Hi,

Today I want to talk about the 10 Rules for Bipolar Health. I know, I hate rules too, but I think
this list is really important for your emotional health, whether you are the one with bipolar disorder or the supporter.

1. Take care of yourself.
If you are a survivor, you have to take care of yourself in order to manage your disorder. Get the right amount of sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise, are just a few examples. Same goes for you supporters. You can’t be any good to someone else if you aren’t good to yourself first.

2. Focus on the positive instead of the negative.
Survivors, if you stay negative, you will stay sick. Supporters, if you stay negative, you will be no good to your loved one, and you will be no good to yourself. You need to be a more positive person, in order to stay emotionally healthy. You need to take every
negative thought and turn it into a positive one.

3. Let go of the past.
Yes, I know this is easier said than done. Supporters, I know you’re probably saying to me, “But you don’t know what he/she has done to me!” But remember, I am a supporter, too! There’s plenty of hurt and other negative feelings I went through with my mother.
I just had to learn to let go of it, or I would still be suffering from those horrible memories, and still be lost in the past, instead of living a good present like I am. I had to make a decision to forgive my mother, as you need to make a decision to forgive your
loved one now. If you don’t, you will keep that resentment, and both of you will suffer.

4. Be respectful and responsible.
This is more for survivors. You need to own up to what you’ve done and said in your episodes, even if you don’t remember. Your loved one has remembered everything you’ve said and done, and is probably still feeling hurt and resentful about it, so you have to be respectful and responsible and do the right thing, and make up to them for it.

5. Have an attitude of gratitude.
Supporters, living in the world of bipolar disorder can get to you sometimes – you can get to feeling like it’s all that’s in your life. But it doesn’t have to be. Trade all the negatives of the disorder and what it has done to your loved one and your lives, and develop an
attitude of gratitude instead. Be grateful for every day that your loved one goes without an episode and make the most of those days. Be grateful for the smaller things as well.

6. Develop one or two friendships outside the one you have with your loved one.
This goes for both of you. Go to a support group meeting. Meet new people. Get out from the bipolar disorder that tends to overwhelm your life and isolate you. You need to have other relationships outside of just your own. You need to learn to talk about other things besides bipolar disorder.

7. Have some fun!
People who don’t have fun in their lives, especially people who have bipolar disorder, tend to become more depressed. This doesn’t have to be expensive, but just something that keeps your spirits high. I know a couple who have “Date Night” every Friday night, and sometimes all they do is go to the local mall and have a cheap dinner at the food court and watch the people! To them, this is fun. Other times, they just rent a movie, put covers on the floor, pop some popcorn, and snuggle together to watch the movie. And
both of them have bipolar disorder, by the way!

8. Remove yourself from hurtful or damaging (negative) situations.
For survivors, there are many situations that are negative, stressful, over-exciting/stimulating, and can trigger an episode for you. These are situations that you need to avoid. If you find yourself in one of these situations, you need to get out of
them right away.

9. Accept that life is all about choices.
Some choices are good, and some are bad. But they are YOUR choices. You need to learn to make good choices. The more good choices you make, the more emotionally healthy you will be, and the happier in the long run. If you make bad choices, there will
always be consequences to pay, and you don’t want that.

10. The future is up to YOU!
Have a plan for the future. Unfortunately, no one knows when your next episode will occur, although I have tried to teach you how to avoid episodes, how to watch for triggers, and how to manage your bipolar disorder. However, I have also told you
that you most likely will have another episode. That’s why I always tell you to have a safety plan in place for the next episode. You can make short term plans and long term plans for your future, and you should make plans just for yourselves that have nothing to do with bipolar disorder. Just make some kind of plans to have a healthy, happy, successful future – the future is up to YOU!

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave