Hi,
Remember when you were in school? Was it a positive or negative experience for you? I hope it was a positive one. Do you still remember your favorite teacher? Why? Because they had some special quality that you admired? Because they made a boring class fun? Because you learned so much from them? These or any number of answers could be the reason why you still remember your favorite teacher. But I want you to think of being a teacher in a different way today. I want you to think of yourself as a teacher. You are, you know.
If you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does, you are teaching every time you go out the door of your home. You teach others what it is like to be someone with a mental illness or to support someone who does. There is an expression: “You teach people how to treat you.” When I talk to people, I talk about bipolar behavior – about what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behavior. But I’m talking now just about your behavior in general. If you have bipolar disorder and are stable, you will act a certain way. In fact, I know someone who has the disorder, but if you didn’t know better, you’d never know it. That’s stable behavior. And if you can be like that, you teach people that people that have bipolar disorder can be just as “normal” as they are. You teach them that adversity can be overcome. You teach them that bipolar disorder is NOT a death sentence! You teach them that someone with the disorder can be high functioning. If you have started your own home business, you teach your clients/customers that you are a good business person (in spite of having bipolar disorder).
If you are a supporter, you can teach other supporters. Just by virtue of the fact that you don’t complain about your situation, makes you a good supporter example. You teach them that bipolar disorder can be lived with on a daily basis. You teach them that the disorder doesn’t have to rule your life. You teach them that being a good supporter is possible. You may even teach them some of your methods or strategies for dealing with it.
But in either case, whether you are someone with bipolar disorder or supporting someone who does, you are being a teacher – Because you are teaching them what bipolar disorder looks like. You are putting a face on the disorder, in other words. And people need to see that to truly understand the disorder. Now, that can be good or bad, depending how you look at it. If you have it and are stable, you teach people that someone with bipolar disorder can act normally. If you have it but aren’t stable, you paint a different picture. You teach them that it’s a struggle to be stable. Your bipolar behavior may make you stand out. And you may be the only person they know with bipolar disorder, so they will judge all other people with the disorder by you and your behavior. Stigma is a horrible thing, and has hurt many people with bipolar disorder. But if you can keep your bipolar behavior positive, you can teach people that you can cope with having it.
That anyone can.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Post responses below
Dear David,
Just being me, I felt a heavy weight put upon my shoulders by digesting what you said about people with a bipolar disorder. One could say I’m too sensitive, but that quality has its positive and negative characteristics. Yes, it’s true, we bipolar people may be the only person another may see, and therefore judge by our behavior, yet it is much easier said than done being “stable.” Sometimes we bipolars aren’t able to be stable, just by the nature of the disease. Medications may not work, positive outlooks may still not shut us up, etc. Your heart is in the right place, however, or you wouldn’t take the time to send out mailings to us. I cannot afford your courses. I barely can buy my meds and put very frugal food upon my table. So keep doing what you’re doing, but know that even when we want to be “stable,” we’re not always able to do so, try as we may.
Your article really caught my eye, I was JUST talking to my neighbor about favorite teachers! Wow, and how you slid into talking about being the teacher was brilliant! I never thought of myself in this way! My boss told me last week that she doesn’t know any others with bipolar disorder, other than myself! I never thought of myself as being her teacher, by example. You’re absolutely correct, every time I walk out my door, I’m an example! Good or bad! Many people know I’m bipolar, including my boss. I have been on a long road to getting stable. I’m not finished. But I’m doing better than even 2 years ago. I think many of us are sensitive to medicine,chemical, and hormones, and I don’t think the doctors realize this! I gave up a few times because I felt meds were too strong or didn’t work! I stopped all alcohol,& really can feel if meds are working
Oops! I hit the send button before I was done! Anyway, when I’m having a bad day, I try to stay in and read positive stuff and do things I like or just sleep! Sometimes I need more sleep! I usually get so little, so it makes sense! If it goes on too many days, I have a support system to pick from, and call one! I’m on weekly therapy, monthly dr! It really helps! I learned the hard way, it’s better to dump your thoughts onto a Therapist, than your friends! They are professionals & know what to do, your friends will smile & sympathize, until they can run away! Do yourself a favor, & your friends, and go to the Therapist! It really works! I’m making new friends now! And I have another group handling my problems. I think this all might work out, now! Okay, gotta go! Time for me to call my Therapist & get my butt outta this apt, LOL!
That what you said was so true. I have bipolar disorder it took awhile to get it staple ? one person could not believe I had it because I did not acted like I had it.
yes that is true peole who have bipolar can be teachers of the disorder and it can be positive or negitive but if you have another disorder on top of the bipolar it is hard to stay stable and that makes it where when you do try telling people about the disorder they doint belive you or they doint want to listen on how to help the person because they think they are telling people this to make exsuces for their behaviors or complaing so they just stop listing thinking they know more then the one living with the disabilty