Hi,
How’s it going?
There’s one thing you can never stop doing when you’re dealing with bipolar disorder, and that’s LEARNING.
When your loved one was first diagnosed, you should have gotten your hands on every bit of information you could about bipolar disorder, learned everything you could about your loved one’s disorder (and they should have, too).
But then it’s too easy to fall into complacency after time goes by.
Maybe it’s been a long time.
Maybe you think you’ve learned all there is to learn about bipolar disorder.
But I warn you, that’s dangerous thinking.
Because there’s always new information coming out about the disorder.
And you should never stop learning.
I have all kinds of information in my courses/systems, and one of the things I stress the most is to never stop learning about bipolar disorder.
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
I have had some people who’ve worked for me who stopped learning, so they didn’t improve in their job. They just kept living off knowledge they had before.
So do you think they advanced in the company? No, they didn’t. Some of them didn’t even last in their jobs very long at all.
All because they stopped learning.
It’s the same with your doctors, psychiatrists and therapists.
How good do you think they would be if they just kept practicing just with the knowledge they already had about bipolar disorder?
What if they didn’t keep up on new techniques, if they didn’t read about the new advances and new research on the disorder?
Do you think they would be the best professionals for your loved one?
Now what about you?
Don’t you want to be the best supporter you can be?
Then don’t stop learning.
Keep reading up on bipolar disorder.
There is always new information on the internet.
I am always keeping up with the latest news, research and information on my website that you can get to real easy. That’s why it’s there – for you.
Remember –
Never stop learning about bipolar disorder.
FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials
David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.
Post responses below.
Hi Dave,
It was interesting reading your e-mail today as I had written myself a note to write to you with a question about this very topic! Learning. I have an eleven year old grandson with BP, ADHD, OCD, separation anxiety and you name it. I was wondering if there are any publications or resources geared for his age that he could use to learn a little about his disabilities. I’m afraid he isn’t maturing at a ‘normal’ rate and I am worried he will grow up and possibly be irresponsible taking care of himself when the time comes. I would love for him to be able to understand the utter importance of always taking his meds and having a therapist. If there are any good books geared for his age that might give him a better handle on all of this, I would love to know about it!
Thanks and also thanks for all you do Dave!
“Knowledge is Power!” How many times do we hear that, and just skim over it, saying, “I know ALL there is to know – there’s nothing new under the sun.” But how ridiculous that is! Having had bipolar disorder for 41 years (first diagnosed in 1968), I continue to read anything and EVERY THING about this illness, in order to prepare myself for the “worst.” Only by being vigilant in my discoveries and contributing to this blog, do I leave myself open to NEW things.
The CURRENT BIPOLAR NEWS is an EXCELLENT resource, and though there are several negative articles, they’re enough to “scare me straight!”
So, Dave – continue to enlighten us, both survivors AND supporters with your hard work and daily posts; we’re NEVER too old to LEARN!!
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
P.S. I’m going to make EVERY effort to listen to President-elect Obama’s Inaugural Address; it promises to be one of the GREATS!!
Thank you for your mails and assistance with this situation. I have mentioned to my wife that she should consider the possibility that she has bi polar but the conversation ended in the same way that it always does. Agro and verbal abuse.
She then realizes that she has a problem but this is short lived and we are back to square one.
It does not help that a soap in the UK currently show a personality with acute Bi Polar making the illness look worse than my wife has it so she resents me forever mentioning it.
I have tried to manage her but she feels then that I am controlling and “in her face”. I have decided to take the a back step to see how far it goes before she asks for help again.
Regards
Dave, I have to say that I thought that way when my son was first diagnosed with bi-polar. I thought that it was not as bad as it is, and that there was not a whole lot to know about it other then people have real bad mood swings… well I will be the first to admit that I should have learned more then. I now know so much more about it and had I learned it years ago, I would probably not be so far “behind” in the progress for my son. We probably would not be going through all the things that we now are. I want to tell people to learn learn and learn more. Thanks Dave, as you have made it possible for me to learn.. as well as many others…
Dear David,
When my mom had her first breakdown, over 50 years ago, no one knew what it was, and NO ONE talked about it. For us, it was the Elephant in the Living Room, that everyone pretended really wasn’t there. That must have been how people dealt with things back then.
As children we certainly didn’t understand what was happening and we did and have done many things just to survive and try to be functional adults, but we have many unhealthy learned patterns from those formative years.
With so many years going by without acknowledgement and discussion, mom thinks she is fine and resents our “good intentions” of getting her to accept things such as medications, and regular doctor (the right kind) visits. She refuses our attempts to discuss this disease and gets very protective of what she thinks is right. She is very stubborn and many have decided to just leave her alone. It is sad and frustrating, now that we have you and your information to learn from. Do you think there is any hope for us to reach her and have a “normal” relationship?
Thanks, D
Dear David,
Because of your desire to learn and contniue to learn about Bipolar you keep families together and people alive.
Thank You for being a tool of God’s and walking with Him everyday.
Have a Good Day!
sandie
i have 3 children with bipolor an instead of the children getting help im the one having to move all the time an put in jail because of them . my life has been destoryed . i had 22 years of this mess . i had to live two seperate lives my children cant be together as a family . their could be a book of me . i had to be on grad at night . ive had to go though windows to kept from being brun up in houses . ive come close to having a knife put in my back . an two of the children are self cutters . an when they dont get their way i go to jail . this is only a small pice of it what do i do . their only one of me
David,
Just to say you are right about always learning. I have a saying that “you learn something New every day, and they say its a bad day if you don’t”. I think this applies to anything.
At the moment I dont know if I’m slipping into another depression, but have a lot of stress going on at the minute, husband had to take a wage cut, which in turn tightens everything else in the house but you still have all your other bills coming in at the same as before.
Enough of that. what scares me most is i dont actually feel low but the head is racing, and although i feel tired and have cried (Not as bad as some times), i have this idea about having me affairs in order And this may sound weird, i dont know how to say this but death and dying is alot on my mind. Not planning anything or anything like that but i dont know why coz i dont feel that low in fact i feel calm.
I have a very sore eye at the minute its red with blood shot so i’m going to stop typing the computer is making it feel worst.
God Bless Amanda
Hey Dave I completely agree with there is nothing wrong with working too hard to achieve a goal and that you can never stop learning. My husband has never been techniquely diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and neither has my son, however they both show great signs of the disorder. My sister, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, my grandfather had all been diagnosed so although my son at 6, and my husband at 26 have not been medically diagnosed I’m pretty sure they have the disorder as well. Your emails everyday help me to understand my entire family so I apreciate it greatly and I have learned a great deal so keep working hard because I have told people your thoughts in your emails so I am sharing your words of wisdom as well I’m sure their are many others as well. Sincerely, Laura Mckinney
Dave,
Thank you for your hard work and determination to keep people informed and educated about this disorder. I am a supporter of my husband. He was diagnosed about 2 yrs ago, I asked him to leave after I couldn’t take any more of his episodes and he thinking that there wasn’t anything wrong with him, it was all me. I have been reading everything that you send and I have also sent your info to a few friends that believe their spouses are suffering from bipolar. I do know that living with a person with bipolar is an extremely hard place to be. My first husband was also diagnosed with bipolar, but only after our marriage had been completely destroyed by it. I must be a magnet. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I am greatful for your hard work and for your diligence on getting this information out to people.
Thank you so much!!!
Jodi
I love reading ur e-mails I have bipolar and I think you can constantly learn something new about this illness since so many more people are being diagnosed with it! My daughter read one of the e-mails you sent me and she looked at me and said “mom I have this do you think I do ?” As of this friday she might finally have a docter to tell her if she does or not! I know she does but a docter must say so! The one she first met didnt diagnose her just put her in the hospital against my will due to I didnt want her at the hospital that is the cause of her grandfathers death! I switched docters because the one she was given was nutty and put her on an antidepressant witch made my daughter shake non stop and she was incoheraunt and lost her ability to think! I took a straight A student and made her Dumb as she never has been!
I have found that with the internet, and so many other advances in technology, the more you learn, the more inner peace you will have. I remember back to grade school the statement a teacher of mine gave was, “every day is a learning experience.” So I must agree with you Dave that you can never learn too much.
Damon Monty, DC
Dave: You are entirely correct, a person should never ever stop learning. When people stop learning Progress also stops completely. Life is a constant learning process. I am concerned about the people that wrote to you today about there problems. They definitely need help and you are a great source of inspiration. Keep up thegood work. Your friend Chuck from Traverse City, Mich.
David
I have a 17 year old and I have been told by on pychologist he is ADHD and Bipolar and another said that he is not bipolar it is because he is using street drugs. My son seems to be more manic and an occassional depressed day. He refuses to take medication and I have just about had it. He is a real bully and antaganizes me to no end, will not follow rules. I have anxiety and I believe I am possibly ADD.
I have taken meds for ADD and anxiety but could not handle the meds for AADD because they make my heart beat fast. I wish I could get my son to take his precription drugs and not his street drugs we would do better. Thank Martha
Hey David… I totally agree with you. Just because people think they have found out everything they wanted to know about something doesn’t mean they know everything about it. When I was first diagnosed with bipolar I went to the library and found out as much as I could about it and when I got the internet at my place I did even more research on it. When I wasn’t doing research on bipolar, I was doing research on the different types of meds there were and how they were used and the reactions different people have had while taking the meds and so on.Then I started doing research on other things like personality disorders and so on. I am still learning new things even after all of the research I have done such as how to be a good supporter to yourself when you don’t have a family who lives in the same state as you do or even cares for that matter and don’t have many friends that actually believe you have bipolar disorder and shrug it off as if it was yesterdays news. I have managed to finally make a couple of friends who do try to support me when they are able and I have begun going to different groups of which I have found to be interesting. My dog is very supporting at times when I need it the most he is there. He is so smart. Reminds me when its time for my meds and is there when I am depressed or extremely anxious or anything else I may be having a problem with…he doesn’t leave my side when I need him there. So I could say that my dog has been one of my bigger supports even though he doesn’t talk. I would like to some day get him certified as a PSD (psychiatric service dog) I have just begun research on it and have found that there really isn’t a “certification” for them really. But they do exist and I have read of one dog that has been certified. I think it was in October 2008, so I have not given up on mine possibly getting certified. Ok well I totally got off track here so I will end this.
regardless of having been with my ex-partner (wonderful to write it that way) and going to college for a grad degree in psychology, i still know very little about bpd, and now a question for me is do i want to know any more than what it is that i’m exposed to? as a supporter i’ve clothed her, fed her, provided a roof over her head; did a whole bunch of knuckleheaded stuff that enabled her while almost destroying myself financially. her response? manipulation, substance abuse, harsh judgements, entitlement, suspicion and hyper vigilence concerning my fidelity, cognitive disonance etc, etc. all of this before and after her latest episode (which was bad enough). i’ve waited a long time for things to settle down, so to speak, and they never did. she treated strangers and friends like gold and me like shit. while pretty much keeping much of her issues in check outside of the home, she used me as her bitch when it came to the litany of crazy making moments that she worked herself into. she accused me of not knowing anything about bpd, and for the most part i agree. but then she demonstrates a total lack of insight as she continually acts and thinks in the same way as she has for years and expecting productive results and outcomes. so, i say goodbye to her and good luck, which may sound harsh but i am no longer going to expose myself to someone demonstrating a complete lack of respect for me, my welfare and my home.
Hi, Dave…. First of all I want to say Thank You for all that you do for your Mother and all of us who deal with this Illness Bi-Polar,Manic depressive,all Mental Illness’es….I was reading your e-mail today and I’ll just tell you I know myself I have to keep learning, thats what makes me, Me!!! If I didn’t I’m not sure where I would be today, besides my med’s and therepy, and truley My Husband for “getting Me”….My Children all are affected by me having this Illnes, also they all have some sort of Mental Illness’es there dealing with….I just hope & pray they never quit learning about this, Because we are affected by this EVERYDAY for the rest of our lives!I will say one thing My kids, well I have learned sooo much by them,I hope they have learned by me…
Well so I don’t get off track,I want to say thank’s again for all the Information you give To the Mental Illness that we deal with on a daily basis…
My friend Dave Keep up the good work and God Bless you & your’s…
Your friend Tami
“2009”
I agree with your email… I ve been reading on mental disorders, this one especially… But psychology in general really facinates me… The brain is so peculiar, yet so complex, and simple… Really its tracking your moods, learning to have the eyes to see and ears to hear, yourself and other… Listening to your intuition, about something that doesnt feel right but going for it anyway, no matter what… ITs hard to know if its insecurities, fears, or just another moodswing… Also the common mistake the mental health profession makes, is a wrong diagnosis… I might be one of those cases… I was diagnosed biplolar, tried to self medicate, which didnt help matters, and later was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which have similar characteristics, that may mimic biploar… It is a common mistake that is made… Psychotherapy helps alot… I just wanted to say thank you I read everything you send and this is my first post… I will look forward to your emails… keep up the good work, cause no one else is…Sincerely Octavia
Hi Dave,
Thank you for bringing up this important issue! I only have medi-cal for my 13 y.o. daughter as I am living on Soc. Sec. Disability for a severe chronic pain illness. (and yes, I do voluntary work and stay busy and useful-feeling. My family refuses to believe in either mine or her disorders. I have provided them with plenty of info for both, they still deny both, most probably because of the possible genetic link: if WE have these things, THEY might have them too, so they prefer purposeful ignorance, or even that I’m lying rather than face the truth. Also, my youngest brother is a drug rep from a company I shall not name. Since he can read a PDR, he seems to feel he knows much more than doctors or pharmacists.His silly opinions were just that until my daughter became temporarily out of control while trying to find the proper meds. Because of our insurance, her psychiatrist and her psycologist felt having her arrested for injuring me would be the only way to get her into adequate treatment. Unfortunately, the judge refused any info or records on her condition, and decided it might go away if he gave her a temp placement with a family member. You guessed it–my younger brother, the self-proclaimed expert. They are finally going to put her in a regular placement with mental health treatment, but the 4 months he has had her off her medications plus his claim that my condition doesn’t exist and I must be addicted to pain medication has actually set her further back mentally than she was, and I will have to get a lawyer (pro bono, anyone?)to subpeana both her and my doctors to get her treatment and to bring her home ASAP. Ignorance about yours or your loved one’s conditions is not only irresponsible but dangerous and painful to both my daughter and I in this case. If anyone knows of a lawyer who will help us in the Stockton, CA area, please have them contact Rose (my nickname) Leary at (209)298-8484. Thanks, Dave, and keep up the good work!
Hi Dave,
This article really got to me. I am bipolar and whenever I can I read up on the disese and learn about it. It is with learning about it I have “grown” to accept it and deal with it.
I work part time and right now I am working on educating the public on wellness. It gets me so mad when I have a consumer come up to me when I say to them “we are talking about this or that today and would you like to learn more about it?” and their response is “I know all about this or that.” I know they don’t because there is always new information comming out about all kinds of diseses. I have to bite my tounge to be polite to them. My theory is you are never ever too lod to learn something new.
I’m working at a front desk of a rather larde company,and have to work with money, and large sums of it, doesn’t matter how large or small the amount I considder myself to be a huge risk for the company at the moment. I am very forgetfull and sometimes do things I can not remember later. I feel like a TOTAL IDIOT. I have just been diagnosed and started medication, I am so very disheartened because I feel like a idiot that make silly mistakes and just cause other to correct my mistakes. That said, I guess I have loads to learn about how to live with this and how to survive.
I feewl so alone and vulnerable at the moment. How do I cope??
Hi Dave
It is obvious that you have researched bi-polar disease and can help a lot of us understand more about it. I certainly want to learn any new information I can. My daughter was diagnosed with bp four years ago. Her medication helps but sometimes she won’t take her medicine. She is in college and I worry each time she has an episode that she will drink too much or put herself into a dangerous situation with guys. As you continue your research,I hope you find a way to help parents keep their kids safe during these episodes like(what to say or not to say) ( what to do or not to do). Sometimes we as caregivers feel helpless, especially those of us not close enough to check on our children during episodes. Any new ideas are greatly appreciated!
i love reading your stories and information.i learn alot about it but can you tell me the symptoms of bipolar disorder so i can be sure i have it? My dr. Says i do but i’m not sure.i’m on medications so i don’t see no episodes.please get back to me on this.thank you!