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

Resourcefulness is an important part of the recovery process from bipolar disorder. It is necessary for the supporters involved to have at least a little bit of resourcefulness, in case of an emergency or crisis situation. It also helps in other situations.

So what does resourcefulness mean, anyway?

I know a man that has mixed levels of resourcefulness when it comes to cars. He just bought a car, and it’s not quite ready to be driven yet. It still needs some work done on it, and it still needs a license plate.

He already had a different car before he bought this “new” used car. This car he already had ran just fine. It didn’t need any work, and it already had all the necessary things like registration and insurance.

He decided he was going to sell his working car, even before he got the other one working! Now, this man lives about eight miles away from where he works. This wasn’t very resourceful. I’m not sure how smart it was, either.

But the good news is, he can have all of the work done to the new car within a couple of days from the time he sold the old one. Then he can go down and get the license plate from the Department of Motor Vehicles. He knows how to do all of the work it needs himself. Plus, he already has rides to work set up for the time between now and when he gets the car up and running.

So as far as those details go, he is very resourceful. Funny how someone can be resourceful at one thing and not at another, isn’t it?

People who are supporters to a loved one that has bipolar disorder have a great need to be resourceful. They need to be resourceful to help their loved ones find a doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, or support group. They need to be resourceful to manage theirs and their loved ones time. They need to be resourceful to handle emergency situations. They need to be resourceful to make plans for the future, such as a recovery plan.

Do you see what I’m getting at? There are many reasons that a bipolar supporter needs resourcefulness.

So what does resourcefulness mean, anyway?

Resourcefulness means keeping and maintaining the things you need that you already have, and getting the things that you don’t have yet. Most of the time, this is a process of creativity. Things don’t just come easy, and they don’t always make sense either.

You may have to work your way around obstacles. And if around doesn’t work, try over, under, or through! Everybody is going to face obstacles at one point or another in their life. Most of us will face many of them, especially when dealing with bipolar disorder.

Even bipolar disorder itself tends to be an obstacle that needs to be overcome. On that note, if you and your loved one can learn to overcome the bad things about bipolar disorder, then the creative energy that is left can be a good thing.

That same creative energy can help them to get and keep a job, even if they had never been able to do so before. That same creative energy can help them to find and enjoy the things that will make them happy, such as fun activities, hobbies, and social events. That same creative energy will help them to overcome any obstacle that stands in their way, because creative energy is what is needed to be resourceful.

The best way to teach resourcefulness to your loved one is to show them by example. And the best way for you to have resourcefulness is to posses a creative determination.

What ways do you think that you could be resourceful in your life right now?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave