Hi,

Have you ever looked at a quilt? I mean the real, old-fashioned, hand-stitched kind, not the new ones that are bought in the stores. If you look at the one side, they look perfect – All the stitching is right, the patterns are lined up, etc. But if you look on the back…You’ll notice that strands of thread are all over the place, and pieces of fabric overlap, etc. And, well, it’s just not so perfect, is it? You can see the real picture of all that effort of perfection on the back. In other words, the back shows the “real story” of what you see on the front. Life is kind of like that, when you think about it. You see people on the outside. Like you see the front of a quilt. But you don’t see what they’ve gone through to get where they are today. You don’t know their “real” story, do you? And most people hide it real well. They don’t want people to know that they hurt. That’s just how people are.

That’s how most people with bipolar disorder are, anyway. They don’t want people to even know that they have the disorder. They’re afraid of what other people might think of them.

They’re afraid of the stigma associated with bipolar disorder (or any mental illness, for that matter). Many people with bipolar disorder don’t even want to tell their family members that they have the disorder when they’re diagnosed. But I find that it helps to tell them, because it will give an explanation for the often bizarre behavior that has gone on during bipolar episodes.

Most people suspect anyway. So it helps to have an explanation. Education helps to dispel stigma in the long run. It will also help your loved one to learn as much as they can about their bipolar disorder. Not just to dispel stigma…But to help empower them. It will help them feel stronger. It will help them learn to manage their disorder better, too. And it should give them the knowledge that they can, indeed, get better.

No, it’s true that unfortunately, there is still no cure for bipolar disorder. But it’s like diabetes.

There’s still no cure for diabetes, either. But millions of people still live healthy lives that have it, too. The point is that it can be managed. Just like bipolar disorder can be managed. You just have to make some adjustments. Like you have to take medication for it. I know that your loved one most likely won’t like that, especially not the fact that they’ll have to do it every day for the rest of their life…But look at the alternative (bipolar episodes). I’m sure they don’t like the alternative, either. So, in order to stay stable, they have to take their medication. They also need to follow a good treatment plan, stick to a good sleep schedule, eat a healthy diet, exercise, be productive, and do other things that lead to stability. But the point is that if they do these things…They CAN get better!

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave