Bipolar Supporter Blog

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews486/

Here are the news headlines:

Breakthrough in treating Alzheimer’s and Bipolar Disorder
DO> Wow, what do you think of this?

Inflammation May Play Role in Bipolar Disorder
DO> Very interesting article, take a look.

Can a Person ‘discourage’ Bipolar Disorder?
DO> Hmm. What do you think of this?

Seasonal Affective Disorder: It’s Not Just for Winter Anymore
DO> This is so true…

Bipolar Recovery More Likely in Those Married, Better Educated
DO> Does this make sense to you?

Lithium Therapy Improvement By Reduction Of Its Toxicity
DO> Very interesting article, take a look

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews486/

==>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I knew of a person who had bipolar once who made a big mistake. And this was a common mistake, too. She took out a short-term loan, because she felt that she couldn’t wait until she got paid next. But then she wasn’t able to repay it.

Next thing you know, the company is trying to take it out of her bank account (which has no money in it.) That throws her into the negative with her bank account, but they still bounce it back and she still owes this company.

Then they threaten to sue her for the money. Can you see how it could get really ugly at this point? She should have never taken out the loan in the first place, because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to repay it.

But how many times do people who have bipolar disorder do this? They get in a problem financially because of their manic spending, and then they need a quick fix. Well, that quick fix isn’t so much of a fix if you aren’t able to pay it back.

Have you ever found yourself in that situation before? Maybe you have. Or maybe you’re considering taking out a loan in the future. If you are, make absolutely sure you will be able to pay it back. Otherwise, it could end up coming back to haunt you.

There are other things you can do to both prevent yourself from getting into one of those tight situations, and to handle it if you do. Preventing the situation is best.

This can be done by learning to control your manic spending, and by doing everything in your power to prevent future spending sprees. Sometimes this means taking drastic measures, like letting someone else have control of your money temporarily. Other times it just takes coping techniques.

Another thing you can do to prevent yourself from getting into those situations is to prioritize where your money needs to go. Obviously, important bills come first. Less important bills and food come second. Fun things come last.

I know, it sucks being an adult, doesn’t it? But prioritizing is a necessary part of life.

Here’s a trick I’ve learned that works for many people who have bipolar disorder to help them with finances: Pay the important things as soon as you get the money to do so. Don’t wait until it burns a hole in your pocket and you go out and spend it. This is called responsibility.

Now, if you haven’t followed this advice, and you find yourself in a tight situation, then there is a whole different set of things you should do.

To start off with, see if someone can help you without the requirement of you paying them back. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t pay them back, but at least if they are not expecting it then you won’t get penalized if it takes you a while to do so.

Another thing you can do that is at least a little better than going to a loan company is to take a loan out from a friend or family member. But if you do this, then once again, make sure you can pay them back, and in the time you agreed upon! In some ways this is even more important, because your relationship with that person might just depend on whether you pay them back.

I would suggest avoiding loans altogether if at all possible. What are your thoughts on this?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I heard a true story about a ridiculous situation this week. Apparently, there was this grandmother who was taking care of her grandson full-time. Her spouse had a long history of drug abuse, and even of drug dealing.

The grandmother was tired one morning and didn’t want to bother to take her grandson to school, so she asked her husband to do it for her. Well, the husband took their grandson to school, and then didn’t come back. She had to go on the bus to pick her grandson up from school later that day.

That night, the husband still didn’t show up. Two mornings later, at 4 o’clock in the morning, he calls her saying the car had been stolen. It almost makes me wonder if he didn’t sell it for drugs. Especially since he called her but didn’t bother to call the police about it.

But regardless of if he sold it or if he left it in a way that was irresponsible, I’m completely convinced that it was his fault that the car got stolen.

Now, the grandmother is left without a car, and still has to get her grandson to and from school, not to mention other errands. She should have never let him use the car in the first place – she should have known better with his history. But she wasn’t thinking very clearly at the time, and now she is paying the price for it.

How often do you do that same sort of thing? That is, how often do you put your future into someone else’s hands?

Did you know that no one else will care about your future as much as you do? It’s not their future to worry about. Some people, especially those close to you, will care to some extent, but it still won’t be as much as you do.

Plus, they are still human and have plenty of potential for failure. So they could end up messing up your whole life if you put your future into their hands. Yet people who have bipolar disorder do this all the time. They let their supporters do all of the work for them when it comes to their recovery.

They depend on their supporters for financial resources, because they have spent all of their own money. They focus too much on their desires of the moment to even worry about their future.

Are you like this? I hope not. But if you are, now is the time to change. You need to take charge of your own future, and do everything you can to secure it.

You will still need your supporters, after all, you can’t do everything. Even people who don’t have bipolar still need friends and family for this reason. But if you take charge of your own future, then you won’t be using them as a crutch any longer.

I know, it’s easy enough to use bipolar disorder as a reason to say you can’t. But the truth is, you can. If you are following your treatment plan and working towards recovery, then you can decide how you want your future to look and base your current actions on that.

But you have to be following your treatment plan first. So there’s your first step, and an idea of how to go about it after that. How can you implement a plan that will help secure your future to be the way you want it to be?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

How’s it going? I hope you’re doing ok today.

My friend told me this story the other day.

She was at this seminar for mental health in middle Tennessee. Well, you know they just had all that flooding there and everything. Well, this man had just lost his house to the flooding.

So he was up there at the front of the room and speaking to the crowd, and he was saying that he’s lost everything he’s owned before, but this is the first time it wasn’t to a woman!

Well, everyone laughed at that… But then, someone from the audience yelled, “No, it still was –

it was to Mother Nature!” So everyone laughed even more, even the speaker!

But here’s the point. Here was a man (who incidentally has bipolar disorder) who lost everything in the floods, and he was laughing about it! So this shows me that he also has found a way to survive his bipolar disorder and still laugh as well.

I encourage that. I think more people should laugh at their bipolar disorder. Or at least laugh with it. Laughing at bipolar disorder? I can hear you now. Some of you are probably pretty mad at me. You think I’m making fun of you. Or of the disorder. Not taking it seriously enough. Or not taking your situation seriously enough. I know, I’ve gotten hate mail over this before.

Some people say that I don’t take bipolar seriously enough, or give it enough credit. But that’s just not true. I’ve seen firsthand the devastation that bipolar disorder can bring upon a family.

That’s why I started www.bipolarcentral.com. That’s why I’ve written the courses and materials that I have, to help supporters help their loved ones with bipolar disorder to get stable. That’s why I’m so passionate about this cause. Because I DO know how serious it is!

But I also know that if you take it TOO seriously, ALL the time, it can lead to supporter burnout… And then where will you be?

I’m not saying NOT to take bipolar disorder seriously. Yes, take the disorder seriously – It IS a serious disorder. But not so seriously that it takes away your sense of humor. Having a sense of humor can be as important as taking your medication or attending support group meetings. It’s a tool. An important tool.

Even the Bible talks about it. It says that “Laughter doeth good like a medicine.” Laughter makes you feel better. Doesn’t it? When was the last time you felt down… And someone told you a good joke… And it made you laugh… Didn’t it make you feel better?

Laughter is a great stress reliever as well, just ask any therapist! All I’m saying is that if we can look at things a little less seriously, it can help.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

How are you today? I hope you’re doing well.

I know you probably think I’m crazy because of today’s title: Bipolar Disorder and Purple Elephants. But I’m not. Just hear me out. There is a lesson to be learned from purple elephants, really there is. Ok, here goes.

This guy comes up to me at the gym the other day and we start talking. Now, he has his own business and he’s pretty successful, so I have a tendency to listen to what he has to say, figuring he knows what he’s talking about when he talks about business. But he tells me he wants to teach me a life lesson.

Yep. That was my first thought. Uh-oh. Yeah, right. This guy is my age, right? What is he going to teach me about life?

So he says, “Don’t think about purple elephants.”

I thought, “What???”

He says, “No matter what I say or do, don’t think about purple elephants.”

He goes on, “Don’t think about purple elephants running through this gym, don’t think about purple elephants jumping over your head, don’t think about purple elephants crawling on the floor… just do NOT think about purple elephants at all!”

