==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there’s one
lie that you might have to tell.

Let’s talk about it.

Here’s the deal. There is a type of lie
that I say is an okay lie to tell. I call
it “the bipolar white lie.”

It’s a good lie in a way. Now it’s up
to debate if you should ever use this
strategy.

Let me tell you about it however and
the story as to how I thought of this.

Okay when my mom first got sick in her
big bipolar episode. It was right around
Thanksgiving.

I was hoping and praying each night leading
up to Thanksgiving that my mom would be okay
and there wouldn’t be problems.

My brother wound up putting pressure on me
to make sure everything went okay (in my
head I was thinking, “how am I going to
do this?”

A few days before Thanksgiving I saw some of
my friends that I hadn’t seen in a while. Most
asked, “how are you parents doing?” I said,
“okay.” This was my first bipolar white lie.

Where they really doing fine? Hmm not really
but I just didn’t know what to say. I didn’t
want to say, “Well my mom is screaming and yelling
at me, I have no idea what she has, I am really
worried, I have lost 20 pounds, I am stressed out
beyond what you can imagine, etc.”

Then after Thanksgiving, even though Thanksgiving went
well and my mom didn’t really have an episode flair
so to speak but I was so worried and stressed that
I barely ate. So Thanksgiving for me was not good.

After Thanksgiving, I saw people around town and in
the gym and they said, “How was your Thanksgiving?”
I said, “okay” and changed the subject.

Now was that true? I guess you could probably said
it was kind of true but then you could argue it
wasn’t okay. I just didn’t want to get into it.

I find that in many cases when you have bipolar
disorder OR you are a bipolar supporter you have
to use what I call the bipolar white lie.

Some people have a strict code of never lying and
I wonder if they think that the lies I talk about
are really bad.

It’s similar to if you meet a person who is struggling
to lose weight. They lose like 1 pound every other month
and are on track to lose all the weight needed in about
12 years. When they ask, “how do you think I look?”
You probably respond, “good.” Now is that totally true?
Probably not.

I believe that white lies are okay. No sense in creating
problems by giving exact details to questions that
will produce even more questions.

I think however you have to really start to get
“your story straight” and to the point for Thanksgiving
related questions.

If you have bipolar disorder and had problems
you might have a few one liners about where you have
been, how you have been doing and some good conversation
changers so you can move past tough questions for yourself.

If you are a bipolar supporter and your loved one
has had problems, same thing above applies.

I really think this is serious and I think everyone
should sit down and map out what you think you may
be asked and quick answers.

Don’t make up big lies

Keep it short

Try to change the subject

Smile

If you get forced into deep questions remember you can
always say lines like:

Were doing okay.

Okay.

Things are improving

We are making a lot of progress

We are moving forward

The light is at the end of the tunnel

It’s been tough but things are getting better

Etc.

I think these are the best when dealing with
bipolar disorder. No matter what your situation,
the above lines should work well.

Make sense?

In my courses/systems below, I talk about how to
handle this even more. It can be a little complicated:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

I hope you don’t think badly of me
for telling you this but I get so many people that
are worried about how to face relatives or friends
during these holiday periods and don’t know how
to handle these types of questions.

There’s people that I have spoken to that
are SUPER STRESSED about Thanksgiving tomorrow.

One women said, I have been away from the family
for so long and I know people are going to
ask where I was.

She actually decided to tell the truth combined
with a positive message combined with changing
the subject.

She is going to say “I was sick with my
bipolar disorder, I am doing very well now,
so how are you doing?”

She has rehearsed this and now feels good
about handling what might happen.

I am actually heading over to my parents house
for Thanksgiving. I can’t believe that this will
be the second Thanksgiving my brother didn’t invite
us to.

Actually someone wrote me:

“Dave, are you going to your brothers
for Thanksgiving or is he still not speaking
to your family. My sister did the same thing
to us. I have been reading your emails for
more than a year and I remember you talking
about how he disowned you, your mom and dad.
That’s terrible. How do you deal with it?”
-Stanley

Tomorrow I will talk about this I think.

Anyway, have a great day. Catch you to tomorrow.

Have you ever had to tell bipolar white lies?
If so, please post a story for us on the bipolar
blog below.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

I hope you are doing well. Hey it
was kind of interesting. I got a lot of
emails from people yesterday saying how
I should appreciate the snow because they
have never seen snow only on tv.

I guess you are right. I should appreciate
the snow.

I actually live in an area with four seasons
winter, fall, summer and spring and I do
appreciate that.

Actually there’s an important lesson for
bipolar disorder that I am going to be sharing
with everyone about where I live versus
where other people live.

I am going to be posting some videos online.
I just don’t know how :). I am not good with
all this technology stuff.

So, I have a friend who’s daughter’s boy friend
who is like 15 is going to teach it all to me.

There’s an important lesson here for bipolar
disorder. First, ask for help. Second, you
never know who can help you.

Anyway I will be posting this in a few weeks
and will send an email.

I am also starting a personal bipolar
coaching program because for like 2.5 years
people have been asking me over and over
again for one.

I always said no because I didn’t have one
setup. Then someone asked me to call him
to talk about how I can set it up. I really
appreciate that so I am going to be setting
one up in like a week or so.

I will send an email with the details.

Okay let’s talk about today’s topic.

Well, it’s almost Thanksgiving and
I wanted to talk about this interesting
conversation I had with a friend.

IMPORTANT BIPOLAR LESSON COMING UP

I have a friend that loves fortune
cookies.

Here’s the thing. He has a super strict
diet so he can NOT eat the future cookies
but he loves them.

If you go get Chinese food with him,
he will only get chicken and will insist
you give him your fortune cookies.
It’s kind of annoying 🙂

But he never eats them.

DON’T WORRY THERE’S A BIPOLAR LESSON COMING

I finally asked him why the other day.
And he said and this is a quote, “Dude,
whenever I read the messages inside,
a lot of the stuff comes true.”

I was like “what do you mean?” He said
that when he reads the messages inside
the cookies, that talk about how your
life is going to be, good things happen.

I asked him to give me examples. He said
this one time it said, “Something great
is about to enter in your life so pay
attention.”

He said that he was excited because he needed
something great to enter his life and then
he wound up getting a new job, which allowed
him to afford all his nutrition supplements
for working out and he met a girl he is
dating. And he said “dude she is really good
looking and okay with me being really big.”

He uses the word “dude.”

He said, “one cookie, three positive things.”
He told me how the cookies work.

It’s not just him. Many people believe in
fortune cookies and other things like lucky
charms.

Here is the important lesson on bipolar disorder.

There are many old books and now new ones
that are saying these days, you can bring
into existence what you think about and focus
on.

Now I don’t want to get way out in outer space
on you but I think it’s true.

I think this is what is happening to my friend.
He reads something positive. Then he expects something
positive. Then something positive happens to
him. It becomes like a self fulfilling prophecy.

The cookie because the thing that causes him
to start thinking positive. I would hate to see
if the cookies had negative messages because I think
if he saw a negative message, bad things would happen
because he would expect them to happen.

Now let’s translate this into bipolar disorder.
Let’s look at success people with bipolar disorder:

-They expect good things to happen

-They expect themselves to have good and bad days
but the expect everything will be okay in the end

-They expect that they can manage bipolar disorder
and be a success

Let’s look at success bipolar supporters:

-They expect good things to happen with their loved one

-They expect their loved one to have good and bad days
but have 100% confidence that the systems they setup
will be able to handle everything

-They expect that their loved one can handle bipolar
disorder and handle it well. They have confidence
that bipolar disorder can be managed successful.

In my courses and systems below, I talk about
all the key expectations from those who
are successful.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

Now let’s look at those that fail
who are supporters and survivors

The unsuccessful bipolar survivors
expect:

-They expect bipolar disorder to be a nightmare

-They expect to struggle for years

-They expect people to not understand them

-They expect people to discriminate against them

-They expect that they can’t be successful

-They expect that bipolar disorder will ruin the
rest of their lives

-They expect they will never ever find the right
medication because “they tried all combinations.”

The unsuccessful bipolar supporters are negative as
well:

-They expect their loved one to always be unstable

-They expect that their loved one can’t be successful

-They expect their loved one will struggle all the time

-They expect that bipolar disorder can’t be beat or
managed

-They expect they will never find a system to help
their loved one.

-They expect that things will stay the same forever

I believe that expectations play a major role in how
a person with bipolar disorder does or a bipolar
supporter.

The negative people get negative results. The positive
people get positive results.

I have seen this time and time again. I know people
with some of the worst combinations of disorders you
can think of. People with 5 or 8 diagnosis’s
and they do super well. But they expect they will.

Let me say something. Well first let me remind
everyone that I am NOT a doctor, lawyer, therapist
and NOT offering medical, legal or professional
advice.

Actually as a side note, someone asked me if
I cut hedges for a living. I do consulting
for HEDGE FUNDS (investment companies) but
I don’t cut Hedges 🙂 LOL

Okay, back to what I was saying.

I really think that even the best medication,
the best doctor, the best therapist in the world
can’t overcome a bipolar survivor and bipolar supporter
that believe they are doomed forever because of
bipolar disorder.

I know people who have a ton going for them (they
have a great doctor, therapist, lots of money,
family support, etc)
and they expect they will do poorly.

I know people who have everything going against
them (no friends, family support, money, house,
etc.) and they do well.

Both people get what they expect.

Remember the story of the fortune cookie when
you are “going negative.” Remember you get
what you expect.

One last thing. If you know people who go
to fortune tellers. The same thing happens.
I am not saying whether I agree or disagree
with this service, if you can call it a service,
but I have friends that go and feel totally
empowered when a fortune teller says good
things are going to come to them soon.

It’s amazing to me. Actually many people
who work for me with bipolar disorder or another
mental illness tell me I was the first person
to say they are smart, great, creative and a
huge asset to any organization and capable of
amazing and great things.

The reasons why I say these things is because
I believe them. Time and time again, when I have
had the most difficult problems, the ones no one
can solve, things that are complex, it’s always
someone who works for me with a mental illness
that solves it.

I really believe that people with a mental illness
are everything I just said. As a result, I wind up
getting what I expect in my own company.

Hey I just looked at the clock and I have to
go because I have interviews to do, I have to
go the library, map some stuff out, eat, etc.

Catch you tomorrow. If you have stories
about this concept post them on my bipolar
blog.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

I can’t believe that there’s like 5 inches of snow
where I live.

Anyway, I hope you are doing well. I have some
good news.

I have been working on a new FREE Guide titled:

“The 10 Deadly Mistakes People Make Helping and
Supporting Someone With Bipolar Disorder.”

Today is the first day that I will start distributing
it all over the world.

You can get your copy right away by visiting:

http://www.bipolarcentral.com/freereportletter/

I hope you like it. My goal was to help people
who are bipolar supporters avoid the major mistakes.
I find that for the most part, if you can just avoid
the major mistakes success is likely to follow.

In the case with our family, over the years,
my dad, my grandmother and myself made each of
these 10 mistakes over and over and over again.

Well download my report and review it.
Then forward and/or give it away to at least
7 people you know who could use it.

Most people don’t realize this but there
are about 10 million adults in the us with
bipolar disorder but there are more than 20
million closes friends/family members of
those people.

So ultimately there are more bipolar supporters
than bipolar survivors. This is why this
report focuses on supporters for now.

I am actually doing radio, magazine and newspaper
interviews as well talking about this guide
and why I am giving it away.

If you are a journalist and would like to do
an interview, or know any journalists, please
email me at:
feedbacktodave@mentalhealthworld.net

Well I have to take off and deal with the
snow. Have a great day and see you tomorrow.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

I can’t believe it’s snowing where
I live. Seems to early.

Anyway, yesterday I wrote a daily bipolar
email about not looking back at a negative
past and moving forward to look into the
future.

Someone wrote me the following:

“Dave, I hear what you are saying.
But there’s so many negative things
that have happen to use since
bipolar disorder started. It’s almost
impossible to keep looking back.”
-Mat

Hey Mat, I know what you are saying.
Like I said yesterday, there’s a lot of
negative things with bipolar disorder.

BUT, you still to look to the future
and not just focus on the past bad
things.

I have a very simple strategy for everyone
to help with this.

Right now, go get a pen and
paper.

Make a list of all the good things that
have happen with your loved one with
bipolar disorder

Get together all pictures that show
happy times

Get together any video footage of good
times.

When things go badly you must review this list
and also separate the bipolar like we talked
about last week (If you missed that email,
see my blog below).

The bottom line is you want to:

FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGS.

Remember the good times. When you do this,
it will help you overcome your negative hopeless
feelings and provide “fuel” to move forward.

By focusing on the good it will give you the
strength to keep on helping your loved one
and not abandon them.

By focusing on the good it will help you
to withstand the verbal abuse you may
be experiencing

By focusing on the good it will help
you to forgive all that was done that
was bad and many cases really bad.

In my bipolar courses and systems, I talk at length
about how I suffered immensely from bipolar
disorder but I always focused on the good
things with my mom and not the bad.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

Other people wind up focusing on the
bad and that’s how they become super
angry.

I find that by making a list of the good
things that happen with your loved one,
not only does it help you get through the
tough times but it also helps you remember
that bipolar disorder is not your loved one.

Remember the thing that you are angry at is
bipolar disorder NOT your loved one. I know that
sounds crazy so to speak and I will probably
get a whole lot of emails from people saying
that I am confusing bipolar disorder with
other disorders like dissociative identity
disorder. I am NOT.

This is just a technique to help you overcome
a very difficult time. Try thinking of your loved
one’s bipolar disorder completely separate from
him/her and you will see how much easier your
life becomes.

Also, review your “list of the good” regularly
and you will find yourself being a much better
supporter.

Well I have to run.

Don’t let bipolar disorder beat you.

If you have tried this technique, please
write us all a story in my blog below

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

Hope you enjoyed the bipolar news that
I sent out yesterday. If you missed it,
check my bipolar blog below.

Hey in the middle of last night,
I had this incredible idea about how I can
help people who can’t afford their bipolar
medications, therapy or treatment.

It’s going to require that I do a lot of work
for me but worth it. I envision the system
being released for f.ree in January.

Today actually I have to go to a far
away library to do some research for this
new concept I just thought of.

Okay on with today’s bipolar email.

I wanted to write you today about a rather
big problem that I see going on with some
people supporting someone with bipolar
disorder.

It all started yesterday when I
was talking to a friend in the gym.

It’s kind of funny. This friend
in the gym was on my list and didn’t
even realize that I was his friend
and it was my mom that had bipolar
disorder.

Anyway, he said to me, “Dave,
I am so annoyed. You know we lost
so much money because of her bipolar
disorder. If we didn’t lose all that
money, I would be so much further
along in life.” Then he went on
and on about his wife and all
her episodes and how problematic
they were.

I said to him, “Isn’t she doing
great and stable since you start
using the system I told you about?”

He said “yes but, we lost so much
money and time….” I cut him
off and I said, “you have to look
forward and stop looking back.”

There is NO question that bipolar
disorder can be super destructive
and a nightmare to have and to
help someone with it.

There is no question that it creates
financially stress and problems. There’s
no question that people with the disorder
usually spend years trying to get stable.

There’s no question that bipolar disorder
wastes a lot of time, energy AND money.

I have personally wasted a lot of time and money
on the disorder. You’ve read my stories
in the descriptions of my courses/systems
below:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

But here’s the deal. You have to MOVE
FORWARD and not keep dwelling on the
past.

Now there’s no question that you should
do what I call a PEA (post episode analysis)
and see what went wrong if a bipolar episode
occurred.

But you can’t keep saying:

if only we didn’t lose so much money
if only this episode didn’t occur
if only we caught the episode earlier
if only we didn’t waste so much time

I talk to a lot of bipolar supporters
who really spend way too much time
thinking about all they lost instead
of focusing on the future.

Focusing on past negative events becomes
a trap for many bipolar supporters.

With my mom and her last big bipolar
episode, I looked at the past to figure
out what happen and why I thought it happen
and then I just focused totally on the future.

My brother on the other hand, I remember when
he was talking to us, he would always say stuff
like, “Yea well, she’ll just go into another
episode again like she always does.” It was
almost like he was always living in the
past.

In my opinion, that’s the wrong attitude.

I once heard or read this somewhere:
YOUR PAST DOES NOT EQUAL YOUR FUTURE

I was talking to Michele Soloway yesterday
and she was telling me how it took her many
years to get control of all the different
disorders that she had and that for a while
she was kind of negative looking at the past
and feeling that since she didn’t have them
under control, she might not ever. Then
she changed her attitude and looked into the
future and started to imagine and think of
herself as being successful, stable and
not having the same old problem she always
did. As a result, she started actually
doing well.

I can’t prove this but I think when you keep
looking back at the past over and over again,
you almost create your own failure in the future.

My friend swears that he is going to
stop focusing on his negative past and
focus on a positive future. He also
did acknowledge that he should be very
happy that his wife is stable and doing
well.

I really would appreciate you posting
a story of how you went from looking
back in the past to looking to the
future.

If you have a story please post it on
my blog.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Hi,

Here is the current Bipolar Disorder news.

Make sure you take a look at the news. I really work hard to put it
together for you :).

To see the news visit:

http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews352

There’s some really interesting news stories this week.
Take a look at them. Also, write me some feedback by visiting my
blog below.

Here are some of the headlines:

Bipolar disorder treatment: What role do antidepressants play?
DO> Great article!

Homeless vet: ‘Someone’s got to clean this up’
DO> Very interesting.

What is bipolar affective disorder?
DO> Good review

Volunteers Sought for Stanford Studies of Bipolar Disorder
DO> Everyone should take a look at this and forward to anyone
you may know that is interested.

Living with bipolar disorder manageable with expertise
DO> So true…

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews352

==>> Get 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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Your Friend,

Dave

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

I got this email, and I wanted to share it with you, because
the answer will show you something very important
to bipolar disorder.

Here’s the email:

“Dear Dave,
I’ve been depressed for three weeks now, and I’m
starting to get really scared. I’m afraid I’m going
into a depressed episode. The thing is, I have
nothing to be depressed over – I’m basically
really happy with my life. Nothing’s wrong that
I can figure out. No reason for me to be so depressed.
So why am I still so down? Also, even though I’m
sleeping, like, 10 hours a night, I’m exhausted all
the time! What do you think is going on? What
should I do?”
-Mary

First thing Mary should do is CONTACT
her doctor. This is VERY important.

I am not sure why, but many people
ask NON doctors medical questions. I
actually puzzles me.

If you have any questions about what’s
going on with yourself or your loved one
with bipolar disorder treatment or condition
contact the doctor.

This is very important.

I talk about “catching the bipolar episode.”
This is done by contacting the doctor right away
so he/she can figure out what’s going on.

Remember, I am NOT a doctor, lawyer, therapist
or other kind of professional and can NOT and
do NOT give medical OR legal advice.

With that said the reason I chose this email to answer is that
I don’t think this is so uncommon. From what people
tell me, sometimes people with bipolar disorder can
get depressed with seemingly no cause for the depression.

I asked Michele Soloway (she is just a writer
who writes for me and NOT a doctor, therapist
or professional) about this email from Mary
and she wrote:

“That’s because of the chemical imbalance itself. The
chemicals just flare up at times with no trigger.

Most times, we can point to a trigger as a cause
for a bipolar episode. When you get depressed,
like the person in the email, the first thing you
should do is look for a trigger, and usually you
will find one. But there may be times when you
just can’t find one.

Those are the times when you just have to accept
that, like you learned in the beginning, bipolar
disorder is a chemical imbalance of the brain,
and sometimes those chemicals are just going to
fire off on their own.”

In my courses and systems I teach a lot of how to
figure out what things cause bipolar episodes and
how to prevent them.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

You can’t eliminate all bipolar episode
many I have seen that you can eliminate a lot
of them by working at it.

Finding out what causes a bipolar episode
sometimes is a process of elimination. Like
I said, first you look for a trigger.

So, say, you go to your doctor first, and the two of
you try to figure out if there was something
emotionally that set you off that maybe you
missed, then maybe you go to your therapist
and do the same if you can’t find the reason
with your doctor.

Then maybe you look for something physical.
Like the person in the email was saying,
about how they felt exhausted all the time.
There can be physical causes that can make
you go into an episode – like drinking too
much water can deplete your body of
sodium and potassium, confusing your mind.

Or dehydrating your body if you don’t drink
enough fluids. Or a thyroid condition. And
there are others.

It could even be your medications. Remember
you talk this over with your doctor. You don’t
figure it out yourself. Don’t make this deadly
mistake.

Only your psychiatrist will know,
and can advise you what to do about your medications.
I know I keep repeating myself but people
really need to remember and know this.

Keep a journal all the time. When you do that,
you can look back and start to get a good idea
of bipolar episode triggers.

Then you take what you learned and use it
for the future. The people who have gotten
really good at managing their bipolar disorder
do this and that’s how over time, they master
managing the disorder.

I would appreciate if some people post some
stories about how they used this process of elimination
in their own life.

Well, I’ll talk to you later.

Your friend,

Dave
–
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

I hope you’re doing ok today.

What’s new? Well it looks like my
blog is finally working right.

Hey, you know, bipolar disorder is composed
of two parts. Mania and depression. That’s
the bi in bipolar.

People ask me what’s mania like? I don’t
know because I don’t have bipolar disorder.

BUT, I got this disturbing email, but I think
it’s really a good description of mania, so
I wanted to share it with you (I took out the
person’s name because that’s not important).

“Dave,

I hate bipolar disorder. I hate having it so
much because it practically ruins my life
every time I have a manic episode. It makes
me so out of control, and I don’t even know
what I’m doing, and what’s the worst is that
I hurt the people I love the most, because I
do and say stuff I normally wouldn’t do,
and then I don’t even remember it later!

And I hate that, because then they’re all mad
at me, or really hurt, and I don’t even know
what I’ve done, and then I feel really guilty
about it. And there’s no way I can make it
up to them.

I hate how I am in a manic episode, but I
can’t help it! I get really racy, like I can’t
sit down, and I’m, like, all over the place.
Everything feels like it’s going real fast.

I talk a lot, and I talk real fast. And I
always feel like I’ve got so much to say,
and that what I’ve got to say is so
important! And I’ve always got these great
ideas, and so many of them, and they come
so fast I can hardly keep up with them.

But when I’m normal, none of them are good at
all. When I’m manic, the plans I start just
never get completed at all, cuz they were no
good to begin with.

I hate feeling like I’m crazy, I really do, but
I do feel like that. That out of control
feeling. That’s what mania is like. Like
you’re crazy, out of control. And you do
things, like I said, you do all these great
(grandiose) plans, and sometimes they
might hurt other people, and you don’t
even realize it.

Like spending money. Like your family’s
money. A lot of it. Or the credit cards,
running up a lot of credit. But you don’t
think about the bills you (they) have to
pay later. And that hurts them, or makes
them mad at you.

I wish I could say it’s not my fault. I
wish I could say it’s the bipolar’s fault.
But I’m the one who has the disorder,
and I’m the one who feels guilty for
what I do when I’m in an episode.

And the worst part is, I don’t even
remember doing any of it!

—————-

This is a very accurate description of
what having bipolar mania is like, according
to what people with bipolar disorder
tell me. Michele Soloway read this
and said, “that’s mania described.”

It’s hard from a supporter’s point of view to
believe that the things that our loved ones
do are not their fault, or that they really
don’t remember what they did.

Sometimes we even believe they’re
faking it, that they really do remember
what they did, or they’re just using the
disorder as an excuse for unacceptable
behavior.

In my courses and systems I talk about
how to control mania and also what do
do if a loved one goes into a manic episode:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

You must try to prevent or stop
manic episodes. Bipolar supporters have to
do all they can.

That’s because we’re the ones who are
there when they do it, or we’re the ones
who get the credit card bills. But maybe
you can see now, from an insider’s view,
that it hurts them just as much. And that
they are not faking it.

Well, I have to go. Catch you tomorrow.

Your friend,

Dave
–
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How’s it going?

First I have to say, my bipolar blog is driving
out of my mind. Unfortunately there is
no medication for it 🙂

I don’t know what the deal is. For the
last two weeks, I can’t even post stuff
on it. They are suppose to be fixing it.

Please hang in there with me.

Anyway, today I wanted to write you an email about
the “bipolar crazies.”

As a side note, people have written me that
they think my bipolar terms are really funny. I am
actually making a dictionary of my terms and will
be sending one out to everyone so you can follow
along with what the heck I am talking about when
I use certain terms.

Okay back to the bipolar crazies. Let me tell
you what happen and why I got to thinking this.
something that happen to me.

Here’s the deal. I have been working on
a whole lot of new ideas to build this organization
even bigger.

I decided to make several investments in
many people who were SUPPOSE to be able
to help.

I paid a whole lot of money over the last
couple of months. Thousands of dollars
in consulting fees.

What did I get? Well I got some incredible
ideas but I got some really, really, really
disturbing crazy ideas. Ideas that seriously
were insane. These were from people that were
suppose to know what they are talking about.
These are NOT people who are unstable 🙂

I can’t even post some of the ideas they
are so crazy. Let me give
you an example. Someone suggested that I find
people not taking bipolar medications, fly them in
to a central location and hire researchers
to study them and how they do and I could
use this some how?

I asked 50 million times how this would help
me and how it made any sense. This expert
couldn’t explain and got mad that I was
questioning his idea. He kind of was like
“young kid, I have been around for many
years and if you can’t get it, sorry.”

I was like “whatever.”

This list is long and deep of the crazy
ideas that I get about growing this
organization designed to help people with
bipolar disorder even more.

After hearing yet another crazy idea yesterday,
I was thinking about this.

I was talking to my mom and telling her some
of the crazies I heard today. Then my mom
reminded me of all the crazy
things she heard about bipolar disorder over
the years–you can never be stable, doctors
kill people with bipolar disorder, there’s no
more than a couple dozen people with bipolar
disorder in New Jersey, she should divorce
my dad and move away from the family, she should
only take natural supplements for bipolar disorder,
people can catch bipolar disorder from her,
and on and on.

She was telling me that she never listened to 99%
of these “bipolar crazies” (my term of course 🙂
and if she did, her life would have been far worse.

This email server as an important reminder
that you have to educate yourself about bipolar
disorder and be careful not to follow ideas that
are untested, unproven, just plain crazy or
what I like to call bipolar crazies.

Just like me. Like I said, I get so many crazy
ideas brought to me about what I should do with
this mental health organization. Lots of marketers
come to me with totally insane ideas
that don’t make any sense.

I generally listen and then I ignore them all.

Here’s what you have to be careful of with
bipolar disorder. There are tons of people
that offer lots of advice that is plain
bad.

I have noticed a big increase in people giving
medical advice about bipolar disorder.

Oh now’s a good time to say:

I am NOT a doctor, therapist, insurance
agent, lawyer or any other kind of professional.
I am NOT offering medical, legal or professional
advice.

Notice with me, I never offer medical advice.
There are other sites that do by NON doctors.
My goal is to teach you how to find a great
doctor and ask that person your medical questions
not me.

In some cases, you can get bad advice from bad
doctors and therapists. If you feel that you aren’t
getting good advice or treatment you have to
find someone who can help you that is qualified.

I have heard of doctors falling asleep in front
of patients. Therapists recommending people
getting off their medications. I have heard
all kinds of crazy ideas. If you hear things
that don’t make any sense, just like I do,
you have to ignore it and find someone who
knows what the heck they are talking about.

This is why in my courses/systems below:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

I spend so much time teaching people how
to find great doctors and therapists. There’s
nothing worse than getting hooked up with someone
with no clue and has no idea what he/she is talking
about. The scary thing is, many people who say
they are experts may not be. So you have to be
careful especially when you are dealing with
bipolar disorder.

I encourage you to ask lots of questions, think
things through, challenge people when what they
are saying things that don’t make sense or giving
advice that seems like it might work against you
or your loved one with bipolar disorder.

Even challenge me. If you see my write something
that seems like it’s from outer space, challenge me.
I will tell you that everything I write, I have thought out
for a long time so I don’t get mad because I can
defend my points of view.

If people get mad when you ask questions or challenge
them a little it’s generally not a good sign.

So be careful of the bipolar crazies. That’s a really
funny term.

Hey, post some bipolar crazies below that you have heard
over the years so people can get a laugh for the
day 🙂

With that said, I have to take off and I will catch you
tomorrow.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

==>>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

Hi,

How are you?

Hope you had a good weekend.

Okay, today I wanted to talk about an important concept
for bipolar supporters called “separate the
bipolar.”

If you don’t you’ll really have a hard
time being a good bipolar supporter.

I got an email today from someone
that said:

“I am soooo sick and tired of my boyfriend.
He is bipolar and driving me crazy. He does
the craziest things. He was just diagnosed
with bipolar and it’s a nightmare. I almost
can’t stand how he is. Dave, what should I do?”
-Sally

I haven’t spoken to Sally and don’t know
her but her is what I am guessing. Sally’s
boyfriend is not stable and is creating
a lot of problems for her. She is probably
hanging in there hoping things will get
better. He is doing more and more crazy
things and it’s make her more and more
mad.

My advice to her is two fold. First
it’s to separate the bipolar. She obviously
saw something good in him to date him.
She has to focus on this and learned to
separate the part that she knows is
bipolar disorder.

One way to do this is, to think of the
bipolar disorder as a separate person that
inhabits your loved one.

Now don’t write me an email and say that
bipolar disorder is not multiple personality
disorder or dissociative identity disorder.
I totally know and understand that. But it’s
easier on you to think of it as a separate
person or thing and not as your loved one.

So when you do, it’s the bipolar that talking
and doing things not your loved one. This is
the strategy that I personally use and teach
others as well with great success.

The vast majority of people that don’t
separate wind up almost “going crazy” for
lack of a better word. They get mad. They
try to figure out why a loved one is doing
this or that. They try to rationalize with
the bipolar disorder. Eventually they
get so distraught, so frustrated, so angry,
so depressed they simply have almost like
a breakdown.

There’s been many a person that’s contacted me
that has been destroy by bipolar disorder. Most of
the time it’s because they failed to separate the
bipolar disorder.

Also when you separate the bipolar it kind
of becomes you versus the bipolar disorder.
It’s almost like a game in a way. A game
that YOU the bipolar supporter must try to
win.

Now as for my second piece of advice for Sally.
It’s simply do this: focus on getting your loved
one into a good doctor/treatment.

I am really shocked how many people don’t make
this the number one goal. I have met people
on my list struggling for a year and I ask
them, “what’s your biggest goal with your loved
one?” They can’t even answer.

If you have a loved one with bipolar disorder
that is struggling then your number one goal
has to be to get them into treatment.

In my courses/systems below, I talk about
all the ways to do this. Sometimes I kind
of wonder about people who can’t get a loved
one into treatment and don’t get my courses/systems.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

I don’t push my material on people but it’s
really odd to me that some like to sit and
suffer.

Anyway with that said, if you are frustrated
with a loved one with bipolar disorder by
his/her actions, separate the bipolar
disorder and then see how you feel.

I am really certain if you do this, you’ll
feel much better.

Well I have to run. Talk to you tomorrow.

Your Friend,

Dave

P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com