Hi,

Did you ever make some really great plans that you did a count down for? Like a cruise, or a vacation? You anticipated the day that you would leave, and counted down the days until that final day would come…Just biding your time, so excited that you could hardly contain yourself!

Some days you felt like you just couldn’t wait, that the wait itself was killing you! You just didn’t think you’d have enough patience to wait until it was time to go.

But finally you made the count down and that inevitable day came, and you went on that long-awaited trip or vacation. And, of course, it was worth the wait, wasn’t it?

It’s like a child waiting for Christmas. They even have special calendars for that now, where you can cross off or color in each day as the countdown for another day closer to Christmas passes.
It’s supposed to help you contain your child’s excitement for that great day. But how can it?
Their excitement is just so great!

But at least it helps to give them something visual to show them how many days are left in their count down. Too bad there isn’t something like a count down to bipolar recovery for you and your loved one.

Unfortunately, you have to deal with the day-to-day’s of living with the disorder and just do the best that you can sometimes. It’s a shame that recovery is not more clear-cut for you, like that count down calendar to Christmas is for children.

Unfortunately, things just aren’t that clear-cut when it comes to bipolar disorder. That’s because everybody is different. And also because it’s just the nature of the disorder that it can be so unpredictable.

So even if your loved one’s doctor did explain something of the disorder to you, they had to stick to things in a general way – they couldn’t be too specific.

Although there is more and more research being done every day into bipolar disorder, there are still mostly things that we know in the most general of ways. Again, because everyone is different.

Like we know how medication is supposed to work. But still, different medications affect different people in different ways. And what works great for one person might not work great
for your loved one.

So it’s really best for them to stick to the medication that their doctor or psychiatrist has prescribed for them, because he/she knows them better as an individual. And also, because of the unpredictable nature of things, they need to be monitored with their medication as they go
along, in case their medication, or its dosage, needs to be changed along the way.

Keeping the same doctor or psychiatrist is important for this, as they will get to know your loved one (and you) better and treatment will be more consistent.

Therapy is important for consistency too. And different therapists meet different needs. One person’s therapist won’t necessarily be the best therapist for your loved one, and vice versa.

You need to find a therapist who is best suited for your loved one’s needs, and stick to them.
That way your loved one can build a relationship with them and learn to cope and deal with the issues that surround their bipolar disorder on a consistent basis.

No, unfortunately, there is no count down to recovery, but treatment with medication and therapy will help to insure stability.

Your loved one can also do things that will help to insure their own stability. Things like sticking to a good sleep schedule, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and being productive will help them to do that.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave