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Optical illusions can “trick” us.

Well, bipolar disorder can trick you the same way.

You think you see it one way, but something changes, and you can see it a totally other

way.

A lot of it has to do with your attitude.

If you look at something with a positive attitude, you’re going to see it one way.

But if you look at it with a negative attitude, you’re going to see it another way.

When you apply this principle to bipolar disorder, you can see the difference that your attitude

can make.

If you look at your loved one’s recovery from bipolar disorder with a positive viewpoint, you’re

going to see them as stable someday.

And you hope for that day.

If you look at your loved one’s bipolar disorder with a negative attitude, however, you may think

that they’ll never get better.

Think about that optical illusion.

There are two ways to look at the same thing.

One supporter put it this way:

“Right now my son is not stable

with his bipolar disorder. But

at least he’s trying his best. It’s

just that he keeps having problems

with his medication. Sometimes

he gets discouraged, but I try to

keep him optimistic, because I am

a positive person, and I try to keep

him focused on the future and that

someday he will be better, that

soon they’ll get his medications

right.”

——————————————–

That’s the difference that a good attitude can make.

This woman is a good supporter.

Having a positive outlook can help you get through the hard times.

It can keep you looking forward to the “someday” of stability.

Things may look bad now, but if you look at it later, things will look much different.

That’s how bipolar disorder tricks you.

It can get you believing that what you see now is what you’re always going to get.

But that’s not true.

If your loved one is doing the things they need to do to further their stability, then you have every reason to hope that they will recover.

Just remember that it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Do you agree that bipolar disorder tries to “trick” you into thinking that your loved one will never get better?

Can you see it differently now?

Bipolar? Are You an Innie or an Outie?

David Oliver October 21, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 16 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going for you today.

I hope your day is going well so far.

Remember when we were little, we called our bellybuttons “innie” or “outie”?

I don’t know if kids still do that today.

But I do know that “outies” were not the norm.

I think, for them, that it was harder than for the “innies” who were in the majority.

What about you?

Are you an innie or an outie?

Were you popular in school or not, in other words?

If all you cared about was being with the “in crowd,” back in school, then you might be struggling as a supporter to a loved one with bipolar disorder now.

A supporter who is doing their job may not be in the majority.

For example, at support group meetings.

Sometimes people talk at these meetings about how they found a natural cure for bipolar disorder

and that their loved one has gone off their medication and is fine.

Well, you know you can’t do that (and this person shouldn’t, either).

But if you speak up, defending medications as treatment, you may find you get some negative

feedback.

The thing is that you have to be confident in yourself.

You have to know that you have good judgment and can make good decisions for you and your loved one, as well as other family members.

You have to trust your instincts.

Especially in the case above.

Your instinct should tell you that there is no “miracle cure,” natural or otherwise, for bipolar disorder.

And just because this person is claiming it, doesn’t mean that you have to be on “their side.”

Stick up for what you believe in, like I teach in my courses/systems.

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You should know the “rights” and “wrongs” of being a supporter by now.

And the proof will be in whether your loved one is on the way to stability or not.

You do what works for YOU, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or says.

Some of the things I recommend in my courses/systems are not the majority opinion.

Like my doctor finding system.

Nothing like it existed until I made it a reality.

Now, some people accept it and do real well with it, but others don’t.

But I suggest these things because I KNOW they will lead to stability for your loved one.

When you are getting opposition to what you are doing, you have to ask yourself, “Does this person have my loved one’s best interests at heart like I do?”

People are going to voice their own opinions, but it’s your choice whether to listen to them.

For example, I know there are people who think I’m a fraud.

But I know that I’m not, and you know that I’m not.

Neither do the thousands of other people I’ve helped with my courses/systems.

But still, people can say what they want to say.

I know the truth.

Stand by your convictions, even if it isn’t the most popular thing to do.

Your goal is to help your loved one, whether your methods are popular or not.

Even if you stand out as different from other supporters, you have to do what is best for YOUR loved one with bipolar disorder.

Have you come across what I was talking about in a support group meeting?

What happened?

Are some of your methods for handling your loved one’s bipolar disorder somewhat unorthodox?

What are they?

Bipolar? What’s the Difference?

David Oliver October 20, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 17 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going?

I hope you’re ok.

I have a friend who calls himself a “recovering alcoholic.”

One day I asked him what’s the difference between a “recovering” alcoholic and a “regular” alcoholic?

He said, “I don’t drink.”

So what’s the difference between a high functioning person with bipolar disorder and just a “regular” person with bipolar disorder?

For one thing, if you were to look at a high functioning person with bipolar disorder, you’d never know that they even have the disorder.

They are productive, stable, and successful, and live a pretty normal life.

So what else makes the difference?

Usually their attitudes.

A high functioning person has a positive attitude…

While a low functioning person is just the opposite – they have a negative attitude.

Another difference is that one is willing to do whatever it takes to reach (and maintain) stability, while the other one isn’t.

Guess which one isn’t.

Right.

A low functioning person is like those people with bipolar disorder who you hear complain all the time, or blame all their problems on the disorder.

A high functioning person will do the things like I teach in my courses/systems:

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They will change their lifestyle to suit their stability.

They will eat right, exercise, and keep a good sleep schedule.

They will be productive.

They will take all their medications willingly.

They will see their doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist faithfully.

They will have a strong support system.

They will avoid what they’ve learned are triggers to a bipolar episode for them.

They will keep their stress and anxiety to a minimum.

They will watch for any signs and symptoms of episodes, so they can avoid them.

In other words, in one word, they are STABLE.

And they worked hard to get that way.

While the low functioning person is just the opposite.

They won’t be medication compliant (or will complain about having to take it).

They won’t have a strong support system. They think they can handle this on their own.

They won’t go to see their doctor, psychiatrist or therapist, because they don’t think they need them.

They will probably sleep too much and even be lazy and unproductive.

They will go through several episodes.

In other words, they are NOT STABLE.

What’s the difference?

Just what I said in one sentence before:

The high functioning person with bipolar disorder will do whatever it takes to get and stay stable.

Willingly and with a positive attitude, they will do WHATEVER it takes.

Are you doing whatever it takes to maintain your stability?

If not, you could lose it.

Bipolar? Encouraging Words for You

David Oliver October 19, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 13 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going?

You know I do a lot of reading about bipolar disorder, right?

I read everything I can get my hands on, all the time.

Because in order to keep you well-informed, I have to stay well-informed.

And also because I am still a supporter of a loved one with bipolar disorder myself.

And there is always new stuff coming out all the time.

Well, I read something in a brochure from the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) called “Making the Journey to Recovery,” and I thought it was really interesting.

So I wanted to share it with you.

This excerpt from the brochure said:

“All of us are unique. What works for

one person may not work for another.

But one thing is true for everyone: The

more you know about your illness and

treatment choices, the more ready you’ll

be to make the decisions that are right

for you. You can control your illness and

your life. With the help of friends, family,

health professionals, and support groups,

you can recover.”

———————————————————–

I really liked what that brochure said, because too many times the information you read is negative.

It can even discourage you.

But this was very encouraging, I thought.

In my courses/systems, I always talk about recovery from bipolar disorder, that it is possible, and how to get there. I try to give people hope, and direction.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews452/

That’s what I think this brochure did, too.

It raised some good points.

It’s especially important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another.

Because you may hear things like at a support group meeting, that you might want to take home with you, and that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

For example, just because some person says that this one medication is great and did wonders for their loved one, doesn’t mean that it would work for your loved one.

Like the brochure says, everyone is unique.

You also can’t compare yourself to another supporter, because each of you are different as well.

Don’t try to be like someone else.

Just keep doing what works for your loved one and you.

I also like what the brochure said about the thing that is the same for everyone.

That the more you know about your illness and treatment choices, the more ready you’ll be to make the decisions that are right for you.

Notice it says, “…right for YOU.”

Because, remember again that everyone is different.

And you know I’m always stressing education.

That’s because I don’t think you could ever know everything about bipolar disorder.

There is new information coming out all the time.

And there are decisions you and your loved one both have to make in controlling and managing their bipolar disorder.

The more informed you are, like the brochure said, the better off you will be to make those decisions.

The best part of the brochure to me, though, is that it tells you that you CAN control your illness and your life.

Because that’s one of the main things I’m always saying about bipolar disorder – that it can be controlled. And that it doesn’t have to take over your life.

And, like the brochure ends: “…you can recover.”

I really like that part, because it reinforces what I tell you as well:

That recovery from bipolar disorder IS possible!

What do you think about what this brochure said?

Current Bipolar News

David Oliver October 16, 2009 | October 16, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 2 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going? I have to get going pretty quick. I’ll catch up with you next week.

Here’s the news.

To read this week’s news visit:

Here are the news headlines:

Breakthrough in Mental Illness Diagnosis

DO> Interesting article, take a look.

Psychiatric Medications Remain a Mystery

DO> It sure does. I have asked how it works over and over and nobody can say exactly other than it works.

Being in Two Minds Always

DO> What do you think of this?

Youth Push for Louder Conversation about Suicide

DO> This is a huge problem around the world.

Butler Provides Anonymous Tool to Diagnose Depression

DO> Do you like this idea?

Mental Illness Sufferers Urge Message of Hope

DO> Great article, take a look.

For these stories and more, please visit:

http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews452/

==>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:

http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

Dave

Bipolar Lesson From How I Kept Off 60 Pounds for 10 Years

David Oliver October 15, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 5 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going?

Actually I am in the process of lowering by body fat to under 6%. My goal is to get there by October 22, 2009.

I am not sure if I told you this, but I used to weigh 282 pounds at my peak when I was playing football.

Well, after football, I decided that it was not wise to carry that much weight, so I wanted to drop down to about 220 pounds.

I did it. I lost that 60 pounds.

And I have kept off that 60 pounds for over 10 years now. Which, according to statistics, is incredible.

See, for a lot of people, they lose the weight, but then they gain it back. But I didn’t.

I don’t say that to brag, but only to qualify what I am about to say.

In order for me to do this, I had to create a system and to follow it.

That’s why I am always telling people with bipolar disorder and their supporters that you have to have systems in place if you’re going to get better.

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Well, I faced ups and downs, I’m just being honest with you.

No system is perfect, because no person is perfect.

Like, you could be on the perfect diet, right?

And you could follow it every day for weeks to a T.

But then one day you would just have to have that piece of chocolate, right?

You would just have that craving so bad!

So it would be tough to keep up being perfect all the time.

But as long as the main system is in place, it will be ok.

Have you ever played that game where you stack up the pieces of wood?

Well, the idea is that each person one at a time takes out one piece, until one of the people makes the stack fall.

The point I’m trying to make is that they could take out just a few pieces of wood and it would be ok.

But there would come a point where the whole pile would come crashing down.

So you need a good system.

One that will stand up to one or two pieces being ok to be taken out without the whole thing coming crashing down.

So let’s look first at being a supporter:

You have to have a system too.

You are dealing with bipolar disorder just as much as your loved one is.

Your system might be that you have to work to support the family financially, and that you handle the family finances.

Another part of your system is to watch your loved one’s patterns, triggers, signs and symptoms so you can tell in advance if they are going into a bipolar episode.

But you can’t be a babysitter all the time, so that’s ok. You just do the best you can.

Another part of your system is to take action of you do see that they are in a bipolar episode.

Do you see how you have to have a system? Of course, these are only a few parts that should be included in your system.

Now, for the person with bipolar disorder:

Your system, first of all, MUST include taking medication, as prescribed, and on a daily basis. This is crucial to attaining and maintaining your stability.

Other parts of your system would include proper rest, a good sleep schedule, exercise, and a healthy diet.

You also HAVE to see medical and mental health professionals – a doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist (or counselor, social worker, clergy person, etc.) for your medication and to deal with issues surrounding your bipolar disorder and your life because of it.

Having a good strong support system with several people in it would also help, but is like that wood piece game I was talking about. If you only have you and your primary supporter, at least you have that.

Just like your supporter, you need to be watching your own patterns, triggers, and signs and symptoms for an oncoming bipolar episode, and have a system of what to do if you do go into one.

Of course, these are only some of the things that should be part of your system.

What about you?

What systems do you have in place?

How do they work for you?

Bipolar? Some Things are to be Expected

David Oliver October 14, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 5 Comments

Hi,

How’s it going?

I hope you’re doing ok today.

You know, some things are to be expected in life.

Like in winter, you can expect that people are going to get the flu.

You can expect that if you work at a job, that you will get a paycheck.

You can expect that if you pay your rent or mortgage, you will have a house to live in.

(You can also expect that at some point, you will have to make repairs to that house, however.)

Same with your car –

You can expect that if you keep up the payments, you will have a car to drive.

(You can also expect that at some point, you will have to make repairs to that car, however.)

Well, it’s the same with bipolar disorder.

You can expect certain things when your loved one has the disorder.

On the one hand, if they are doing what they should be doing to attain stability, then you can

expect that they will get stable.

These are the things I talk about in my courses/systems:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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On the other hand, if they are not doing the right things, you can expect that they will not

get stable.

But let’s just concentrate on the positive side of things.

If your loved one is taking their medication like they’re supposed to, you can expect that the medication will work and help them become stable.

If they are going to all their appointments – doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist – then you can

expect there to be progress there.

If they are eating right, you can expect them to be healthy.

If they are exercising, you can expect that they will stay in shape physically.

If they are sticking to a good sleep schedule, then you can expect that they will have good

days, without the mania from lack of sleep.

Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t always get what you expect.

Bipolar disorder is just sneaky like that.

Your loved one could be doing everything right and still go into an episode.

So you can expect that with bipolar disorder, there will be setbacks.

If your loved one is keeping a journal and/or a daily mood chart, however, you can most likely see the pattern as it approaches so you can avoid a full blown episode.

However, if your loved one does go into an episode, you should know what to expect then, as well, because you’ve experienced it in the past.

You can expect that they are going to exhibit certain behaviors, like they have before.

Which actually gives you an advantage, because what they’ve done before, they will do

again, and you can be prepared.

If you do what you need to do as far as being a supporter to your loved one, then you can

expect that they will feel that support.

And if enough time has passed, and your loved one has continued to take their medication, see their therapist, and do the other things they need to do to attain stability, you can expect that they will, indeed, someday be stable.

What are some of your expectations?

Bipolar? Getting Geared Up

David Oliver October 13, 2009 | October 13, 2009 Daily Bipolar Disorder Message 3 Comments

Hi,

How are you today?

I hope you’re doing well.

Well, football season is here again.

It made me think of the expression, “all geared up.”

That’s what they call it when they’ve got all their gear on and are psyched up to play the game.

Well, I think we can use that expression for bipolar disorder too.

You need to be all geared up for the game – in other words, the battle with bipolar disorder.

You should be psyched up about the fact that you can help your loved one to manage it.

It may not seem like a possibility right now, but think toward the future.

Stability is just waiting for them.

But, like with football, they can’t win the game just by being geared up.

They still have to play the actual game, and play it hard, play it the best that they can.

Then they can hope to win.

But they have to go in with an attitude that says they ARE going to win, or else they won’t do as

well.

That’s what being psyched up is.

Believing that you’re going to win.

And we can apply that to bipolar disorder as well.

In fact, you are kind of like your loved one’s cheerleader.

Cheering them on toward recovery and stability.

Making sure they take their medication.

Insuring that they go to all their appointments with their doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist.

Making sure they get enough sleep.

Helping them stick to a healthy diet.

These are some of the suggestions that I talk about in my courses/systems:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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