With this blog, I want to keep all of you updated on important information about bipolar disorder and how it affects families. Here you can discuss effects of bipolar disorder, the risks of bipolar disorder, analyze some case studies and also can come to know about the treatments for bipolar disorder. Share with someone who has bipolar disorder today.
Hi,
What’s new? I hope you are doing well.
I wanted to tell you something before I headed off to the library (I am researching some new stuff).
If you are taking bipolar medications or have a loved one that is, there’s many things you probably don’t know.
Take a look at this new resource that I have:
https://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/knowaboutbpmeds/
Dave
Hi,
How are you doing today? I hope you’re good.
At one of the bipolar support groups that I attend, the other night, we were discussing how fighting bipolar disorder is like being in a war. There are two sides – it’s like an us against them: you and your loved one against their bipolar disorder. And you always have to remember who the good guys are: It you AND your loved one. And who your enemy is: The bipolar disorder. NOT your loved one. Although sometimes it may seem that way.
Because it’s your loved one who exhibits the bipolar behavior, it can be easy to see them as the
enemy, but you have to remember that it’s not them, it’s the disorder inside them that is the real enemy. Thinking this way will help you to keep your loved one separate from their disorder, and keep you on the same side in this war.
No war can be won without strategies and planning. So you have to have these two things for sure. You need to plan for what you’re going to do if your loved one does go into a bipolar episode, for example. That’s one thing. How your loved one is going to manage their bipolar disorder is part of your war strategy. How they manage their medication is one example. Like putting their pills in a weekly pill organizer.
Or how they manage their appointments. Do they have a monthly organizer? A monthly grease calendar that you keep on the refrigerator so you don’t forget? Where do you keep important phone numbers? Do you have a signed Medical Release of Information on file at each of your loved one’s doctor’s offices?
Do you have a current updated list of all your loved one’s medications with dosages and when they take them in a handy place in case they need to go to the hospital? Does your loved one keep a mood chart that notes their daily moods so that you can predict if they may be going into a possible bipolar episode?
Do they keep a journal in which they can write down their thoughts and feelings and help control their stress and anxiety? These are all proactive ways to fight the war against bipolar disorder. These are all effective strategies.
But there is one thing you need to be careful of. The C word. This one word can sabotage all these strategies against the war of bipolar disorder.
COMPLACENCY.
What is complacency?
Webster’s dictionary calls it a “…unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”
You can get into such a place where you don’t even realize that your loved one is in danger.
What good does it do you to know the signs and symptoms of a bipolar episode if you don’t realize that your loved one is exhibiting them, for example? Another way this can happen is if you get in the habit of making excuses. If, instead of noting that your loved one is depressed, for example, you just note that they are “tired.” Then you don’t do anything about it. This is dangerous, because then you can lose the war against bipolar disorder.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Hi, how are you doing? Hope you’re doing ok.
Today I want to talk about something we don’t usually think about, and that’s the GOOD that can come out of a bipolar episode.
I know, you’re probably sitting there right now thinking, “Dave’s really lost his mind this time!” But really, it’s true! Depending on how you look at it, there ARE some good things that can come out of a bipolar episode.
You just have to look at it objectively, which I know is really hard to do, but try it with me. Ok, let’s think about this as if you were someone else looking in on your situation. They might see two people, one of which is really sick. And they would see one of those people (the supporter) trying to help the other person. Well, that’s an admirable thing, isn’t it? A positive thing? Ok, see where I’m headed with this thing?
So, let’s try to think of a few more examples. A bipolar episode is a very heavy thing, and can sometimes go on for some time. So, by having to “live it,” it can the two of you closer together, just by having to “fight it out” together, by having to depend on each other.
A bipolar episode can also “weed out” bad friends – it’s a time when you really find out who your real friends are, isn’t it? You find out who you can really depend on, instead of just “fair-weather” friends who say they’ll be there for you, but aren’t there when it comes down to it.
One good thing about how one good thing about a bipolar episode is how it can force yourself to get more serious about your treatment, so that’s another good thing:
Another good thing about a bipolar episode is that it can show you where your treatment is failing you. It can help you see where maybe your medication needs to be adjusted, where maybe you weren’t seeing that before.
Mostly, what I’m trying to get you to see is that you can either have a negative view or a positive view toward the bipolar episode. Having a positive view, you can make the episode work FOR you, by examining it, and trying to look for the good points to it.
Face it, the episode may happen no matter what you do to try to stop it. You may as well put a positive spin to it. This is one way you can master the disorder instead of it mastering you, which is another good thing.
Another thing you can do is what I call a “Post Episode Analysis.” With this, once you or your loved one is out of the episode and is rational again, you sit down and talk about it.
What caused it? What could each of you have done differently? What can you do to prevent it from happening again? What can you do to keep the stress levels down? How can you work together for your loved one to maintain stability? Where do you need to work on your relationship? How can you improve things in your financial situation (which is a means of stress for many people with bipolar disorder and their supporters).
Is your communication working? How can you make your communication work better?
What I’m saying is to sit down after an episode and discuss these things (and any others that you can come up with) and how you can keep them from happening again.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Hi,
If you have a loved one with an addiction and bipolar disorder, there’s a resource for you.
Take a look:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/bipolaraddiction
Dave
Hi,
How’s it going? I hope you’re having a good day.
I’ll tell you right now that I’m not an artist. I know, I know, that probably surprises some of you. LOL But I’m a terrible artist. Now, my goddaughter, she’s the best fingerpainter around! Whether she grows up to be an artist, well, that remains to be seen. But she’ll be something great, I know (not a prejudiced bone in MY body!).
What I am great at is running www.bipolarcentral.com and helping people with bipolar disorder and their families. That’s what I’m best at doing.
You’re best at something, too, I’m sure. And I wouldn’t be best at doing what you do, any more than you would be best at what I do.
Everybody has their own “best.” Everybody is cut out for something.
My mom is best at talking to people on the phone. She amazes me. The way she can talk to people, like she’s known them her whole life! And the way they open up to her, like she’s their best friend!
But, like I said, everybody is best at something. And if you get to do what you’re best at doing, that’s when things really come together.
Being the supporter of a loved one with bipolar disorder, one of the things you need to do is to encourage them to do their best, to be their best (at whatever they are best at doing).
Why? Because they may be prone to depression, so a high self-esteem is crucial to fighting that off. And what better way to have a high self-esteem than to feel good about what you’re doing?
You feel good about what you’re doing when you’re doing what you’re best at doing.
Even people in big business know this. That’s why they now have these proficiency exams and personality exams that they give people even before they hire them. They understand that if you’re not happy at what you’re doing, well, you’re not going to stay an employee very long,
and they’ve just wasted a lot of time and money.
When you’re dealing with bipolar disorder, you want to be happy. So it’s the same principle.
Simple. Do what makes you happy. Do what you’re best at doing.
Maybe you’re the artist that I’m not! Or a writer… Or you like working with wood… Or with people… Or in the garden… Or making crafts… Or running your own business… Maybe you’re not even sure of what it is. You can make a list of what your interests are. Just brainstorm, and get some ideas, and go from there.
If you love to read, you might consider volunteering at the local library. If you love to shop, you might consider becoming a personal shopper or a mystery shopper. The important thing is that you do what you do best, and that you like what you do.
When you have bipolar disorder, it’s very important that you stay productive. It keeps you from becoming idle and depressed.
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/bipolarnews483/
Here are the news headlines:
Jail More Likely Than Treatment For Americans With Psychiatric Disorders
DO> This is terrible, don’t you think?
Dustin Damm Memorial Walk for Mental Illness
DO> Very inspirational article, take a look.
Psychiatrist Calls Many Docs ‘Pill Pushers’
DO> Do you agree with this?
Bipolar disorder: When you’re on Top of the World – and the Only Way is Down
DO> Good point, don’t you think?
Father’s presence at Home Helped Kids, Psychiatrist Says
DO> Another great article for you to review.
What can a Bipolar Person do to Handle Stress Better?
DO> Great tips, take a look.
For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews483/
==>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? I hope you’re having a good day.
I want you to think about a snowman. It doesn’t start off that big, does it? It starts off as a small snowball. Then you roll it and roll it and roll it and the next thing you know you’ve got this big ball that becomes a snowman.
Now, I’m not a liar. Why am I not a liar, and what does that have to do with snowballs and
snowmen?
I choose not to lie, because you start off with one small lie, and before you know it, you’re telling
other lies to cover up that one small lie and it all blossoms until you’ve got a huge lie going on, just like how that one little snowball becomes that great big snowman.
It’s the little things that make up the big things. But if they’re caught right in the beginning, they don’t have a chance to grow so big.
What does all this have to do with bipolar disorder? You need to take care of the little things.
Your loved one doesn’t just wake up one morning and all of a sudden they’re in a bipolar episode.
It just doesn’t happen that way, any more than a snowman just builds itself.
A bipolar episode is made up of a bunch of smaller things that happen over a period of time.
So let’s talk about that.
Let’s say that your loved one decides they don’t like taking their medication. They don’t want to take it any more. But they’ve heard the scare stories about what happens if you go off your medication completely. So they just take it sometimes, and not other times. They just start skipping some doses. Or they take some of their medication, but not others.
And let’s say that they start missing some of their appointments. They’re supposed to go to see their therapist every week. But they start going every 2 weeks. Then every 3 weeks.
And they’re supposed to go to see their psychiatrist every 2 months. But they skip an appointment. So now it’s been 4 months since they’ve seen their psychiatrist.
And they used to go to their bipolar support group every month. But they haven’t gone for the past few months. And they haven’t talked to anyone from the support group, either. Not like they used to. So they’ve been pretty isolated.
They don’t go out with any of their friends, either, which they used to do.
They basically just stay at home. And even at home they really don’t do much of anything.
They don’t even go to their volunteer job any more.
The phone calls stop coming.
They get more and more depressed.
Can you see how this has “snowballed?”
They didn’t just wake up depressed one day. It was made up of a lot of little things that
happened over time. But the next thing you know, they are in a bipolar depressive episode.
Can you see how easily this could happen?
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Hi,
How are you today? I hope you’re doing fine.
Let me ask you a question: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
I asked this question to a woman one time, and she said, “To give birth to twins, before they
gave you anesthetic!” LOL I certainly didn’t expect that answer!
I asked a man one time, and he told me it was to build his home with his bare hands. I thought that was admirable.
I’ve gotten answers such as:
• To watch my mother die slowly of breast cancer.
• To raise 3 children all by myself.
• To go back to college at age 35.
• To get divorced after 30 years of marriage.
• To forgive my husband for having an affair.
• To start my own business and make a success of it.
• To start over after having been homeless for 2 years.
Wow. Some pretty serious answers, don’t you think? But some pretty great success stories, too!
Some people have accomplished some pretty hard things!
And so I asked you: What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do?
Now, compare it to this.
This may not seem like much to you, but for someone with bipolar disorder…
Did you know that, in a bipolar depressive episode, the hardest thing for them to do sometimes
is just to get out of bed? It can be.
If you are a supporter to a loved one with bipolar disorder, you may have had to deal with this very situation. And it may have been hard for you to relate to. Because for you, getting out of bed may be no big deal. But when a person with the disorder is in a depressive episode, they can
feel so overwhelmed, that just the simple act of getting out of bed can be something that they just cannot face.
I know a woman who was in a bipolar depressive episode so severe one time that she spent an entire week in bed, so overcome with sadness and despair that she couldn’t even get out of that bed, no matter how much she knew that she should.
That’s how much an episode can take control of them. It can be very frustrating and disconcerting for a supporter to watch, when their loved one gets that bad. It can be very hard to understand as well, but it is part of the disorder.
Obviously, it is imperative that your loved one get out of bed, or they will just get worse. But how? Either they or you need to contact their doctor for help. If you can’t get them to see their doctor, you need to at least get hold of them on the phone and tell them what’s going on.
The doctor may be able to prescribe something over the phone or increase their medication so that they are able to improve and get out of bed. Bipolar depressive episodes, as bad as they can be, can pass, but not without help.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Hi,
How’s it going? I hope you’re doing well today.
I read a lot, mostly business magazines. And I read an article in one of them the other day about an entrepreneur who is very wealthy, a self-made millionaire.
Granted, self-made implies that he did it himself, but even self-made people have to have had some help along the way, wouldn’t you think? Nobody does it all by themselves.
But this guy was going on and on about how he did everything all by himself, that no one ever showed him even one little thing, nobody ever taught him anything, nobody ever helped him in any way, he did it ALL himself, etc., etc. And I was actually offended at all the pride that was just oozing out of this guy. He just took all the credit!
Didn’t even give his parents any credit for raising him or anything! I mean, usually even self-made millionaires give credit to their parents at least, you know? But he was just so full of himself!
I mean, I’ve worked all of my life, always had my own businesses, and I would say that I’m a self-made man too (but FAR from being a millionaire LOL). But I don’t go around bragging about how I’ve never gotten any help from a single sole, nobody’s ever done anything for me, etc., everything I’ve gotten I’ve gotten all by myself, etc.
I’m pretty honest about giving credit where credit is due and about how I’ve gotten good advice from other people, etc. I’ve had some pretty good role models, and that has helped as well.
I don’t think anyone can make it in this world all by themselves. Especially people who have bipolar disorder. In fact, some of the worst cases of bipolar disorder I’ve ever seen were people who tried to make it by themselves, without any kind of a support system.
I’ve had bipolar supporters talk to me about their loved ones and how they kind of shut them out of helping them and it’s not so much that it hurts them personally (the supporter) as much as it hurts them to see their loved one struggle when they don’t have to, because they have a supporter right there who is willing and wanting to help them.
It’s hard to watch your loved one wanting so much to make it on their own, knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way. And that they’re probably going to fail, because, like I said, some of the worst cases of bipolar disorder I’ve seen were people with the disorder who tried to make it on their own.
On the other hand, one of the most successful cases I know of is a couple where both of them
have bipolar disorder, and they are each other’s supporter. They are married, so they are around each other pretty much 24/7. They know each other so well, and each other’s signs and symptoms, so they can tell when the other one is “off” in any way, so there’s no telling how many episodes they’ve been able to avoid just by being vigilant.
They help each other. They talk to each other. But most importantly, they listen to each other.
If one tells the other that they’ve noticed a few signs or symptoms that might indicate that they
could be going into an episode and that they should go to the doctor, they listen, and they go.
They’ve learned from experience that a supporter can be invaluable in preventing bipolar episodes. They both remember how, before they got married, they didn’t have supporters, or a good support system, and went into many episodes, having to be hospitalized several times trying to make it on their own.
A good, strong support system is just invaluable when you’re trying to manage bipolar disorder.
If your loved one is giving you a hard time about helping them to manage their bipolar,
show them this blog. Show them the difference that having a good support system vs. trying to do it alone can make. They need to know that they cannot make it on their own.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Hi,
How’s it going? I hope you’re doing well today.
I read a lot, mostly business magazines. And I read an article in one of them the other day about an entrepreneur who is very wealthy, a self-made millionaire.
Granted, self-made implies that he did it himself, but even self-made people have to have had some help along the way, wouldn’t you think? Nobody does it all by themselves.
But this guy was going on and on about how he did everything all by himself, that no one ever showed him even one little thing, nobody ever taught him anything, nobody ever helped him in any way, he did it ALL himself, etc., etc. And I was actually offended at all the pride that was just oozing out of this guy. He just took all the credit!
Didn’t even give his parents any credit for raising him or anything! I mean, usually even self-made millionaires give credit to their parents at least, you know? But he was just so full of himself!
I mean, I’ve worked all of my life, always had my own businesses, and I would say that I’m a self-made man too (but FAR from being a millionaire LOL). But I don’t go around bragging about how I’ve never gotten any help from a single sole, nobody’s ever done anything for me, etc., everything I’ve gotten I’ve gotten all by myself, etc.
I’m pretty honest about giving credit where credit is due and about how I’ve gotten good advice from other people, etc. I’ve had some pretty good role models, and that has helped as well.
I don’t think anyone can make it in this world all by themselves. Especially people who have bipolar disorder. In fact, some of the worst cases of bipolar disorder I’ve ever seen were people who tried to make it by themselves, without any kind of a support system.
I’ve had bipolar supporters talk to me about their loved ones and how they kind of shut them out of helping them and it’s not so much that it hurts them personally (the supporter) as much as it hurts them to see their loved one struggle when they don’t have to, because they have a supporter right there who is willing and wanting to help them.
It’s hard to watch your loved one wanting so much to make it on their own, knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way. And that they’re probably going to fail, because, like I said, some of the worst cases of bipolar disorder I’ve seen were people with the disorder who tried to make it on their own.
On the other hand, one of the most successful cases I know of is a couple where both of them
have bipolar disorder, and they are each other’s supporter. They are married, so they are around each other pretty much 24/7. They know each other so well, and each other’s signs and symptoms, so they can tell when the other one is “off” in any way, so there’s no telling how many episodes they’ve been able to avoid just by being vigilant.
They help each other. They talk to each other. But most importantly, they listen to each other.
If one tells the other that they’ve noticed a few signs or symptoms that might indicate that they
could be going into an episode and that they should go to the doctor, they listen, and they go.
They’ve learned from experience that a supporter can be invaluable in preventing bipolar episodes. They both remember how, before they got married, they didn’t have supporters, or a good support system, and went into many episodes, having to be hospitalized several times trying to make it on their own.
A good, strong support system is just invaluable when you’re trying to manage bipolar disorder.
If your loved one is giving you a hard time about helping them to manage their bipolar,
show them this blog. Show them the difference that having a good support system vs. trying to do it alone can make. They need to know that they cannot make it on their own.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave