Bipolar Supporter Blog

Hi,

If you need helping explaining bipolar disorder to others, please visit:

http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/explainingbipolar

Dave

Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews482/

Here are the news headlines:

Norfolk Woman’s Battle against Stigma of Bipolar Disorder
DO> VERY inspiring article

Winners of CAMH awards Provide Profiles in Courage
DO> Another inspiring article

Five Myths About a Bipolar Diagnosis
DO> Great article, take a look.

Trio conquers North Pole for Bipolar
DO> What do you think of this?

Bipolar Irritability: Often Overlooked and Underestimated
DO> I totally agree, do you?

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews482/

==>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 are you doing today? I hope your day is going well.

Let me ask you a few things:

If you don’t pay your power bill, can you just assume that your electricity will stay on?

If you don’t pay your water bill, can you just assume that when you turn on your tap that water will magically come out of the spout?

If you don’t make your car payment, can you just assume that they’ll let you keep driving that car indefinitely?

If you don’t make needed repairs on your home as they come up, can you just assume that your house will still be standing ten years from now?

If you don’t pay your bills, can you just assume that somehow they’ll get paid?

No.

If you don’t take care of these things, they just won’t get done, will they?

You can’t just assume when it comes to important things. You have responsibilities, and you have to take care of things, or no one else will.

Well, it’s the same with bipolar disorder. You are a bipolar supporter, and there are some things you just can’t assume. Just like with your bills, assuming that if you don’t pay them, that somehow they’ll magically be paid… You can’t assume that without your help that your loved one will magically get better. Your loved one needs your help.

Take, for example, their medication. You can’t just assume that they’re taking it all the time, as prescribed. You may not like this, but it might be a good idea to check up on them.

I know a man who just assumed his mom was taking her medications because he saw her pill bottles at her bedside, so he thought she had a system. Again, he just assumed. Until he looked closer. And he noticed that one of the bottles had too many pills in it for the date on the bottle.

It turns out that she had just been “forgetting” to take that medication.

Upon closer inspection of all her medications, the son found out that she had no system at all, so they worked one out.

You also can’t just assume that your loved one is going to all their doctor, psychiatrist and

therapist appointments, even if you see them marked on a calendar. You may want to call these people and follow-up to see if these appointments have been kept. You may even need to attend some of these sessions with them to make sure they are going.

You also need to keep a close watch on your loved one’s signs and symptoms. You can’t just assume that because they are “quiet” one day that nothing is really wrong. Check with them.

Talk to them. Do a feelings check to make sure that they are not feeling depressed.

If you do this when they first show signs of it, you may be able to avoid them going into a full-blown bipolar depressive episode.

Or if you notice that they seem to be “talkative,” or showing more energy than usual, it’s the same thing. Talk to them about it. It may be the early signs of a bipolar manic episode.

Keep tabs on their spending habits as well, as this can be another sign of a manic episode.

It can’t hurt to take a look at the credit card statements and the checking account register too. Just to be sure.

Remember that when it comes to bipolar disorder, just like with your bills, you can’t just assume.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

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

I saw a cartoon the other day and the last frame of it showed two dogs looking up at a scarecrow with a bird on top of it that was saying: “All our fears are made of straw.” I thought (especially for a comic) that was pretty profound when I thought about it.

So many people are paralyzed by their fears. In fact, there are whole mental disorders based on fear, like phobias and anxiety disorders. And for people who have them, they can be paralyzing, and awful to have to live with. They even have to alter their lives and their plans to work around their fears. I’m not just talking about fear of spiders or snakes. I’m talking about fear of going out of the house, or fear of being around people, or something called Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder. These people live with anxiety and panic every day, in situations that you and I live with normally.

Well, people with bipolar disorder live with fear as well. Like the fear that comes with stigma.

That’s the fear of being different, or “less than,” or “not good enough.” Many people with mental illness feel that way.

But people with bipolar disorder have distinctive fears.

Such as:

• Fear of being someplace and going into an episode

This is a very real fear for many people with bipolar disorder. In fact, many will not even make any plans because of it. Even if they’ve been stable for awhile, they are still afraid that they might be someplace and lose control, going into an episode.

• Fear of medication

Some people have heard scare stories from others about how bad medication was for them, and they listen to them, fearing that the same thing will happen to them. Mostly, they fear the side effects, which can sometimes be pretty bad, but in reality can usually be controlled. Still, they are afraid.

• Fear of losing control

Some people, even if they are stable, are still afraid of losing control. They may have been stable in the past and then been in a situation where they were triggered and lost control, so now they are afraid of it. For example, they may have been triggered and started talking fast and a lot in a social situation and got very embarrassed, and now they are afraid that it will happen again.

• Fear of being hospitalized

I know a woman who was so afraid of being hospitalized that she wouldn’t even go to the doctor. She was afraid that if they “locked her up,” she would “never get out again.” She ended up going into a terrible episode and had to be involuntarily hospitalized by her husband.

• Fear of other people finding out that they have bipolar disorder

Some people are so afraid of the stigma against mental illness in general and bipolar disorder in specific, that they are afraid of anyone finding out that they have the disorder. They go to great lengths to keep their disorder hidden from other people, even if they are experiencing signs and symptoms of an impending episode. For example, they will use sick days from work to hide them.

Some of these fears may not seem so bad to you, but to the people that have them, they are very

real, and very frightening. Even though you and I know that “bipolar fears are made of straw” and cannot hurt them, people with bipolar disorder hold onto their fears. The only way they can get rid of their fears is by support and counseling (therapy). The more stable they get, the more they will see that their fears are unfounded.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

How’s it going for you today? I hope it’s a good day.

I have to tell you, I am not a car mechanic (no big surprise, huh? LOL) But I do practice good car preventative maintenance. I get my oil changed regularly. I flush the gas lines. I rotate the tires. I keep up the fluids. Now, do I like doing these things? Not especially. But do I like the alternative? Definitely not.

I’d hate to have my car overheat on the side of the highway on a really hot day just because I ran out of fluid. So I do it for good car preventative maintenance. It’s the right thing to do.

Well, it’s the same with bipolar disorder. You have to practice good preventative maintenance with bipolar disorder too, in order to stay stable.

So let’s talk about one of the types of preventative maintenance of bipolar disorder: Medication.

You don’t take medication in the middle of a crisis, right in the middle of a bipolar episode, and expect it to instantly stop the episode. You take it regularly, on a daily basis, to prevent the episode in the first place. That way it keeps you stable, on an even keel.

Just like a diabetic takes insulin on a daily basis to keep their sugar regulated, and doesn’t wait until they’re in the middle of a crisis to do it.

Another part of preventative maintenance for bipolar disorder is: A Psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist helps you control your disorder through management of your medications and the side effects from them, if necessary. This they do on a regular basis, so things don’t get out of hand – again, you wouldn’t go to see them in the middle of a crisis. You see them for regular appointments, when they can do the most good.

They can adjust medication dosages, change or add or delete medications, etc. They can watch and see how medications are affecting you.

Another part of bipolar preventative maintenance is: A Therapist.

The therapist works with you on a regular weekly or bi-weekly basis to help you deal with the issues surrounding having bipolar disorder. This helps you, for instance, to manage the stress and anxiety that you might have to face on a daily basis with your disorder.

You can learn skills, like anger management, stress management, and time management, among others.

Another part of bipolar preventative maintenance is: A Doctor (Family Physician).

A Doctor helps you by attending to your physical body and any other illnesses besides your bipolar disorder, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. They will also do routine blood work for your bipolar medications, check liver function, etc.

Another part of bipolar preventative maintenance is: Bipolar Support Group.

Going to a bipolar support group helps you get feedback from other people as to how you are doing with your disorder. It’s great for both supporters and survivors.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

I have some good news. I have been talking to many people about the current economic times as related to bipolar disorder.

I know people are having some trouble related to bills and debt from bipolar disorder.

I decided to start publishing totally FREE articles on all aspects of debt and bipolar disorder.

Here are the first set of the new articles. I am working on 80 more. They will be up next month.

Please take a look by visiting the site below:

http://www.bipolarcentral.com/articles/categories/Medical-and-Other-Debt-Information/

Dave

Hi,

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

Today’s message is going to be for both bipolar supporters and bipolar survivors.

I heard a saying the other day which I thought was really neat: “NO is a complete sentence.”

Too many people do not even have the word “No” in their vocabulary, so they get over-committed, stressed out, and overwhelmed. For someone with bipolar disorder, this can even lead to a bipolar episode.

It’s hard to get your priorities right if you don’t know how to say no to people. It can lead to so many commitments that you just can’t do everything. Then you have to let someone down and you can even feel guilty.

For many people, there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done that they want to accomplish. These people are just TOO busy! Being too busy can lead to too much stress in their lives. For someone with bipolar disorder, too much stress can lead to a bipolar episode. It’s very important to keep their stress levels down.

As a supporter, it’s just as important to keep your stress levels down, so you can be the best help you can be for your loved one, and so that you don’t face supporter burnout.

Ok, so as far as setting priorities, goes… The most important priority is yourself.

Supporter, if you don’t take care of yourself first, you will not be able to take care of your loved one. That means that if your life is too full of “stuff,” you need to get rid of some things. You may have too many obligations. If that’s true, consider getting rid of some of them, and keeping only those that matter the most.

There may be too many constraints on your time, and you may be rushing around all the time, trying to get everything done, which could be stressing you out. If so, you may need to consider some time management skill training. You may be wasting a lot of precious time just running around needlessly.

For the bipolar survivor, if you are feeling stressed, consider that it may be because you have too many obligations in your life. If you are still working a full-time job outside the home, you may have to consider leaving it. It may be too hard for you to handle, considering your bipolar disorder. It is more important for you to have less stress in your life.

You also, like your supporter, need to prioritize your obligations and responsibilities. Keep those that are most important and consider getting rid of some of the others.

Remember that “No” is a complete sentence. Say “No” to new commitments. Don’t take on more than you can handle. The stress just isn’t worth it. Keep in mind that stability with your

bipolar disorder is the most important thing for you.

And remember, both of you, to make sure to leave time for each other.

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/bipolarnews481/

Here are the news headlines:

The Balance Between Pragmatism and Science: Bipolar Overdiagnosis Claims Examined
DO> Wow, what do you think of this article?

Sport and Support Key to Managing Highs, Lows
DO> I totally agree, don’t you?

New Book Offers A True Insider’s View of Life with Bipolar as a 20-Something
DO> Sounds like a great book

Opening Minds Art Show: A Space to Showcase and Enlighten
DO> Great inspiring story

Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Perseverance: The Challenges of Completing a College Degree with Bipolar Disorder
DO> This is a great article for those with people in orgoing to college

‘I wanted to end it all until I found out I was Bipolar’
DO> VERY interesting article, take a look

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews481/

==>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’m not doing so well after what I just saw. I am watching the news, and I just saw a story that made me sick. There was a candle lit in an apartment building, and several children in the apartment. The parents stepped out for a moment, and during that time the candle caught the entire apartment on fire. Without going into details the results were tragic. And it only took one small candle for it to all light up in flames.

Sometimes that’s the way it is with bipolar disorder, too. Sometimes it only takes one little thing to make everything go wrong. One little candle, so to speak. And the results can sometimes be tragic.

There was one lady, lets call her Susan, who got her first paycheck after starting a new job. This was significant because this was the first time she had been able to work since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But the concept of having money threw her into a manic episode. She spent all of her money on things she didn’t need.

She got so focused on her grand plans to go back to school and on studying for it that she forgot to go to work one day and got fired. She lost her apartment, and had no one to turn to for a place to live. She got frustrated and went off of her medications because she believed that they weren’t working since she was in an episode.

After going off of her medications, she became chronically unstable, and her disorder proceeded to ruin her entire life. All because she hadn’t braced herself for what it would be like to get that first paycheck.

If she had predicted that there would be problems, then she could have had a supporter help her manage the money. Her supporters could have checked up on her directly following that to make sure that she was still following her treatment plan and going to work. She could have mentally braced herself for the fact that the money she was getting needed to go for specific things and she could only have, say, five dollars for spending money.

All of this could have been avoided if she and her supporters had realized that this small thing would make a big difference.

I heard a story once, almost a fairy tale. “For want of a nail the horseshoe was lost. For want of a horseshoe the horse was lost. For want of the horse, the rider was lost. For want of the rider, the battle was lost. For losing the battle, the war was lost. For losing the war, the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”

It’s amazing how something so small can affect something so big, isn’t it?

So when you are helping to make your loved one’s recovery plan, one thing you need to take into consideration is how the little things will affect your loved one. Ask yourself, if they make this accomplishment, how might it affect them? If your answer is that it could affect them in a bad way, or that you are not sure, then you need to do what you can to take precautions just in case. After all, you wouldn’t want that little thing to set off a series of bad things.

What are your thoughts on this?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

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

Someone commented to me about my email about medication and bipolar disorder.

She wrote: “While I agree with you 99% of what you’ve shared, there is one piece that is not completely accurate. You can be compliant with your medication, meaning taking it regularly and as prescribed. Yet, bipolar disorder is a mystery in some ways. Even on your medication you can have an episode that throws you into mania or depression. While I will always advocate compliance, it’s important to not that even doing the right thing all of the time doesn’t guarantee you will always be stable.”

Wow. I have to admit, she is 100% correct. Unfortunately, no matter what we do it is still possible for a relapse to occur. That’s the problem with the doctors not knowing too much about bipolar disorder yet: They don’t really know what will cure it or stop it.

But it’s not all just a guessing game, either. Scientists take a lot of time and calculations to study which medications will do what, and to what effectiveness. So by the time the medications get to us, there is a good chance that this one medication will help someone out tremendously.

But, once again, she is right. Even if you are on the medication that is best for you, there is still no guarantee that you will never have another episode in your entire life. But here’s the thing: Would you rather have a chance of going into an episode at some point, or the almost-guarantee of cycling through episodes on a regular basis?

Medications still serve a valuable purpose. And it is still best practice to take your medications and to be compliant about the dosages and times of taking them. See, something can always go wrong. But it’s much less likely to go that way when you are taking your medications than it is if you are not.

It’s kind of like gambling. You have one bet that is 75% likely to win, and another that is 15% likely to win. Which do you take? I’d personally take the one that is 75% likely to win any day. It just makes sense. But it still doesn’t guarantee that you’ve got it. After all, there is that other 25% that’s not in the 75%.

It’s also a lot like the decision of whether to wear your seatbelt in your car. Sure, there’s tickets to consider if you don’t. But let’s be realistic: there are much more important reasons to wear your seatbelt. Your life, for instance.

Seatbelts have been known to save many people’s lives in car accidents. But still you hear those stories of people who walked away after an accident when they weren’t wearing their seatbelts. That is rare, by the way. Or you might hear those stories where someone actually gets hurt with the seatbelt on in a car accident.

But you have to stop and think: Sure, they were still hut with the seatbelt on, but if it was that bad of a car accident that they were thrown into the seatbelt, then imagine where they would have been thrown without it.

It is the same way with bipolar medications. It may not guarantee that you’ll never have another episode in your entire life, but considering the odds that are up against you either way, it is still best practices to take them. Life is full of uncertainties, but when you can improve your chances, it is always a good thing to do so.

Now, what are your thoughts on this?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave