where it is that she’s improved. it’s as if the latest episode set her far back and now she is hardpressed in terms of functioning more effectively. but, maybe this is me as well. because i often wonder if baseline for her is actually where she is now and because i didn’t understand all of the effects/affects both disorders have on her cognition then i couldn’t truly appreciate not only her dilemma, but also who she actually is.
Go fuck yourself you self-righteous dickhead.