I’m thinking at this point that this guy is out of his mind, you know? But guess what I’m thinking about? You got it! Purple elephants!

And he’s just standing there staring at me. Doesn’t say a word, just stands there and stares at me.

Like, a whole minute goes by… And he’s staring at me… And I can’t stop thinking about purple

elephants.

So finally I give up. And I ask him to tell me what the thing is about purple elephants (and to wipe that smile off his face, by the way!)

He says that our subconscious mind has no filter on it. It lets everything in it, whether it is real or not. I told you NOT to think about purple elephants and no matter how much you tried not to think about them, you thought about them anyway!

Now, here’s the bipolar lesson I want you to take away from this.

In the purple elephant story, it seemed like I didn’t have any choice in how I reacted to the thoughts he “put in my mind” at all, though, did it?

Ah, but here’s the thing: I DID have a choice! I did NOT have to thing about purple elephants at all, did I? I could have made a CHOICE to think about something else. But it was like a trick was played on me, wasn’t it? Like I wasn’t expecting what he was doing to me. So my mind didn’t know how to react.

But if you know what’s coming, you can make a CHOICE in how you’re going to react. You can make good choices. I could have chosen to think about something else.

And the next time something negative comes against you, you can choose to think about something else, too – something positive!

It’s your choice.

Just do NOT think about purple elephants! LOL

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews485/

Here are the news headlines:

Greater Clinical Risk Following Rapid Antidepressant Withdrawal
DO> Great article, take a look.

The Recession’s Psychological Toll Hurts Workers, Companies
DO> Another very interesting article.

Meds and Mental Illness Discussed
DO> Hmm. What do you think of this?

Tracking the American Epidemic of Mental Illness – Part I
DO> Wow this is amazing.

Bipolar Disorder Misdiagnosed as Depression
DO> Great article and this is so true.

Pharma Influence on the American Psychiatric Association
DO> Do you agree or disagree?

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews485/

==>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of  bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

I once saw on a television show something that made me laugh so hard. They were asking some children a few questions. To one child, they asked: “What would you do if you were the President of the United States?” The child immediately replied: “Keep my mouth shut.” LOL

But, once you get done laughing about that, it’s a good thing that our country’s Presidents (current and past) have not thought that. The President, and anyone else in leadership, need to speak up. They were put into leadership because their opinion matters to other people, so it only makes sense that they should voice that opinion.

As bipolar supporters, the same thing goes for us. There are times that it is very important for us to speak up and give our opinions. Of course, it is better to know when these times are, and when it is better to just listen. Here are some clues about when you need to speak up, although these are certainly not the only times:

If your loved one’s medications aren’t working right, or if they are causing problems. If your loved one isn’t taking their medications or isn’t following their treatment plan. If your loved one is in an episode, or headed in that direction. If you notice any symptoms that your loved one has never shown before. If your loved one is making poor decisions.

See what I mean about times we need to speak up? If we don’t speak up during these crucial times, it may cause problems that we don’t want our loved ones to have to deal with.

Another thing to consider is who you need to speak up to. Sometimes the best person to talk to about these sorts of things is your loved one themselves. And sometimes, if it can be resolved that way, you may not even need to take it any further than that. Make sure you use your better judgment on that one, though.

Other times you will need to speak to their doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist about what you have noticed. I would encourage you at those times to let your loved one know that you are going to do so, if it is at all possible. It will make it easier in the long run, because that way they won’t feel like you have deceived them in any way.

Regardless of who you have to talk to, it is important to speak up. Don’t do as that little child suggested and keep your mouth shut. It may have been cute for the child to say that, but the consequences of actually doing it would not be so cute.

How about you? Have you ever had a time that you needed to speak up to protect your loved one’s health? How did you handle it? And will you handle it differently in the future?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, how’s it going? Hope you are doing well.

If you’ve paid any attention to anything lately, you know how bad the economy is. People are getting laid off, and it is hard to find a job. (Among other things.)

Well, I have a friend that was job-hunting. Obviously, not the best year to be job- hunting in, but his budget can’t wait from the recession to be over before having an income. So he did his best to get a job.

He dressed professionally. He brushed up on his interviewing skills. He kept good hygiene and had an appropriate hair style. He had an awesome resume and knew how to fill out applications.

Everyone told him that there were no jobs to be found, and that he was going to fail because of that. But he didn’t let it crush his hopes. It took weeks of diligently going out every morning to look and coming back in the evening.

But finally, he found a job. Those people who thought that he would fail? They couldn’t believe it! He succeeded against all odds.

Now what’s my point to this? You can succeed against all odds, too.

I’ve heard many people say that bipolar is untreatable. I’ve even heard people say that people with bipolar are destined for a life on public assistance. Fortunately, these people are wrong.

But in reality, there are some truths that are also unpleasant. For example, there is no cure to bipolar disorder. You may have to be on medications for the rest of your life in order to maintain stability. Even on medications, there is no guarantee that you won’t have a relapse.

These sound harsh, don’t they? If you think about only those things, without thinking about the other side of things, it can really bring a person down. BUT There is another side to things.

I’ve known people who have bipolar disorder that are stable and successful. In fact, I’ve known many people like that, and have heard of many more. You can be one of those people, too. Wouldn’t that be nice? 🙂

But there is one thing you have to do in order for this to be likely. You have to stick to your treatment plan. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Remember my friend who was job- hunting? Well, he would never have found that job if he went without showering, wore blue jeans, and didn’t know how to fill out an application or interview. He had to work at it to meet his goal and get a job against all odds.

In the same way, you have to work at it to get to the point that you can become stable against all odds. It is possible, but it takes work, too. Are you prepared to do what you need to?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews484/

Here are the news headlines:

Magellan Health Services Offers E-Courses for Providers, Consumers and Families
DO> Sounds like a good program potentially.

Uncovering Lithium’s Mode of Action
DO> Hmm. What do you think of this?

Seizure Drugs Vary in Strength of Link to Suicidal Behavior
DO> Very interesting article, take a look.

Fran Bradley: Mental Illness is Real, and it won’t Cure Itself
DO> This is totally true, don’t you think?

APA: Bipolar Patients May Be at Risk for High Blood Pressure
DO> GEEZE. Another thing to worry about, take a look.

Battling Cyclothymia
DO> Great article

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews484/

==>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi, I hope you’re having a good day today.

You know that I have several businesses that I run, so I have many employees. Many with mental disorders, as well. I even find that the people with mental disorders do better than those that don’t have a mental disorder. Isn’t that strange? I wonder why that is.

But anyone, bipolar or not, supporter or survivor, can understand the concept of earning something.

I had someone tell me once that you don’t get anything out of life unless you put something into it. I think that’s true.

Like, you can’t expect to get paid for doing work that you don’t do – that’s not honestly earning a

wage. It’s not fair to your employer. It’s not fair to the customers. And it isn’t even fair to you.

I have this one woman who works for me that is going on vacation. Why? Because she earned it. How? Well…

1. She shows up and is prepared to do her job.

2. Besides doing her day to day work, she takes on extra projects to help me.

3. She makes and meets both long- and short-term goals.

4. She looks for ways to improve things, like developing systems.

5. She is honest with me and tells me when she is having a bad bipolar day (in other words, her communication with me is good).

6. If something isn’t working, she changes it (both professionally, and personally, like with her bipolar disorder).

7. She is very productive, and good at her job.

8. She is stable – I can count on her.

9. She is a pleasant, friendly, and loyal employee.

10. She works very hard so that she is worth giving a vacation to.

So how does all this relate to bipolar disorder? Well, it’s like earning stability. You have to do certain things to earn it. For instance, if you work really hard at the things that can make you stable, you should expect that you will eventually get stable.

But remember my point about this woman being such a good employee because she takes care of things day to day? You need to do that with bipolar disorder, too. Take care of the days, and the weeks will take care of themselves.

Like my employee, you also need to do what’s required of you. Like taking your medications and seeing your doctor, psychiatrist and therapist. You need to make and meet long- and short-term goals as well.

You should be pleasant and friendly, with a good positive attitude toward getting stable. It really is like working at a regular job, isn’t it? But that’s what you have to do if you want to earn stability.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave