Bipolar Supporter Blog

Hi,

How’s it going?

It’s going to storm today and I was thinking about what I was going to write.

I read this quote the other day:

“Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.”
–M.F. Fernandez

The reason it caught my eye is because I always used to call my mom’s episodes “the storm.”

Of course you know she is very stable now, because she takes her medications faithfully, goes to see her doctor and her therapist, follows a good treatment plan, and does all the things I recommend in my courses/systems to manage your bipolar disorder well:

NEW
LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/

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 back in “the storm” days…

She was in bad episode, and I really just tried to get her to the hospital because I said, “You need to go to the doctor.”

At that point, she would just scream and yell three or four times a day for hours.

My dad left and I’m inside and she is screaming and yelling, barging through my door almost breaking it down.

So, imagine you’re like me, sitting trying to type, peaceful, and then all of a sudden a hurricane comes in or a storm.

That person is screaming and hollering and yelling at you for hours at a time and then there is a pause and just as you start to feel better it starts again.

Like I said, it’s like a storm. A bipolar storm. Well, as you know, eventually we got my mom the help she needed for that episode.

I did all my research into bipolar disorder, developed my systems, taught them to my mom, and today she is very stable.

But now you can understand why I called her behavior “the storm,” right?

So here’s the thing, and why I like that quote so much.

It gives you so much hope!

You can actually RISE ABOVE THE BIPOLAR STORM!

I did, when I got my mom the help she needed, when I developed my systems and taught them to her, and she got stable.

Here’s the good news:

You can rise above the “bipolar storm,” too! Scroll down, and I’ll tell you the secret of how to do it.

Keep scrolling…

No cheating!
You’re almost there…
LOL (think I am crazy?)

You won’t believe how simple it is… Ok. Here’s the secret:

You simply do the opposite of what your loved one is doing!

Maintain your controlled behavior to deal with your loved one’s out-of-control behavior (their “bipolar storm”) when it happens.

Here’s what I mean. You’ll notice that in my whole story of telling you about my mom’s “storm,” and she was doing all that yelling and screaming at me, I never yelled and screamed back at her.

In other words, I stayed in control, even though she was out of control.

This concept, even though it’s a simple one, is very important for you to learn.

It will really help you to deal with your own loved one’s “bipolar storm” and keep you from losing your own control.

Whatever they do, you do the opposite.

For example, if they aren’t holding their composure, you hold onto yours.

If they are yelling, you stay quiet.

If they are weak, you be strong.

If they aren’t rational, you stay rational.

If they are out of control, you stay in control.

See how the concept works?

What do you think of this concept?

Do you think it can work?

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David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

How are you?

I hope you are doing well.

Want to hear something really strange.

Okay, I have been looking for some people to volunteer with some work that I have and also some research and writing people.

So I have had 6 people contact me recently. I have no idea how they got through to me.

Anyway, I was excited because each looked good.

Some had some questions about how our organization worked. We emailed back and forth. After a while, it takes way to long to email back and forth.

So I gave each person my cell phone number and asked them to call or asked them to send me their number and I would call them.

Only ONE person did.

I have no idea what happen to the others.

It’s really strange to me.

Okay, I have a strange story to tell you with a very important bipolar lesson.

Okay, remember the other week, I was travelling all over the place. I went to the Carolinas, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, etc.

Well, okay, on the way home, I was using my GPS system. That’s Global Positioning System.

(You know, that thing that tells you where to drive.)

The strangest thing happened.

Okay, so I wasn’t familiar with the area but I was looking at the directions and they looked “off.”

But then I said to myself, “Dave, it has to be right, it’s a GPS system. What do you know about Virginia, anyway?”

So I was driving and driving.

There was this huge mountain range. The directions were leading me right to the mountains!

I thought maybe it was a shortcut because I put “fastest route” in the system when I got the directions.

So anyway, I’m driving. All of a sudden, I’m going up this HUGE mountain road.

The turns were super sharp. I felt like I could slide off the road at any time.

I started getting worried.

Then all of a sudden I was at the top of the mountain road and guess what?

Take a wild guess?
Scroll down for what happened.
The system stopped working!!!!
I was “out of range.”

I was super mad.

I was totally lost for over 2 HOURS!

The system had failed me.

I was thinking about this and asked myself why I followed something that made no sense.

Even when my gut instincts told me that something was wrong, I didn’t listen to them, because I thought the GPS was the expert and I wasn’t, so I followed it even though it made no sense.

BIG mistake!

Well, this got me to thinking about my mom’s old doctor who took her off her medication and didn’t replace it with anything for a few days.

This is a big NO NO with bipolar disorder unless you’re under close, and I mean CLOSE supervision. My mom was not.

Anyway, she went into a super bad episode.

In my courses/systems, I talk about listening to your doctor, because he knows what he’s talking about, and that’s usually true. But I also tell you to watch out for bad doctors (and they are out there), and that’s why I developed my doctor finding system to help you find a good doctor.

NEW LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/

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
We look to experts for their advice, because we believe they know more than we do.

With bipolar disorder, you look to your doctor to prescribe the right medication for you, watch that medication, change the dosage if necessary, etc.

You look to him to listen to you and what you report to him about how you’re doing with your bipolar disorder.

You look to your doctor as an expert, because to you, he is. Kind of like that GPS system was to me.

But that doesn’t mean he’s always right. Just like that GPS system failed me, there is a chance that your doctor can fail you.

YOU know yourself and your disorder better than he does.

Like I was saying about how I should’ve followed my gut instinct, you should listen to yours, too.

If you feel like something isn’t right, it probably isn’t.

Why did I follow something even though it didn’t make any sense?

Because I thought it was the expert and I wasn’t.

And remember what a big mistake that was for me.

Don’t make that mistake.

Don’t think that just because your doctor is the expert and you’re not, that you should do something that doesn’t make sense to you.

Like taking a higher dose of medication when you feel like you’re doing fine on the dose you’re on That’s happened before. And the person didn’t speak up, even though it didn’t “feel right.” And then they started waking up real groggy.

They should have spoken up, because doctors aren’t perfect, and they aren’t always an expert when it comes to you and your bipolar disorder. You are more of an expert there than they are.

Or if your doctor wants you to change medications and you really don’t have a good feeling about it, or you just don’t want to, because you like the medications that you’re on and you think they’re working ok. What about you?

Have you ever had experiences like these?

Or had something happen where you just had a feeling that something wasn’t right?

What happened?

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Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials
Well, I have to go!

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

I hope this day is going well for you.

I am actually going hiking so I have to take off pretty quick.

Anyway, I recently read this in a printed interview about negativity and choices, and I think there are several lessons in here for all of us:

“I spent a lot of my 20s just trying to make other people happy, rather than trying to figure out if doing that made me happy. There are things in my life that are hard to reconcile like divorce. Sometimes it is very difficult to make sense of how it could possibly happen. Laying blame is so easy. I don’t have time for hate or negativity in my life. There’s no room for it. When you make wrong choices, you have to take responsibility for them: What part of this do I own?” I struggle to figure out what made me make those choices. All I can hope for is that I’ve learned something from it and won’t make the same choices again.”

———————————————————–

I especially liked the part that says, “When you make choices, you have to take responsibility for them: What part of this do I own?”

Because when you’re dealing with a loved one who has bipolar disorder, and they go into an episode, many times they do things that have consequences to them.

Then you expect them to own up to the consequences to their actions and poor choices (decisions), don’t you?

And they should.

Whether it’s all their fault or not, like this woman said, they should still ask themselves, “What part of this do I own?”

Although, we should all ask this of ourselves when we make poor choices, too. We just can’t always blame it on someone else.

And that’s another thing she said in this interview:

“Laying blame is so easy. I don’t have time for hate or negativity in my life. There’s no room for it.”

You know I’m always talking about being positive vs. being negative, and what a bad influence negativity can have on your life, your health, and on your relationship with your loved one.

NEW LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/

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

So blaming your loved one for what they do in a bipolar episode isn’t the answer either.

For one thing, many times they won’t even remember what they said or did (they aren’t lying, either).

For another thing, blaming other people just doesn’t work. It just keeps you negative. And that can keep you sick. So you don’t want that.

Being positive is the way to go.

If you’ve made bad choices, turn it around to something positive.

Do what the woman in the interview says:

“All I can hope for is that I’ve learned something from it and won’t make the same choices again.”

Well I have to leave no to get ready. I’ll talk to you later on.

Hey, what did you think about this email today anyway?

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

How are you?

I’ve got to tell you this.

The other day my elbow really hurt.

I mean, REALLY hurt.

Know why?

Because I don’t.

I have no idea. Absolutely no idea.

I didn’t fall on it. I didn’t hit it. I seriously have no idea why my elbow hurt so much, but it really did.

BUT…

In the morning I got up, and guess what?

It stopped hurting.

Know why?

I have no idea why.

Honesty. I have absolutely no idea why one day my elbow hurt SO bad, and the next day it just stopped hurting!

I didn’t take anything for it, didn’t put ice on it. I didn’t do anything at all for it…

But it DID stop hurting. Just like that!

I just don’t understand it.

Anyway, I got to thinking about bipolar disorder and how sometimes you will never know why some things happen the way they do, what works and doesn’t work and why.

Like, for my mom, listening to calming music at night helps her bipolar disorder.

For another person, playing little puzzles helps her bipolar disorder.

For another guy, sleeping on the right side versus the left side helps his bipolar disorder.

None of these people know why.

It’s just like my elbow. I don’t know why.

There will be many parts of bipolar disorder you simply can’t figure out.

Like medications.

Medications confuse me just like my arm did, only worse!

What works for one person, doesn’t work for another person.

One medication might work for one person for awhile, but then stop working.

The same medication might work great for awhile for a person, but then the dose has to change.

Or the doctor has to mix and match medications like a quilt with unmatched pieces to it, but put together right, it works!

Who knows what works, and why? I sure don’t.

But like my arm, who am I to question?

I just know that it works.

Like my mom with her doctor.

I tell her to trust her doctor, because her doctor knows what she’s doing.

Why? I don’t know, I’m not a doctor.

But my mom’s doctor is a good doctor. And you have to have a good doctor that you can trust, who does what’s best for you with your medication, because that’s absolutely crucial to your stability with bipolar disorder.

I talk about that in my courses/systems below:

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
So why does my mom’s relationship work with her doctor?

Well, I do know 2 things: One is that my mom’s doctor is a good doctor, and the other is that my mom communicates with her. Other than that, I don’t know.

What I mean by that is that, I don’t know if my mom’s doctor would be a good doctor for your loved one.

Or if your loved one’s doctor would be a good doctor for my mom.

I don’t know why things are the way they are sometimes with bipolar disorder, or why things work the way they do. They just do!

One person might need 10 hours of sleep a night.

Another person might only need 8 hours.

What’s the difference if they are both stable?

Different things are different for different people (boy, that was a lot of “different”s there, huh?) lol

The point I’m trying to make here is that YOU do what works for YOU. See what I mean?

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

I wanted to send out a quick message about some criticism that I have been getting concerning my message
I sent out the other day about my new resource:

“Everything You Need To Know About Bipolar M.edications (That Your Doctor May Not Have Told You).”

Located at:
https://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/knowaboutbpmeds/

IMPORTANT NOTE
I put a “.” in the word “m.edications” so hopefully the word doesn’t cause it to be sent to junk mail.

I have gotten several people that talk about how one could use natural herbs for bipolar disorder.

I want to warn you about this.

It’s a HUGE potential mistake.

They think they can go off their medication and just take one of these “natural cures” or herbal supplements INSTEAD OF their bipolar medications, so they go off their medicaiton.

People who get off their m.edication, wind up potentially harming themselves and others, and even possibly killing themselves.

You might think I am being extreme.

But I’m not!

There are so many stories of people I have talked to myself who have told me of the times they’ve gone off their medications and hurt their very own families, even though that’s the LAST thing they would ever do, normally!

People have written me emails asking to be taken off my mailing list because their loved one COMMITTED SUICIDE because they went off their medications.

I’ve read so many headlines (and I know you have too, if you read my bipolar news on bipolarcentral.com) that talk about the violence, and even MURDER that people who go off their bipolar medication commit.

If you think I’m scaring you, well just think how scared I was when I talked to people, got those emails, and read the headlines for myself!

If I didn’t know better, even I would have thought I was making this stuff up but, unfortunately, I know I’m not. It’s the TRUTH!

Just look at the statistics – Even national organizations, like NIMH (National Institute on Mental Health) will
tell you that 20% of people that don’t take medication for bipolar disorder, or go off their bipolar medications, will KILL themselves!

That’s 1 in 5 people.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that definitely scares me!

Believe me, I don’t want an email from you telling me to take you off my list because your loved one killed themselves because they went off their bipolar medications.

I don’t want you to suffer like these other people I’ve talked to because their loved one wouldn’t take their medication and got violent and did horrible things.

I don’t want your loved one to do any number of things that they are 100% capable of doing without being on their medication!

That’s why it is SO important that you get my new resource:

“Everything You Need To Know About Bipolar
M.edications (That Your Doctor May Not Have Told You).”

Located at:
https://www.bipolarsupporter.com/specialoffer/knowaboutbpmeds/

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

How are you?

I hope you are doing well.

Here is today’s news.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews416

Doctor Scrutinized For Drug-Firm Ties Gets Kudos From Bipolar Patients, Kin.
DO> Hmm. What do you think of this story?

Top 12 Depression Drugs
DO> Interesting article.

Children Should Be Allowed To Be Sad
DO> I agree, do you?

Mourning Period — Losing Your ‘Old Self’ After A Bipolar Diagnosis
DO> Great article, take a look.

Why Bipolar Disorder Patients Don’t Take Medicine
DO> GREAT article for everyone.

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews416

==>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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

Hope your day is going well.

Hey lots of people over the last few weeks have been asking me about spirituality and bipolar disorder.

So I wanted to talk about it today.

Many people, whether they have bipolar disorder or not, or are supporters or not, go to church only on Christmas or Easter, and consider that being spiritual (or religious).

Well, I’m not being judgmental of that, really I’m not. Actually, I’m not even talking about religion at all. I’m talking about spirituality (whatever your choice of religious beliefs).

According to a study in “Annals of Epidemiology,” people who attend religious services tend to be healthier than the rest of us.

This report came out earlier this year, but it’s only the latest in a series of studies which have explored the link between spirituality and our health.

This research has found that meditation and prayer seem to be associated with “improved immune systems and fewer episodes of chronic inflammation.”

Ok, so let’s talk about how that relates to bipolar disorder.

In my courses/systems, I talk about how important it is to stability to keep yourself healthy by keeping a good sleep schedule, exercising, and eating a healthy diet.

NEW LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarmastersystem/

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 there are other things to consider to have a healthy body as well, like this article says, like your spirituality – whether you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does.

Most people don’t consider their spirituality as being as important as it is, when they’re considering what things make up the stability of their bipolar disorder.

In this article, it doesn’t just talk about the physical benefits of spirituality, but the mental health benefits as well.

People who practice spirituality in their lives have a lower stress rate, and also a lower rate of depression just in general.

They tend to be more positive people, and they also tend to be happier.

They also tend to find more fulfillment in their lives.

There was even a study back in September by the Journal of Affective Disorders that showed lower suicide rates among people who regularly attended religious services.

People who practice some form of spirituality take better care of themselves in general.

Now, I am definitely not preaching at you, or telling you that you need to believe a certain way.

But I am telling you that you need to take are of yourself both physically and mentally. And don’t forget spiritually as well.

Do you agree or disagree?

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

Hi,

I hope you’re having a good day.

Lots of doom and gloom these days in the news. Just don’t watch it.

Anyway, let’s jump into today’s topic.

Have you ever heard of a bipolar checklist?

Well, I hadn’t, until someone told me about it.

I think it’s a good idea, though.

I’ll tell you where she got it from.

She attends Alcoholics Anonymous, and she as telling me about one of the steps where you’re supposed to take a daily inventory of yourself – you know, kind of look back at your day and see how you did, the good and the bad.

Well, she has bipolar disorder and she sort of does the same thing with her disorder – she kind of does a daily checklist with it.

I thought that was kind of a good idea, so I wanted to share it with you.

Even for supporters, who don’t have bipolar disorder, you could still do this in general for yourselves – it’s still a good idea – you can just adapt it for your own life.

Anyway, in my courses/systems I sort of talk about the same idea of a checklist, only I call it a bipolar toolbox:

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
Ok, so back to what I was saying.

So this woman does a daily mental checklist at the end of her day about her bipolar disorder.

For example, she makes sure she remembered to take her medication.

But she goes the extra mile. She also “checklists” that she has her next morning medication ready for her to take when she wakes up the next day. I think that’s a good idea. (If you’re not already using a pillbox, that is, which is another thing I recommend in my courses/systems.)

So I was thinking.

Here’s some other things you should remember to “checklist” for your bipolar disorder every day:

Make sure you check your calendar for any doctor or therapist appointments.

Make sure you do what you can on your To-Do List (and anything you don’t get done, make a new one for the next day and make sure you put those things on it).

Make sure you keep the lines of communication open with your supporter. (You should be doing this anyway, but this idea came from the woman I told you about from AA, who has to call her sponsor every day.) Make sure you set your alarm for the next morning to wake up at a good time, keeping in mind that you get 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep that night.

Make sure you do some type of exercise each day. It might be working out at a gym, or it may just be doing a little walking. Maybe even swimming at the local Y. Just something to keep you active.

Make sure that you eat healthy meals. Some people eat 3 meals a day, while others do better eating 6 smaller meals a day, like a diabetic does. You can find some good, low fat, low calorie recipes on the Internet.

If you keep a mood chart or journal, before you go to bed might be a good time to do this. It would help to think about the day that has passed, and to record your thoughts and feelings, as well as any events that may have triggered any mood changes or affected the way you felt.

Got the idea?

I’m sure you can think of other “Checklist” items. If so, I’d love to hear about them.

Share them with us.

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David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.