Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

These past few days I have been emailing a friend about a few things. But here’s the funny thing: I wasn’t getting anything in return. After a few attempts, I began to think that for some reason they didn’t want to talk to me.

But I decided I had better call them, just in case. It ended up they hadn’t gotten my emails at all! Something must have gone wrong with the sending process, or something. It was a good thing that I double-checked. Otherwise, I would have assumed something that wasn’t true. And that wouldn’t have been fair to my friend.

It is always better to double check things.

In the construction business, they say “measure twice, cut once.” Basically that means that if you double- check what you are about to cut, you won’t make mistakes. Now, this may not be a flawless system. But it certainly helps you know you are right or wrong if you double-checked.

This is true of several things when you are dealing with bipolar disorder. Take, for example, medications. If you are unsure about anything to do with medications, it is better to double- check. For instance, if you are unsure about how many pills to take, at how many intervals a day, then you should double- check just to be safe.

Or if you are unsure if your symptoms mean that your medications might need to be changed, then it is better to double- check with your psychiatrist to be safe. Can you see how these things are important? When something is important, you have to be sure.

Another example of how double-checking can help a person with bipolar is double-checking when their important appointments are. Simple enough, right?

Here’s one that’s even more important: How about double-checking whether you are going into a manic or depressive episode by asking for feedback? That’s a big one. It may seem hard to do, but with a little work on communication skills and a little effort to remember to do so, it’s not so bad.

Now, how about bipolar supporters? There are certainly times when we need to double-check things, also. Some things we need to double-check about our loved ones. Like, for example, we sometimes need to double-check that they took their medications. Or we may need to double-check that they are going to their doctor appointments when they are scheduled.

Some things are so obvious that we don’t need to double-check them. For example, the speed that they are talking at, or the amount of sense they are making when they explain things. But other things we do need to double- check about, like whether they are sleeping in an amount that is good for them.

There are things we need to double-check about ourselves, too. We may need to double-check that we are scheduling in time for ourselves. This may seem like it’s optional, but if we are going to be healthy enough to take care of our loved ones then it is really mandatory.

We may need to double-check that the information we just learned about bipolar disorder is accurate. This is especially true if it is something that is controversial, in which case we might not be able to determine which side is “right.” But we can get more facts and opinions on the subject and get a more rounded opinion on it.

There are many things that we can double-check on, and they are all things that can benefit from it. The nice thing about double-checking things is it (usually) doesn’t hurt any. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

What are your thoughts on this?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave