Hi,

Have you ever thought about how things were in the beginning compared to how things are now?

I know how frustrating things can be sometimes, because I’m a supporter, too, but…

Sometimes it helps to think back to how helpless you felt back before your loved one was diagnosed and before you had any information on bipolar disorder to begin with. Then think of how much you’ve learned since then… and how much your loved one has, hopefully, also learned since then about how to manage his/her bipolar disorder. In the beginning, you knew nothing

about the disorder. All you knew was that your loved one just wasn’t “normal,” just wasn’t

“themselves.” But now you know so much more, don’t you?

Hopefully, you’ve done some research, gotten educated, read bipolar material, and at least I know you’ve been learning from these emails. Educating yourself is the main thing, as I know.

You have to learn as much as you can about the disorder in order to help your loved one.

It’s like you have this enemy that you’re fighting, and the enemy isn’t your loved one, it’s bipolar disorder. In any war, they tell you to know your enemy. in order to know your enemy, you have to know as much about your enemy as you can. So I encourage you, keep learning. Keep studying. Keep reading. Keep researching.

Never stop growing in knowledge, for the more you know, the better equipped you are to deal with the disorder and your loved one.

• Keep researching on the Internet

• Order BP Magazine or read it online

• Read books about it

• Visit your local library

• Research online articles or at your

Library periodicals section

• Go to your loved one’s bipolar

support group for f.ree literature

• Ask your loved one’s doctor for

f.ree pamphlets

Keep learning as much about bipolar disorder as you can, so you can stay in control of it instead of it in control of you and your loved one. Remember, knowledge is power! The more you know, the more in control you are. And the more you will be able to help your loved one.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave