Hi,
What’s new? Hope you are doing well.
To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews563/
Here are the news headlines:
Caregiving without Controlling
DO> What do you think of this?
New Study Looks at Mental Illness in Families
DO> Sounds promising
Century-Old Brains May Hold Future Of Treatment For Mentally Ill, Indiana University Pathologist Says
DO> This seems really strange don’t you think?
Peer Counseling Aids Mental Illness Recovery
DO> Absolutely, it does, right?
For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews563/
Check out all my resources, programs and information for all
aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com
Your Friend,
Dave
Post responses below
I’ve just this moment finished reading the article on Care giving without Controlling and I am reeling with’the onslaught of micro managing of the person with bipolar and also the other people in the house.
Good for the writer if it all works for her – but- being a supporter of a daughter with bipolar if I had that level of control – my daughter Rachel would have walked out of our lives by now.
suffice to say Rachel has been about 3 and 1/2 years in recovery and if it hadn’t been for reading and absorbing techniques David espoused in his blog I too would have micro managed my daughter and our entire household.
Rachel lives a good life – she has a part time job and she has begun the process of taking back the care giving for her children. and I am so impressed with her efforts and her success.
I am not saying that all that recovery process was a walk in the park – far from it- but any processes to do with Rachel and her fight ( cause that’s what it was like to start off with) to control and manage her own life were put in place as a result of Rachel wanting those processes because she wanted to get well and she knew more than me what it was like to be her.
Rachel takes care of her medication – because it is up to her to take the medication – if I do anything ( when on the odd occasion Rachel does not take her pills ) is to reflect her current behaviour if it is concerning me- maybe she is remote or distant or is agitated for no reason or restless or abrupt or she takes to her bed or she doesn’t sleep for more than a day once I’ve reflected her current condition -then I leave her to join the dots.
Rachel takes care of her psychiatrist and therapist visits as well – if she doesn’t want to go and maybe for 2 weeks she hasn’t gone then I may ask , in passing if she needs help to get to her appointments.
I am so proud of my daughter she shows so much courage and strength and endurance
Many thanks for your blog , the help I have absorbed from the daily blog can’t be inestimable David bless you
aroha nui
Shona
Care giving without controlling
I’ve just read this article and am still reeling at the level of micromanaging not just for the person who has bipolar but for the whole family.
All good if it works for the writer, but if I tried that level of micromanagement my daughter Rachel would have left home a long time ago.
Rachel has bipolar she is 3 & 1/2 years into recovery.
It is through her efforts to stay well that has motivated any processes and plans and it has been Rachel that has driven any management of this enemy bipolar and not me.
The responsibility for management of the bipolar is Rachel I am her support team.
Rachel recently decided she wanted to begin the journey towards taking over the care giving for her children. She initiated the plans and processes together we have formulated action plans. Rachel had had full management of the children for a week and at the end of the week she said she was exhausted – I explained to her that ALL parents are exhausted at the end of the week of’parenting and that her feelings of tiredness and frustration were normal natural ok. And grandparents were made to pick up the kids at that time of the week when parents needed a little me time.
What has been amazing is that before Rachel began the process of taking back her kids she slept away most of her weekends now – she takes the boys to their various sports and activities – she is up every day making their lunches getting them up taking them to school – being involved with their parent teacher meetings getting to know the other parents – the change in Rachel is enormous
I’m not saying this all happened over night – all great things take time.
These days if I notice a change in Rachel- she isn’t sleeping or she is sleeping to much or if she is agitated for no reason or pacing around the room then- I will reflect that I have noticed these actions and leave her a little room and time to connect the dots Rachel will inevitably come back to me about the problem and the resolution or she may ask me for help I’m her support not her keeper.
I love your blogs David without their timely release every day over the last 4 years I would not have had the wisdom or the knowledge to support me daughter
Regards
Shona