Hi,

How’s it going? I hope you’re having a good day.

There’s a problem that affects a lot of people with bipolar disorder and their loved ones. So, I’m just warning you: DON’T FALL VICTIM TO A HIGH LIFESTYLE!

Once they become stable and high functioning, many people with bipolar disorder wind up being really successful. For example, they have started their own home business as an option to working outside the home, and it’s going real well.

They make lots of money (while those who are not as high functioning may still be battling financial troubles because of the economy and/or their high lifestyles.

But if they do become successful, some of these people start going to the extreme. The extreme is what I was talking about before – about buying lots of unnecessary things and living a high lifestyle, just because you have the money.

Then they have to cut back on whatever they did to make all the money, because the stress puts them back into a bipolar episode, and the cycle just continues on and on.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Sustaining this high lifestyle is too much, and not worth it. Especially in this economy, where everyone is having to cut back expenses wherever they can, just to try to live within their means. And so many people are having trouble with this, because the economy is really hurting them, and now they’re having to scramble to change their lifestyle.

You should cut back and downsize to a more simple life, like these people are having to do. De-stressing alone would be worth what you have to do to achieve it. Take a look at all your stuff and see what you really need (as opposed to what you really want).

Do you really need 300 stations on your TV? Many people are going down to just basic cable. Do you really need 3 cars? Or even 2 cars? Many people are even going down to ONE car! Do you need to eat out 8 times a month? This is where a lot of people spend their money. Not just eating out in a regular restaurant, but tons of money is spent on fast food. Try bringing food from home instead. And do need to buy all those expensive clothes? Or can you buy them at a thrift store?

I know this married couple, where both of them have bipolar disorder, and they both live on disability. They used to have high paying jobs, along with the pressure that came along with that, and they had all the trappings of it as well – the house, the car, the clothes, etc.

But both of them could not keep up that lifestyle, not just because of the bipolar disorder, but because the economy turned so much for the worst. And their high tower fell down.

They were both living month to month on just their disability, until I met them, and now one

of them works for me. But the point is, they have continued to live a very simple lifestyle.

AND THEY ARE HAPPIER THEN THEY WERE BEFORE!

It’s basically very simple. If you continue to live a high lifestyle, you will continue to have the high stress that that lifestyle brings into your life. And if you have bipolar disorder, that can cause you to have episodes. IS IT WORTH IT?

It’s your choice. You can give up the stress, and you can live a simpler lifestyle. You can still be successful without all the materialistic trappings. You can cut back to one car (or at least only 2). You can cut out eating fast food. You can cut out expensive dinners 8 times a month –

maybe just once a week, for a “date night” (which I’ve talked about before), and at a more reasonably priced restaurant.

And I bet you’ll be much happier for it.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave