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

I once saw on a television show something that made me laugh so hard. They were asking some children a few questions. To one child, they asked: “What would you do if you were the President of the United States?” The child immediately replied: “Keep my mouth shut.” LOL

But, once you get done laughing about that, it’s a good thing that our country’s Presidents (current and past) have not thought that. The President, and anyone else in leadership, need to speak up. They were put into leadership because their opinion matters to other people, so it only makes sense that they should voice that opinion.

As bipolar supporters, the same thing goes for us. There are times that it is very important for us to speak up and give our opinions. Of course, it is better to know when these times are, and when it is better to just listen. Here are some clues about when you need to speak up, although these are certainly not the only times:

If your loved one’s medications aren’t working right, or if they are causing problems. If your loved one isn’t taking their medications or isn’t following their treatment plan. If your loved one is in an episode, or headed in that direction. If you notice any symptoms that your loved one has never shown before. If your loved one is making poor decisions.

See what I mean about times we need to speak up? If we don’t speak up during these crucial times, it may cause problems that we don’t want our loved ones to have to deal with.

Another thing to consider is who you need to speak up to. Sometimes the best person to talk to about these sorts of things is your loved one themselves. And sometimes, if it can be resolved that way, you may not even need to take it any further than that. Make sure you use your better judgment on that one, though.

Other times you will need to speak to their doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist about what you have noticed. I would encourage you at those times to let your loved one know that you are going to do so, if it is at all possible. It will make it easier in the long run, because that way they won’t feel like you have deceived them in any way.

Regardless of who you have to talk to, it is important to speak up. Don’t do as that little child suggested and keep your mouth shut. It may have been cute for the child to say that, but the consequences of actually doing it would not be so cute.

How about you? Have you ever had a time that you needed to speak up to protect your loved one’s health? How did you handle it? And will you handle it differently in the future?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave