Bipolar Supporter Blog

Hi,

How’s it going for you today?

I actually have Jury Duty today so I have to get going.

I seriously hope it doesn’t drag on and on because I have so many other things to do–like volunteer tonight.

Anyway, you know about my goddaughter, right?

I probably talk about her a lot (but that’s because she’s my goddaughter!).

Well, she is so curious, which is probably common for her age.

She tries to get into everything.

But she is also so impatient, too!

She knows what she wants, and she wants it NOW!

Well, that made me think about how there are two kinds of people in this world:

Those who are impatient (like my goddaughter)…

And those who are patient.

Impatient people who like to read are those who will jump to the end of the book to see how it turns out, then go back and finish the rest of the book.

Right, do you know someone like that? I hate that! I couldn’t do it.

Or someone who fast forwards through a DVD just to see how the movie ends, then goes back and watches it. Come on now, that’s beyond impatient to the absurd! (I hope that’s not you)

Well, when it comes to bipolar disorder, there are those same two kinds of people.

When it comes to the patient ones, it kind of reminds me of the line from that movie “Field of Dreams,” where he says, “Build it and they will come.”

Stability is like that.

Be patient, and it will come.

But let’s talk about the impatient ones first.

The impatient ones are like my goddaughter.

They know what they want (stability, of course).

And they want it NOW!

There are two basic problems with this:

1. Stability is a process – it doesn’t

happen overnight.

2. You have to work to gain stability –

it doesn’t happen by itself.

People who don’t recognize that stability is a process are not willing to go through the necessary steps and needed changes to get there, and that is sad, because they will have more episodes, and it will take much, much longer for them to recover (if they ever do).

Impatient people with bipolar disorder who are not willing to do the necessary work to gain it will never achieve stability because they are probably lazy and unproductive – and stability is not something that someone else can do for you; you have to do it for yourself.

Impatient people with the disorder will also have problems with relationships and at home on top of problems with their disorder, because their impatience will carry over into all other areas of their life.

They will often find themselves alone, whereas a person trying to gain stability who realizes the value of a good strong support system will be better off than they are.

Impatience pushes people away, even alienates them, and you need people to gain stability.

In my courses/systems, I discuss how important it is to be patient with bipolar disorder and to understand that stability does not happen overnight.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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Impatient people have a much, much harder time reaching stability than patient people do.

Patient people know how to wait for things (like the “build it and they will come” thing).

A patient supporter is the best supporter because they know how to “wait out” their loved one’s episodes.

And that is a very, very difficult thing to do, as you know.

When both the supporter and the loved one with bipolar disorder are patient, they are an unbeatable team!

When two people together are fighting this serious disorder, there is a much greater chance for stability than if one person were trying to fight it alone.

Your role as a supporter is so important, especially in encouraging your loved one.

And sometimes your patience may be tried, but if you can conquer that, it will make such a difference!

If you have bipolar disorder, and you can be patient with your progress, little steps will lead to greater steps, and eventually you will become stable.

A lot of it has to do with your attitude.

A positive attitude will go far in helping you to be patient.

Whereas a negative attitude just feeds into impatience.

I would much rather be a patient person than an impatient one.

What about you?

Hi,

How’s it going for you?

Today I need to talk to you about something that is really bothering me.

You know I get tons and tons of emails, right? Well a lot of them are positive ones, and they make me feel really good, like ones that tell me how much these emails help them, and others on how much they have learned from my courses and things like that, like in all the testimonials

I have.

Those are the emails I really like, and the ones I’m used to, pretty much. But then there are the emails I get that really get me down. And I’m not a person who likes to get down, or who gets down easily.

But I got this email, and this woman went on and on and on about her problems. Now, don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I don’t care about people’s problems, because I wouldn’t be doing

what I’m doing if I didn’t care. You know that, right?

But it’s just that I deal in solutions. That’s what I write about and teach in all my courses, how to find solutions, and how to be solution-oriented:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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Not dwelling on the problems is part of it. Being a positive person is another part of it. But definitely NOT being a negative person is NOT part of it! You can’t find ANY solutions that way! And no one likes to listen to a complainer.

I don’t dwell in the negative – I dwell on the positive, and I surround myself with positive people, because they bring me up, and keep me positive, too. I get really disappointed when people around me are negative.

Like this email I got the other day where this woman just went on and on complaining, but didn’t offer any kind of solution to the problems she was having.

To tell you the truth, after reading that email, I felt like I should have charged her a consultant’s fee, like a psychiatrist would do, just for reading (“listening to”) all her complaints!

Now again, I don’t want hate mail for this, or people saying I don’t care, when you know how much I do care.

The point is, after all this positive email I had read, this one negative email had the power to bring me down. Why? Well, I thought about it.

And then I talked to Michele (who works for me) about it.

And she told me about this equation she used when she was bringing up her kids:

THE 10/2 EQUATION

Regarding negative people…

If you are a 10 and they are a 2, and you hang around with them, you will not bring them up to an 8, they will bring you down to a 4.

————————————–

She used this in teaching her children how to choose their friends wisely. But really, can’t you see how it can be used in dealing with bipolar disorder as well?

Here, follow me with this, as I apply it to the email I got. I can either surround myself with positive people or negative people.

Regarding the email I got, I am the 10 and she is the 2. I could try to answer her with positive answers, and try to bring her up to an 8, but considering how negative her email was, most

likely that won’t work, and she will just succeed in bringing me down to a 4 instead.

See what she’s done already? I’m already bummed out about it, feeling negative, letting it upset my day to the point that I’m writing about it in this email!

OR…

I can choose to stay a 10 on the positivity scale in the 10/2 Equation. I can let that email go. I can surround myself with positive people. I can stay positive and NOT let negative people bring me down.

These are choices I can make.

People like the lady in the email are going to be negative no matter what. They will try to get other people to listen to them complain, because they are negative and not solution-oriented.

They just want someone to buy into their negativity and listen to them.

But we don’t have to do that. We are TENS! We have a choice! We don’t have to be brought down to 4’s if we don’t want to! We can surround ourselves with positive people!

Have you had problems like I had with this woman?

Have you found yourself surrounded with negative people?

Can you relate to the 10/2 equation?

Hi,

I hope you’re having a good day.

I was recently talking to a woman whose mother was in a bipolar episode.

At first I felt real sorry for this woman, because I know what she was up against.

But then she started being real critical of her mom.

Then I felt sorry for her mom!

I mean, I remember when my mom was in her really bad, like her worst ever, episode in 2004…

I would get so mad at her because she would scream and yell at me and call me names and everything.

My mom was critical of me, too, and would say things she never even remembered saying during

the episode.

Now, that didn’t mean that they would hurt me any less, whether she remembered them or not, or

that they would make me any less mad, but I couldn’t be critical of her, because she was in an episode.

And that’s what I want to talk to you about.

In my courses/systems, I talk about not taking things personally.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

http://www.survivebipolar.net

Well, this is sort of like that.

It’s called:

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Like this woman who I was talking to, when she got critical of her mom in an episode, she wasn’t considering the source.

If she had, maybe she wouldn’t have been so critical.

Her mom probably said some pretty bad things, I’m sure, just like my mom did (probably like

your loved one does when they’re in an episode)…

But you can’t fault them when you consider the source.

Just ask yourself:

Would they ever do or say those things if they WEREN’T in an episode?

So…

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

When your loved one is complaining…

Ranting and raving at you…

Calling you names…

Accusing you of things…

Saying any other kinds of things that aren’t true…

CONSIDER THE SOURCE…

Because you know they’re in an episode.

You know they aren’t themselves.

You know they wouldn’t normally behave this way…

Or say or do these things.

So you need to (like I say in my courses/systems) NOT take it personally, and…

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Consider that these things are coming from a sick person who is in a bipolar episode.

If they were being said or done by someone else other than your loved one…

With any other kind of illness…

Would you take it this personally?

Would you be as hurt?

Would you be as critical?

Would you be as unsympathetic?

Or would you…

CONSIDER THE SOURCE?

Try to remember these things and to look at your loved one as suffering from an illness they can’t control the next time they go into a bipolar episode.

Hi,

Hope you’re doing ok.

I got this comment on one of my posts recently, and wanted to share it with you, because it is the reason I chose what I did for today’s topic:

“Dear Dave, I love my husband very much,

I just want you to know that. But I just can’t

stand the way he acts sometimes! During

episodes is the worst, but even in between

episodes, it’s like he’s this changed person –

not the man I married. Bipolar Disorder seems

to have taken over his whole life.

Even when he’s not in an episode, he’s obsessing over when

his next one will be. I’ve tried to be a good

supporter and a good wife, I really have. But his

moods change so much, and I never know what

to expect. The unpredictability of the mood swings

and episodes is really getting to me. I’ve been

waiting a long time for my husband to get better,

but he just doesn’t seem like he’ll ever be what you

call high functioning, or even stable. Help! I just

need a break from him and his bipolar disorder.

Is that wrong? Dianne”

———————————————————————

Ok, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way first:

You know I’m not a doctor or any other professional, so I can’t give advice on those terms – I can only offer suggestions and opinions based on my experience and the experiences that other supporters have shared with me.

First of all, bipolar disorder does change a person. It can influence both their thoughts and their behavior. And, unfortunately, it’s a fact that with the disorder do come mood swings and episodes.

We don’t know by her email what her husband is like during episodes, but we can imagine.

In my courses/systems, I go over every symptom of a bipolar episode (both manic and depressive), so I won’t go into them here.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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But many supporters do get frustrated and even angry when their loved one doesn’t seem to be

getting better.

At times, from the people I’ve talked to, pretty much every supporter gets to a “boiling-over” point like this woman in the email.

Well, sometimes you just need a break.

It’s hard to deal with bipolar disorder 24/7 and expect yourself to be the perfect super supporter

all the time.

The good news is that you don’t have to be.

You CAN take a break.

In fact, many supporters regularly take breaks from their loved one and their bipolar disorder.

And they feel no guilt, because they do it as a part of self-care. Necessary self-care.

But let’s go back to this woman’s email for a bit.

She says, first of all, that she loves her husband but can’t stand the way he acts sometimes.

That’s normal for a supporter of a loved one with bipolar disorder.

Loving the person and hating their behavior are two different things.

That’s why I preach about separating your loved one from their disorder.

You can still love them, but hate the disorder (which causes the unacceptable behavior).

When she says, “…it’s like he’s this changed person – not the man I married,” she is expressing

something that many supporters also express when their loved one is diagnosed later in life.

If you let it, bipolar disorder CAN take over your whole life (like she says in the email). However, you can also choose not to let it.

You need to do things outside of the disorder. I would tell this woman to do some of the things

that they did together before the bipolar disorder “took over his life,” and try to regain the relationship the way it was (as much as possible).

Bipolar disorder is not a death sentence! It’s just a mental illness. It can be managed.

And stability IS possible, if your loved one does the work to reach it. You can’t do it for them, either – they have to do it for themselves.

When she says, “Even when he’s not in an episode, he’s obsessing over when his next one will be,” well, many people go through that as well, although it is only a lesson in futility.

The “normal” times in between episodes should be enjoyed while you can. Yes, there will most

likely be a next episode at some point, but waiting around for it to happen is a waste of precious time.

Then she says that she doesn’t think her husband will ever become high functioning, or

even stable.

Well, he won’t, unless he does what he needs to in order to gain stability, and there is nothing in her letter that states that he is doing that.

And she ends the email with, “Help, I just need a break from him and his bipolar disorder. Is that

wrong?”

In my opinion, NO, it is not wrong.

Sometimes you do just need a break.

Have you felt like this woman?

What did you do? Did you take a break?

Do you think she is wrong for wanting to take a break?

Hi,

How’s it going?

I am going hiking today so I had to get this off early in the morning.

Okay, so, have you ever heard the expression “getting back on the horse”?

People use it when talking about having failed at something and then trying it again.

Sometimes, if you’ve messed up, it’s hard to get back to where you were.

But sometimes it’s CRUCIAL that you “get back on the horse” when it comes to things that you

mess up with your bipolar disorder.

Take, for example, your medication.

It’s easy to forget to take it.

If you do, that’s ok. You just take the next dose when it’s time.

But too many people will just stop taking it altogether, and that is a HUGE mistake!

Because that is almost a SURE way to go into a bipolar episode!

And also because when you’re ready to go back on your medication, it’s like starting at square one again.

Bipolar medication takes time to build up in your bloodstream, so if you’ve been off it for awhile, you have to start at a low dose again and build back up to the level where you were before you stopped taking it.

Some people mess up seeing their doctor, psychiatrist, and/or therapist.

They miss one appointment, then it gets easier to miss another, then another…

Then they stop going altogether.

And that is NOT the right thing to do.

If you miss an appointment, you have to “get back on the horse” and go to the next one.

There are so many parts that can be messed up in a treatment plan, but I’m not going to go into all the parts of a treatment plan here, because I go into them extensively in my courses/systems:

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

But I do want to talk to you about what happens when you do start to mess up parts of your treatment plan.

Let’s say you’ve started isolating again.

Isolation is one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and one of the top triggers to a bipolar episode.

But if you let this slip, and you start to isolate again, then you are in a dangerous place, and could be jeopardizing your stability.

Now you have two choices:

You can either close down, shut out the world, get all depressed, climb into bed, pull the covers over your head, feel sorry for yourself, cry, and go into a bipolar depressive episode…

OR… you can “get back on the horse” again.

Another example is if you start to slip with your sleep patterns.

Lack of sleep (or too much sleep) is another trigger to a bipolar episode.

But you can fix it if you catch it soon enough.

In other words, you can accept that even though you let a PART of your treatment plan get messed up, your WHOLE treatment plan is still working, and you can still fix it.

First you identify what went wrong. Then you can fix it (“Get back on the horse.”)

It doesn’t have to be anything really dramatic, but even small parts of your treatment plan, if they get messed up, can cause you to go into an episode.

Even if it does cause you to go into an episode, though, you can still recover from that episode and…

That’s right – “get back on the horse” again.

Start back doing the things you were doing before you went into that episode.

What do you think of the idea of “getting back on the horse”?

Hi,

How are you?

Here’s the bipolar news. Enjoy.

To read this week’s news visit: http://www.leverageteamllc.com/bipolarnews440/

How Did Your Doctor Arrive at Your Diagnosis of

Bipolar Disorder?

DO> Interesting article, take a look.

A Documentary Charts Family’s Struggle With

Bipolar Depression

DO> If you can get it, you should.

You Aren’t Bipolar, You’re Just a Jerk!

DO> Hmm. What do you think of this?

Depression Treatment & Types of Antidepressants

DO> Great factual article.

Bipolar Disorder Linked To Genes Of Biological Clock

DO> Another interesting research based article.

For these stories and more, please visit: http://www.leverageteamllc.com/bipolarnews440/

==>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 have a challenge for you!

I’m just curious.

Answer this question:

What does “living successfully with bipolar disorder” mean?

Ok, I’ll even give you a hint, but then you’ll have to scroll down for my answer!

It’s a combination of two things, for starters. Can you guess? (scroll down for another hint)

They begin with M and T.

(scroll down)

Ok, the first one is medication.

(scroll down for the second one)

The second one is treatment.

Those are only the top two things to living successfully with bipolar disorder, though.

There are more elements to stability than that, and I talk about them in my courses:

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

But let’s go over some of what it takes for living successfully with bipolar disorder.

To me, it’s when taking medication, going to all appointments (doctor, therapist, psychiatrist), following a treatment plan, etc., all becomes a lifestyle instead of a chore.

It’s when you have a positive attitude instead of a negative one – where you have totally accepted bipolar disorder instead of resenting it (since there’s nothing you can do about it anyway).

It’s when you have mastered the disorder instead of it mastering you.

I also think living successfully with bipolar disorder involves setting realistic goals (short-term and long-term) and then achieving them.

And since we’re talking about success, obviously, I think I need to throw in here that we’re talking about how each person has to define their own success.

For someone in a bipolar depressive episode, success might mean just getting out of bed that day.

But I’m talking about a different kind of success.

A bigger success with bipolar disorder.

And the things you need to do to get there.

The long-term goal would be stability.

The short-term goals might be:

1. Take medication every day

2. Go to all appointments (doctor,

psychiatrist, therapist)

3. Stick to a good sleep schedule

4. Eat a healthy diet

5. Exercise

6. Be productive

Then, say, being productive might be working at a job, starting a home-based business, taking a

course at your local college, having a hobby, volunteering, etc.

And, say, as far as exercising goes, you may need to have an even shorter-term goal of starting

off slowly and building up.

Then ask yourself, what is your definition of success with bipolar disorder?

Is it NO episodes? Because that isn’t realistic – as long as you have bipolar disorder, you will

have episodes.

The goal here is to have FEWER episodes.

Which, if you do the right thing, will happen.

Is it management of the disorder so that you can live a “normal” life?

YES! That would be a good, realistic definition of success with bipolar disorder, because it means that you are stable.

And that should be your long-term goal.

What does “living successfully with bipolar disorder” mean to YOU?

Hi,

How are you doing?

They say there are two types of people in this world:

Those who see a glass of water as half full…

These people are called optimists.

And those who see the glass as half-empty…

These people are called pessimists.

Not as well known, however, is a third type of people in this world.

Those are people who see that glass of water as simply a glass of water.

These people are called realists.

The reason I bring it up is because the type of person you are will affect the thoughts you have (and vice versa).

The optimist has positive thoughts.

The pessimist has negative thoughts.

The realist has both, and weighs them together.

They say that positive people live longer.

Have you ever heard that?

They say it’s because their health is better.

Why is that?

Because they don’t have as much stress in their lives, they don’t worry as much, and they don’t get angry as often.

So, obviously, they would be healthier – no headaches, upset stomachs, ulcers, anxiety, insomnia, etc. for them!

They are also more productive.

They get more done, more easily, and with a better attitude.

It’s not that a positive person never has negative thoughts – that wouldn’t

be realistic – but it’s that they choose

not to dwell on them.

They don’t act on their negative thoughts, and they don’t let those thoughts bring them down.

In my courses/systems, I discuss the power of positive thinking when it comes to bipolar disorder, and how it can help you to attain stability faster.

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

Pessimists are just the opposite of everything I’ve just said.

And pessimists think negatively.

When you have negative thoughts, you have two choices in dealing with them.

You can analyze them (worry, fret, bother), study them, think about them, dwell on them, even obsess over them.

Or you can learn to ignore them, let them go, don’t take them so seriously, etc.  In other words, not let them affect you.

Obviously, taking your negative thoughts less seriously, or letting them go altogether, is the etter

choice for your own sake, and for your own health.

Richard Carlson, M.D., in his (now-famous) book called “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” says,

“When you have a thought – any thought – that’s all it is, a thought!  It can’t hurt you without your consent.”

So that goes along with what I’m saying.  YOU control how a thought affects you, especially a negative thought.

Which is very important, because negative thoughts can actually harm you.

They can cause physical consequences, such as high blood pressure, anxiety and stress, headaches, stomach aches and ulcers, insomnia, and even heart problems!

This is for you AND your loved one.

It’s worse for your loved one, though.

For them, negative thoughts (if dwelled upon) can lead to a bipolar depressive episode.

Then once in the depressive episode, if those thoughts continue, they can even lead to suicidal thoughts, which is when it gets really dangerous.

So it’s important to remember that when you get a negative thought, you have a choice of what to do with it.

Make the right choice and let it go, so that it doesn’t hurt you or your loved one.

How do you handle your negative thoughts?

Do you dwell on them or let them go?

Hi,

How’s your day going?

Yesterday I had a bad day.

I found out that someone who probably is not on medication started a website writing as if they are me.

And the stuff they were saying as if they were me, was totally crazy.

The person also believes they are the President of the United States and Jesus.

They also believe they are many different celebrities.

There sites are totally crazy. I mean super crazy.

This person is really sick and needs help.

It’s really annoying because I had to waste my entire day contacting law enforcement, lawyers, web hosts and other people.

If you have bipolar disorder. Stay on your medication. Otherwise you could do something completely crazy and that gets you into a lot of trouble.

I forgot to tell you this person has videos with himself with no clothes on. It’s disturbing stuff.

This person is going to be in a whole lot of trouble. It’s bad enough what he is doing to me but he is doing it to a lot of powerful people who have an army of lawyers and law enforcement behind them.

I told my friend this and he asked me if I get tired of dealing with crazy people. This made me mad.

The reality is, the vast majority of people who have bipolar disorder are fine, fun, super smart and great to be around.

This is why I have so many people with bipolar disorder working for me.

It’s sad when someone gets off their medication and do so much bad.

Anyway let’s get into today’s topic.

I’m really concerned about something, and I think you need to know about it as well.

You know I volunteer at several places where there are people with bipolar disorder and their supporters, like support groups and such.

Well, sometimes I like what I hear, and then I bring that information to you, because I think you can benefit from it.

But what is really bothering me today is something that I’ve noticed happens at some of these meetings that is NOT a good thing.

I’ll tell you about it:

It’s when people who have NO clue about bipolar disorder give advice on it – even though the advice is sincere, it is still sincerely wrong!

Now people can truly get hurt by this advice, and that makes me mad!

For instance, one person at this support group meeting said, “My friend told me that since I seem to be doing so much better, that I should stop taking my medications.”

Then other people say, “Yeah, my friend said the same thing”…

And before you know it, this one comment is controlling the whole meeting, and it is a totally FALSE thing – a LIE!

Then, when I try to tell them that that comment can’t be true, or that it could hurt them, or at least that they should check with their doctor before going off their medications, they ALL look at me like I’m some crazy person!

Know what I mean?

Or they say their friend told them to stop working and get on disability.

Well, who are they to give that kind of advice?

That’s BAD advice, too!

Another person said that their friend said that another friend said that they should take this supplement on the market instead of their medications, that it worked for their friend’s friend!

In my courses and systems, I teach the difference between the truth and myths that are out there about bipolar disorder:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

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http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

http://www.survivebipolar.net

But I ask myself, where are these people getting this stuff? And how come people are believing it?

Really, sometimes I just want to walk out of these meetings and just keep going. But then I remember why I am there – to help.

And sometimes that help is just to tell them the truth about what their “friends” have been telling them.

Like with these herbal supplements that you see advertised on the Internet and such.

Now, I know this is real controversial.

I’m not saying they’re bad. But if you do take them, you should ask your doctor first.

And not just take someone else’s word for it.

And always take them WITH your medication, and not INSTEAD of your medication!

But sometimes, like these people at these meetings that act like they’re doctors…

Well, they might say that these herbal supplements are a cure, which is NOT the truth!

Same thing with those “natural remedies.”

Well, that’s just a politically correct way of saying natural cure.

And they get a lot of people to believe them, and it’s still BAD advice.

Not only bad advice, but NOT the truth!

The only REAL truth is that there is still NO cure for bipolar disorder at this time, unfortunately.

No matter what you may hear at a support group meeting.

Even though these people are well meaning, always check with your doctor before you do anything like taking a supplement instead of your medications just because you heard “a friend of a friend of a friend” says it works.

What do you think about all this?

Have you ever heard any of this at one of your support group meetings?

Do you know people like this?