Hi,

Today’s topic is a touchy one, so I’ll tell you that up front.

It’s about how people in a manic episode make mistakes.

In this case, they tend to choose the wrong people to surround themselves with (negative

or toxic people) when they are in that episode, and it comes back to hurt them and their

families.

Remember before when I’ve told you about Michele and how she taught her children about

picking the right friends by using the 10/2 Equation.

It works like this:

If you are a 10 and they are a 2, and you hang out with them, you are not going to bring them

up to an 8, they are going to bring you down to a 4!

So that’s what I’m talking about here.

It’s hard for a supporter to watch their loved one go into a manic episode…Your loved one might get all outgoing and such (whether that is their normal behavior or behavior caused by the bipolar disorder)… and the next thing you know, your loved one is hanging around with these people…

…and you KNOW that these people are bad for your loved one, but he just uses excuses, or defends his “new friends”…

Because he can’t see how they are bad for him.

In a manic episode, your loved one’s judgment can be totally altered by their bipolar disorder.

They may not even realize that these people are bad for them (or you). That can be so frustrating for you, because your loved one just won’t listen to you when it comes to their friends, because they think they’re ok, and they may get defensive about it.

And you don’t want to get into a fight with your loved one over their choice in friends, but you may not know what else to do! It’s really tough, but you may have to stand silently by and watch your loved one get hurt by these “friends.”

Maybe they are just negative people and will bring your loved one down, but that’s not as

bad as what some will do – Some will take advantage of their “new friend” (your loved one while they’re in a manic episode) and possibly use them for their money, etc. Even so, your loved one might still defend them!

It’s very difficult in this situation to get your loved one to listen to you.

For example: Michele (who works for me), her mom has bipolar disorder, just like my mom. Michele spent hours with her mom, working out a routine for her to be able to manage her

bipolar disorder. Her mom was doing great on her routine.

Until she met Mary.

Mary became close friends with Michele’s mom.

But Mary decided that Michele’s mom didn’t need her routine any more, and that she had better

advice for her.

So guess who Michele’s mom listened to?

Well, after awhile, Mary kind of floated away from Michele’s mom, and Michele’s mom went

into a mini-episode, most likely caused by the fact that she had no routine to cling to, like she

had before.

Do you see the important point that I’m making here?

Now, I’m not saying that people with bipolar disorder shouldn’t have friends. But only that they should be VERY particular in who they choose for friends. In fact, this is one of the areas where your loved one should trust you more than themselves. A manic episode will definitely affect their thoughts and, like I said before, it will affect their judgment as well.

If you see that your loved one is making a poor choice in friends, or even being taken

advantage of, then you should tell them. Hopefully, they will listen to you. Or at least think twice about who they are hanging around with.

I will tell you this as a p.s. – Michele’s mom sure learned her lesson about choosing her friends more carefully. And now she sticks to her routine, too!

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave