==>>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==
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for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
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Hi,
How are you?
I hope you are doing well.
I have a very important bipolar lesson
to tell you about today.
It all started yesterday. Let me tell
you the story.
I have so many friends that are overweight.
It’s a gigantic problem in the USA. I actually
think it’s way bigger than mental illness.
Think about it. Look around. There are so
many people overweight it’s amazing.
Anyway, I have this friend that I was
talking to yesterday. This person gained
a ton of weight. A ton. Like 80
pounds. It’s amazing. Very strange.
This is NOT because of a medical condition
in case you are wondering.
She was complaining to me telling
me how she was really, really annoyed
that she started her weight loss program
and hadn’t lost any weight.
She asked me for advice.
I actually have a system for losing
weight. I lost over 60 pounds and
have done so for 9 years. I haven’t
gained it back.
Very few people can do this. Am I special?
NO. I had a system. I invented it. I did
the same thing that I did when my mom
was in a bipolar episode. I went around and did a ton
of research to figure out how to lose
weight and keep it off.
Anyway, this isn’t about weight loss,
it’s about bipolar disorder.
I asked her when she started the weight
loss program. She said, “two weeks ago.”
I then asked questions like:
How much did you weigh 10 years ago?
How much did you weigh 5 years ago?
How much did you weigh 1 year ago?
What do you eat?
Why do you think you gained so much weigh?
How much exercise did you do in the last year on
a weekly basis?
How much water do you drink?
What kind of nutritional supplements do you take?
And a bunch of other questions like this.
Then after she answered I said,
“Do you swear you told the whole truth
nothing but the truth so help you God?”
She laughed. I said, “well did you?” She
put her hand up and said “YES.” I say
this because, you know people lie with
answers 🙂
Anyway it was so obvious to me what the
problem was and it totally relates to
bipolar disorder.
Here’s the deal. She actually started her
new weight loss program 10 days ago not
two weeks. She lost 3 pounds. It took
her 5 years to gain 80 pounds. In the
last year, she eat terribly, took no
supplements, didn’t exercise and basically
did everything wrong. She had really bad
habits.
She also believed that she should lose
the weight in a few months. She said, “two
would be good.”
BIPOLAR LESSON COMING UP
The first thing that I told her
is that success with losing weight start
with your mindset and understanding
one concept.
You didn’t put it on in a few days and
you will NOT and I repeat will NOT take
it off in a few days or few months.
Lose 80 pounds in two months when it took
you five years to put it on? How does that
compute?
She lost 3 pounds in 10 days and was “disappointed.”
I hear the same thing will bipolar disorder.
A person have a disaster of a life. Lost
friends. No job. Tons of de.bt, etc.
He/she has been self medicating. Hasn’t seen
a doctor regularly. Hasn’t seen a therapist
at all. Has been doing this for 5 to 10 years.
Finally older age hits. He/she turns like 40
and is disgusted. Wants to turn things around.
He/she comes to me: “Hey I want to go
to the doctor now and fix all this stuff.
I swear I will follow what the doctor says.”
The person gets on medication in two weeks,
they talk to me all mad. The medications make them
feel bad. They have bill collectors. Their family
won’t return their calls. They can’t find a
good job. It’s not fair they tell me.
There mad as heck for me telling them
he/she can do well.
I explain to the person. It took years to
create a disaster of a life and it’s going to
take time, probably not years, but a fair amount of
time to fix it all. I tell the person to hang in
there.
I coach them.
This is a true story. Actually the other day.
And it’s happen to me over and over and over
again.
Some people get it. Some don’t and stop
trying out of frustration.
Let’s look at my mom, I can say by January
she would have effectively erased 95% of
the problems she created in her life from
bipolar disorder in about 3 years.
You might be thinking “OH MY! That’s a long
time.” Well, here’s the deal. She became somewhat
stable in 3 months, totally stable in like 9
months. Was working again in 12 months. She
is going to make her last payment for her d.ebt
in January and that would be about 3 years.
BUT think about it, she has been doing the wrong
stuff for like 20 years. So it took her 3 years to
fix 20+ years of bipolar problems. Kind of logical right?
What wouldn’t be logical is it taking 2 weeks
to fix 20 years of problems, right?
You can short cut things for sure by getting
resources. Learning from others. Getting things
like my courses/systems below:
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 am not giving you a sales pitch but it’s obviously
true and logical. If you get information from someone
who has been there and done that so to speak, you
will short cut your learning curve. It’s just
common sense.
BUT no matter what, even if you get my material
and have a person one on one mentor, it’s going to
take time to turn things around. Will it take 5 to 20
years? If you are a good student, and can follow along,
no.
The bottom line is, don’t have unrealistic expectations.
We are actually heading into weight loss “season” so
to speak and that’s when everyone starts thinking about
diets, losing weight and being thin for the new year.
This why I brought this up.
Anyway, I have to take off. Catch you tomorrow.
Have a great day.
Your Friend,
Dave
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp
P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
I have been diagnosed w/bipolar disorder for a year now. Your email today caught my attention about the weight gain- but did you know, sometimes the medications for bipolar can cause weight gain? it has for me. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
I looked at your questions you asked your friend, and answered them. I haven’t tried my best w/ weight loss. I keep saying this to myself ‘If if stop having mood swings,stress,panic attacks and money worries, I’ll concentrate on weight loss’
My weight gain (I have gained 60 lbs in the last year, that is an honest answer, you can check my closet for the clothes sizes if you want) is a part of the cause of my depression, I think. But yet, I refuse to help myself. I won’t even bring it up with my therapist. I think of it as a punishment for being ‘crazy’. I cut myself off from people, fun, life in general, because of my weight. I take my meds as prescribed, but it doesn’t help w/ emotional eating.
I hate being bipolar, but i really do like reading your emails and blogs.
I forgot to mention I was also told I have PTSD, so that probably has something to do w/ the emotional eating.
Anyway, I asked my DR if we could change my meds, and he said no. I told him I didn’t feel as though they were working well anymore, and he told me, if I don’t feel better w/ them, I’ll have to go back to the hospital. Some people told me I should find a different psychiatrist, but it’s hard.
Of course it’s illogical to think that you can un-do bad habits or letting yourself go over a period of years in just a few short months! I agree that you HAVE to be honest with YOURSELF as to how long it will take to get “back on track” as it were.
I don’t go into a manic episode “overnight.” When it hits through hypomania, I have the euphoric, delusional feelings/thinking for a few MONTHS, not overnight. They creep up on me; first one good thing happens, then the whole “ball of wax,” and I segue into a manic episode. How can I expect to “get well” immediately?
The first step is hospitalization, where they can regulate my meds and get me stabilized. This takes anywhere from 2 months-5 months. There is no such thing as a “quick fix” when you “go off.” And once you get OUT of the hospital, there remains a loooong period of recovery, where your med adjustment, and your MIND adjustment take time to heal. It’s usually a period of a YEAR before I can get back to feeling “normal” again.
Yes, there is an inordinate amount of overweight people here in the U.S., while people are starving in other parts of the world. We have it ALL here; fast food, snacks, etc., that make us feel good. We pack on the pounds, and wonder why it takes us so looong to lose the excess…
GREAT email today, Dave. It made me THINK.
Another thing – I have paid my $250for a month’s worth of coaching, and haven’t heard from you. Could you please let me know if this “life coaching” thing is legit?
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love them. My prayers are with you.
To BECKY: FIND ANOTHER ANALYST!! Any doctor who won’t work with you with your meds OR your weight gain, is NOT a good doctor for you. Yes, you’re going to have significant weight gain with SOME of the meds, but you CAN take control of your stress eating.
I KNOW how hard it is NOT to use food as “comfort.” I eat way too much junk food, but am trying to limit it. I weighed 115 lbs (I’m 5’9″) for two years on Zyprexa, then the doctor switched me to Seroquel, and I gained 27 pounds! I’ve lost 4 of them, but with the Holidays coming up, it will be doubly hard to lose the weight. I suggest you TRY to take smaller portions of food, or have 3-4 small meals during the day. Sometimes this has worked for me. However, I usually just skip lunch!
Best of luck to you. There are some BAD doctors out there who just see you for what they charge for an office visit. THAT kind, you don’t need. There are some GOOD doctors out there who DO care; I wish you luck in finding one of those!
I’m praying for you, and hope you can find an answer to your problems. Depression is NOT a good place to be…
Suzanne,
I was on seroquel too- for about 6 months. It worked great, but the weight gain was awful. I”m on depakote, now, among other things.
I’m so nervous to find another dr. I see this guy on the 10th, and if I don’t get anywhere w/ him- i guess I won’t have a choice.
I have children to raise, I can’t keep living like this.
Thank you for your kind words. They helped me.
I would really like to hear from anyone about side effects from seroquel. My husband takes it. He only says it makes him sleepy. He was alseep in 10 minutes. Has anyone ever heard of it perscibed for someone with only depression?
Hi.
There are two stories I want to tell you .
1.The women who was bipolar disorder recovered by using hotels in overseas.
His husband paid much money for their service for getting her smile again, though.
2.By becoming magazine model .
Do you read magazine?
Some people were taken smile picture as magazin’s model.
They also recover from sick.
Because they was aware theirselves how good with picture .
The point is making smile.
Why don’t you take photo with their smile??
Maybe 2nd methods is cheeper.
Or How abouy you all publish magazines?
Then each person can be model.
Smile pic is essential.