Thanks for this wake-up call as I”m just coming out of a couple week slump and I believe this list will help not just me but many others out there that feel there is no hope as I think we all can come up with a pretty good list and let this be an eye opener for those in doubt.

Caught ya on this one. I have had to live in a tent, in a house without running water, let alone hot running water, in a house with no electric, and so on throughout all my life and I am grateful for the fact that I have never had to live on the streets like so many people do and grateful for what I have now, be it good or junk, mine or rented (all earthly belongings that will mean nothing when it is all said and done but make life easier when you are still alive) and I thank God frequently for what I do have in the here and now and I pray a lot for most everyone on this blog and I do pray for relief of this ever persistent depression. Some days are good for me and others I am so depressed I want to go to sleep and not wake up (not suicidal) just would like to not wake up. I look at my husband and see how far and fast downhill he is going due to our current living situations and I pray for God to give us some relief. I believe in the power of prayer but it seems like this particular Prayer is not going any where because every day is a little worse than the day before. I have known extreme pain so I can tell when I am happy. So Indeed a person can be depressed and have a positive outlook, grateful for all the stuff they have but have a hurting soul as well (Depression).

Its hard to be grateful when yor 40year old daughter acts like she hates you after supporting her for 40 years.She denies she has a mental disorder but instead thinks she is dying from a hormonal imbalance. She gets alot of her ungratefulness from her new friends on the internet. Too bad she can’t find you David.

Iam grateful for all,

BarbH.

I am grateful for having the basic good things in life and for the ability to recognise opportunities for improvement. After surviving some bad, scary, even life threatening experiences over the years I have learned to take nothing for granted. I say “thank you” when I find a penny in the street. I say “thank you” when a prayer has been answered. I am grateful for good friends, both human and animal. I am grateful to have found a loving man, although he is a challenge some of the time.

HELENM, how horrible to be without water and electricity. In the summer it would be bad enough and in the winter quite unbearable. We are currently having a really cold spell – blizzards and all, so I am very grateful for central heating. Is there no friend or relative you could stay with for a while? My heart goes out to you. I hope you will have everything sorted soon.

Dave – I AM grateful that I’m NOT in an episode right now. I say “right now,” because, as a person with bipolar, there’s no prediction that it won’t happen any time soon.

I AM grateful that Spring seems to be here in VA. All the beautiful trees and daffodils in bloom, help to boost my mood. I took a long ride to see my boyfriend an hour-and-a-half away on Friday, and it was the most cheerful thing I’ve done in a long time.

I AM grateful for my body, and I’ll tell you why. I went down there to see a charity soccer game between handicapped people in motorized wheelchairs play against Police and Firefighters who had to use the motorized vehicles. My boyfriend’s friend, Jon, had NO arms and NO legs, and all he had was a torso! I was amazed at his “attitude of gratitude.” It takes certain kinds of people to go out in public and play a game, and not feel like a “freak show.” I was amazed; there was one 5 yo kid in a wheelchair who made most of the goals! You can imagine that, after seeing the courage of these disabled men, women and children, I was MORE grateful that I had a COMPLETE body. It was a “profile in courage” for me, and I was humbled.

I hope the other people on your blog can find even simpler things to be grateful for. I thank God that bipolar is my ONLY disability.

BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. Please pray for me during this time of financial, physical, and emotional crisis. Thank you.

David,

Without gratitude I would not know what to value in life. I am grateful to be alive after seven suicide attempts over a number of years. I am grateful when I see a ray of sun coming through the window. I am grateful for my faith and family which keep me going. David, you should know, too, that I am grateful to you for doing your bipolar work. You have helped me so much since I discovered your site and bought some of your materials. Thank you David, for doing this. Gratitude is a wonderful feeling–it makes the world right, creates balance and helps us know how much we have to give thanks for. I hope everyone develops their ability to feel gratitude. It will change their lives. Dana

hey, i just wanted to state i think a person can still be grateful and still be depressed at the same time. i myself am one of those people. i have this bipolar disorder and i have what they call manic depressive disorder and i still have panic attacks ocassionally, well not as often as i once did. see, i do live alone and i don’t have any real support. i make it or i don’t. it is a day by day thing. one day at a time, that is the only way i know. that is what i tell any body about anything just about it.my children are now all married and have families of their own. none of them know how i suffer from my problems. whenever, they ask how i am i just say i’m fine i’m okay. even when really i’m not. i really feel like screaming inside, my whole world just feels so out of control. i have mentioned to them in the past when i feel bad sometimes due to health issues and i feel as if i should not even said anything at all. i really don’t want them to worry about me, they have enough taking care of their own households now. i guess it really doesn’t matter no how in some ways. they, were small children when i was diagnosed, they know of my suicide attempts of course from past years, i believe the last time i was in the hospital was back in 94. But, lately i have been going trough so much now, for so longnow i feel as if i am at my wits end there are times all i want to do is just shut myself off from everyone. they have been times i do get afraid i am just gonna lose control and go off and do something to myself again. this is a regular battle for me. i have done good considering the length of time it has been since, i was put in a hospital due to an attempt. believe me i get on an emotional roller coaster and seem to stay on it quiet often anymore. i don’t know where it’s gonna stop or end. i wish i had someone with me that did understand and that could help me on a day to day basis. but, in reality i don’t have anyone. any relationship i have had usually seems to suffer. no, one understands and/or seems not to want to understand. one person in particular when i try to tell them, usually says it is all in my head so to speak. that doesn’t help me at all , it actuaaly makes me feel even worse. oh, well, i really don’t know what else to really say i ha ve so much going on in my head and mind it is unreal. but, i do know i can be thankful for things i do have right now, but, i stay so depressed it isn’t funny at all. i can’t even keep my house clean. sometimes, i do consider , what you would say a bad alternative. (the suicide word)but, i try to go there, but, i always am afraid i will snap and do it. i wish the lord would help me in so many ways. i really hate being alone , alone. thanks!

Hi, Helenm and Sue!

Firstly to Helenm – I truly hope that your housing situation improves NOW, because I’ve always been subject to catching chills, even when I’ve got the Central Heating on. Martin says that I’ve got weak blood or water running through my veins, but I know that the constant present loss every two weeks through painful, heavy Periods and a side-effect of one of my medications, is causing me to take hot water bottles and my dogs to bed, on the nights that I won’t let him stay over. My heart goes out to you.

Sue, I really wish that I could cheer you up because I’ve attempted suicide three times, but looking back, I don’t think that I really meant to actually kill myself, just sleep away the bad feelings. (I still have the bad habit of occasionally ‘knocking myself out’ to sleep, as a way to cope when I’m feeling too tired or stressed, because I no longer use the ‘props’ of Alcohol or Cigarettes to relax me. (I’m not recommending that you use my method because it’s dangerous, but I CHOOSE to take the risk, as it’s MY body and MY life and I try to be very careful.)

No matter how lonely you’re feeling, you’ve got US lot to back you up! I know that my living in the U.K. isn’t quite the same as being a best pal or friendly neighbour, able to pop over to visit and help you out whenever, but I’ll keep checking the blogs and responding, if you want, as the next best thing.

I’m grateful for loads of things, but one of the most recent was helping out a Fox Cub, about five months old, obviously finding it hard to survive down ‘Penarth Marina’ near ‘Cardiff’, where all the millionnaire yachts are moored snugly next to each other! (The LAST place one would expect to see a Fox!) All I had in the car were plain biscuits and bread (as I couldn’t give it my Human Chocolate, because it’s poisonous to Mammals), which it slowly and gratefully ate. Two neighbours arrived, absolutely fascinated and promised to ‘adopt’ and feed her Cat Food, until she’s strong enough to move on to a more suitable habitat. I’m going back down there later with two bowls of food and fresh water, in case the people let her down.

Some people regard Foxes as ‘vermin’, but I believe that EVERYTHING has a RIGHT to live and the constant arrogance of the Human Race ‘deciding’ what lives or dies, constantly irks me.

I’ve just cleaned my large Fish Tank, so feel grateful that they’re extra happy with the cleaner water! See – “Little Things Please Little Minds!” (Joke!)

Well, I’m off to take the Dogs out, try and find the Fox, then feed the Ponies, because we’ve had snow AND thunder storms today, so I’ll be grateful if I don’t GET wet later.

Take care all,

Sue and all the animals. x

thanks, susie you seem to know where i’m coming from.i sort of try to make myself sleep things off occasionally. i know sometimes by doing that it can be dangerous, i know i take chances when i do that.i’m bad for doing that when i feel i am just on rock bottom, and there is no one to turn to. nothing seems to go right at all. sometimes, it seems the harder i try, the worse things get sometimes. no matter what i do. but, i seem to keep trying anyways even after i do shut myself off, from everyone from time to time. i sort of worry about going to far and really end it(not actually meaning to kill myself) but, i know it could happen. thing is i know pills are my down fall. i guess everyone that believes in the lord above just keep me in your prayers. thanks!

Hiya, All!

It DID occur to me, whilst driving home in the sleet, that Helenm was writing in the past tense, so I’m really pleased that you’re okay for warmth and shelter now. However, I still feel sorry for all those less fortunate than ourselves.

What weird weather Wales has had today – Snow; Thunder; Heavy Rain, Sleet AND Sunshine! I’m GRATEFUL that I didn’t get wet; bought some reduced food bargains to see me through the week (as since my fitness fanatic partner died of a heart attack five years ago, whilst playing the game of ‘Squash’, I hardly bother cooking and leave it to Martin to do on the weekends), picked up an identical Computer Chair, which I broke last Friday, for free off a nice man from a local Group, which saved me about £50.00 AND was heartened to see that the young Fox was being fed by the locals! (She was so much perkier today and trotted over to the two large bowls of food and water I left hidden by the hedge, so that the “snottier” people can’t complain about her presence. She’s also made friends with a pair of Magpies and a Crow!)

On the way back, I took my Dogs over to ‘Cosmeston Lakes’, which are a series of filled-in old quarries that act now as a protected Nature Reserve. They love it, especially my Border Collie, because the dirtier he gets, by jumping in the ditches and bogs, the better, as far as he’s concerned. Yet, he’s ‘allergic’ to clean water (like my greasy Mechanic partner Martin, who has a shower ONCE a YEAR, whether he needs it or not!!), unlike my soppy Doberman who hates getting the slightest bit wet, unless it’s via a perfumed bath, followed by a ‘blow-dry’ with a hair-dryer. (If it rains, he goes trotting up to strangers and “tells them tales” about how mean I am for taking him out in the bad weather.)

Twice a week they work as ‘Pets As Therapy Dogs’ over a local Hospital dealing with Amputees. The Patients look forward to petting them – animals are such good healers. I’m always grateful that I’ve got all my limbs, whenever I come back home after a visit.

I hope that anybody feeling down will find inner strength and hope to pull through the temporary mood – as it IS just that and in time will improve. Remembering this is the hardest thing to do.

I’m off to bed early to watch a Documentary. Take care all. Love,

Sue and all the animals. x

SUZANNE, When we see people with really bad disabilities like missing limbs etc. we are all grateful for what we have and our problems fade into the background. Like the famous quote: “I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet.”

SUSIE, What a lovely story about the fox cub. I lived in a semi-rural area for a while with a big garden often visited by foxes, badgers and a variety of wildlife. I still regret that I didn’t get any photos of them – didn’t have a digital camera then. However, I am happier living in a town with nightlife, shops and facilities. I have always had animals, mainly cats. What makes me flip over the edge more than anything is some people’s mindless cruelty to animals, especially blood sports.

I did not invent the term “try-sexual.” It was mentioned in one of my favourite tv series “Sex and the City.”

Things are beginning to look up slowly. I met my boyfriend in town walking his dog and we went for a coffee outside a cafe until I got frozen to the bone. He still doesn’t look too well but seems on the mend. I think it probably is some sort of mixed episode he is going through, as he is feeling down but is still very productive. I have never had that sort of mixed feeling and think it must be confusing. He has totally gone off alcohol for now, which is good, but the downside of it is that he smokes more. I hate smoke. He is still a bit touchy and wants everything his way. “If you really love me, you would let me smoke in your house.” I replied: “If you really love me, you wouldn’t inflict your smoke on me.” No reply to that – maybe he accepts it. There have been other times when he really wanted to give up the dreaded weed and has tried various methods, but never lasted more than a couple of days – just hasn’t had the willpower so far. I know an addiction is hard to just stop. It could be worse, like drugs, at least he is not (and never was) into that.

You and I have a few things in common. I hate being cold, especially indoors. I have low blood pressure, bad circulation and probably thin blood. Whenever I need a blood test they have a job and a half to get enough out of me. Periods are totally draining and I will be very grateful when I’m finished with them. An electric blanket is very useful. In the winter I have mine on every time I go to bed, with or without him.

Is chocolate really poisonous to mammals? My boyfriend’s dog loves chocolate biscuits. Humans are mammals (lol) and my two addictions are chocolate and coffee.

The weather here has been manic the last couple of days. Roll on summer!

His Susie and all who were concerned for me:
Thanks to all for your concern but I was, indeed, speaking of the past and I have had a lot of different experiences that has made me a stronger person today than I would have been without living as I have in the past. I truly apologize for causing anyone to think I am living without now. But I have no idea what the future holds (except my emphysema) and I may have to live without one or the other or all of the “comforts of life” again. But if I do I will be educated all ready as to what I have to do to survive it.

Hi Dave and all. I am grateful that I have electricity, and a computer, and that I can read your mails from time to time, and that I have someone who cares, that I don’t even know and leaves away, in another country, and that I am learning to be normal, with the illness and all.