Refuse to Believe This About Bipolar Disorder

=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <= Hi, I hope you're having a good day. I wanted to clear something up. I am writing these daily mails. Sammy made a post on my blog that said: “I was the one that asked the question about whether David was the author of all the daily blogs that are waiting for me each morning. I was just wanted to be sure that I know the identity of the authors that contribute to getting your blog that we read each day. I fully understand that it must require a tremendous amount of thought to put these out every day, and that maybe it would get to the point that the work needed to be shared… I had just happen to noticed that it says that someone with a different email address, sometimes writes these blogs, ” on behalf of David Oliver” Okay so here is the deal. Again, I write all these. I wish it was just so easy to find someone to do it all for me. People laugh at me when I tell them I do this every day and generally say, “wow I would never want to do that every day. What if you don’t want to do it?” Anyway, here’s the deal. I have hundreds of thousands of people on my lists now. People are opting or registering via different websites. As a result they are on different lists. Some on the parenting list. Some on the list for people who have bipolar disorder. Some on the list for those supporting adults with bipolar disorder. Etc. To organize it all, we have different email addresses that go along with the list name. For example bpsurvior is a list for those with bipolar disorder. Bpsupporter is a list for those supporting people who are adults with bipolar disorder. With all these emails lists some are sent on what’s called a shared email server. Some are sent on an email server that I own which was a huge investment. Some email systems will say sent from “on behalf of .” In
this case, it’s my name because I own
the list. For another person who has a list
of let’s say people interested in hiking
it would sent on behalf of them.

The company that generally does that
is called aweber because they have
shared email systems. With my
other system, I own the email server
so it says “from David Oliver.”

The shared systems have thousand other people using
the service.

So that’s the deal. It’s VERY confusing
and doesn’t make much sense. But that’s
the deal : )

I think that aweber use to just say from David Oliver
but then they switched to the entire “on behalf”
thing you may see.

Hope that clears up the mystery.

You know what? I never wanted to learn
all this tech stuff and I was forced into it.

Okay, Remember when you were little and
you were always scared of the boogie man?

We all were.

Why were we so scared, though?

Because we’re afraid of things we can’t
see.

We’re afraid of things we don’t understand.

Like STIGMA.

The stigma of bipolar disorder is like the
boogie man because when you’re growing
up, you’re taught to fear things you don’t
understand, to fear things that you can’t see
or don’t understand.

When people can’t see mental illness, they
fear it. It’s taught to them from childhood.

So what we’ve got to do is educate people
to let them know that the boogie man isn’t
so scary.

That’s one of the best ways we can fight
stigma.

But you need to refuse to believe this about
bipolar disorder –

That the stigma makes you a lesser person.

Don’t believe the stigma, and you won’t be
a victim of it.

Change the way you see yourself, and
others will change the way they see you
(you will no longer be a victim).

See what I mean?

Stigma is a perception of someone else’s
state of mind. Someone else cannot make
you feel inferior because of their feelings.

By you knowing who you are, what you
are capable of, what they believe is their
own problem, not yours.

You’ve got to look at the person first
before you look at the symptoms, before
you look at the illness. If someone isn’t
capable of that, that’s not your problem,
and you shouldn’t allow them to affect
you in a manner that’s going to prove
them right.

I talk about stigma in my courses/systems,
not because I want to, because I really wish
we didn’t have to deal with it, but because
it’s a part of our society that we have to live
with, until we educate enough people about
bipolar disorder.

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

The way you view yourself should not
be dependent upon the way others
view you, anyway.

Here’s a perfect scenario:

If you see someone in a wheelchair,
how do you feel? Do you feel sorry
for them? Do you have pity on them?
Do they want you to have pity on them?
Or do they want to feel the same as you are?

Having bipolar disorder is like being that
person in the wheelchair. You want
people to see through the outside to the
person you are inside. You want people
to see that, like the person in the wheelchair,
you are like them. They just can’t see the
part of your body where your illness lies.

Even though our background and
circumstances may have influenced who
we are, we are still responsible for who
we become. It is your choice whether
you are seen as a victim of stigma or not.

Here’s what I’m talking about. It’s a
quote from a Jewish man named Victor
Frankl, who was a prisoner in a
concentration camp.

“Everything can be taken from a man
but one thing: the last of the human
freedoms – to choose one’s attitude
in any given set of circumstances,
to choose one’s own way.”

Now, if anyone could have chosen to
be a victim of stigma, it would have
been Frankl, yet he chose what he wrote.

You have to know that you don’t
have to be a victim of stigma, and
you cannot allow yourself to be one.
Like Frankl, you can choose your own
attitude about it.

You can choose to be a role model
for other people with bipolar disorder.

You can choose to educate those
people who are still scared, who don’t
understand.

You can choose to help other people
with the disorder stand up for themselves
so that they aren’t victims, either.

To succeed where in the past you may
have failed, to be stable when you weren’t
before, gives you the confidence to look
someone in the eye and say, “You’re wrong.”

Success with bipolar disorder means
to prove them wrong about
you – that you are not a victim,
but a survivor.

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

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

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Get More Help On Bipolar Disorder
Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each
one is designed to help you with a different
area of bipolar disorder whether you have it or
you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

View Past Daily Bipolar Emails For F.REE
Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/

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mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com

  1. David I have no fear of death never had. But even though I am a week home from hospital the suicidal thoughts and plans that were there before i went in are still very strong. what scares me is that i am not afraid to put my family out of their burden of me. I am on zyprexa 2.5mg, lamicatal 100mg, zimovane 7.5mg and cipramil 40mg.
    even with all the tablets i still cant sleep at nite and spend most of the days in bed crying.

    I just want to go in peace. I cant go on.
    God Bless Amanda

  2. hi there david
    just want you to know that your emails are greatly appreciated. you are the only support i have with dealing with my so who has bipolar. i read each and every single one. cant wait to open my mail in the morning to see what i can do to make life more bearable for my son each day. we stay in south africa in a tiny little place called mpumalanga. we dont have such wonderful facilities we have to travel for 2 hours to get to my sons doctors. so any news on bipolar is wonderful for me. just would like to get a hold of someone nearby that i can chat to. its so nice to find out how other people deal with this. i dont always know if im handling it right but with your website im learning a lot.
    GOD BLESS
    AMBER

  3. HI DAVE ….I respect all the work you do it must be hard for you to think ov somthink to say every day. But you say your an auther, so what storys do you no about the boogie man. O by the way do you work for the mentel health or do you have something to do with it cos thats were the Email comes from, Am just been noisey. If you think the Emials are getting to much for you, you can stop sending me them ok.
    Take Care Linda x
    P.S I wont take it pesonal.

  4. This is really excellent stuff. Like Frankl – I read about a guy in the Vietnamese war called Stockdale and he developed a way of thinking whilst a POW that no matter what people do to him, he chooses to remain positive and that at the end of the day he will be ok. SO likewise, in bipolar, if we do what we can re meds, diet, exercise, support groups etc, then life can throw its curve balls at us and even though 1 or 2 may hit us, with the right attitude, at the end of the day we’ll be ok. History is full of characters who have overcome personal difficulties to become victorious. I have found in my bipolar experience that if I allow the disease to get me down and assume the victim mentality – then I get into this visciuos negative cycle. But if I manage my expectations and thoughts, I’m amazed at what I can achieve against all odds.

    Thanks for all your work Dave. Regards Dave

  5. I don’t have a comment, I have a question. I am a bi-polar supporter. I have been dating this man for about a year. He takes his medication faithfully, morning and night. He is a very kind and loving person. I asked him if he has ever been violent. He said no. He was diagnosed as bi-polar due to extreme depression and nervous breakdown. Is there a chance he can become violent? Also, with the medication, he cannot have sex but maybe twice weekly. It just doesn’t want to work. Is this due to the medication or low testerone levels? Can his doctor determine this? Is there any recommendation from you on this?

  6. To SHEILA: Yes, the antipsychotics your boyfriend is on for his bipolar CAN affect his libido. If I were him, I’d talk to his doctor about this intimate problem, and see if there can be a change in meds. This happened to me when I was married to my first husband 20 years ago. I was feeling NOTHING, so I had to fake it in bed. He never knew, thank God, but I’m glad, because I was able to please him before he died.

    There is ALWAYS the chance that he COULD have a “violent” streak, but ONLY in an episode. There are changes in behavior you can watch for, and if they continue, ALSO have him see his doctor for a med check. Good luck to you!

    About stigma: it was WAAAY worse 20-30 years ago than it is now. With ads on TV for Abilify and Cymbalta, people are more aware that emotional illnesses are out there, and are TREATABLE. They also seem to me to be saying ANYONE can be a “survivor” of a mental illness, especially bipolar disorder. It has become the “designer disorder” this millinium, and people don’t seem to be “scared” of it anymore. The flip side is like – when I went to the Community Mental Health Clinic yesterday, there were a couple of people with mental illness that were BAD off. You could tell they weren’t doing well – talking to themselves, poorly dressed, not connected with the real world. I can say that because I, TOO, have been in that position, especially in a manic episode. BUT – I know NOW how to TRY to avoid a manic episode by staying close to my pDoc and therapist, so they can monitor my moods. Unfortunately, I live alone, with no supporter to help me.

    To DAVE: This is one of the VERY best emails you have EVER sent out. You said what needed to be said, and I know you have helped a LOT of people, myself included. Keep up the good/hard work; it means a LOT that you care about us…

    BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.

  7. To AMANDA: “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” I don’t know WHY your doctor released you in a depression, but it’s NOT the first time that has happened. During my last hospitalization, I went in in a manic episode, and they released me 2 months later when my insurance ran out, in a DEEP clinical depression.

    I HEARTILY advise you talk to your doctor IMMEDIATELY and tell him/her that your suicide ideation has come back full-force, and to see if they can tweak your meds.

    I am soooo sorry you are feeling badly. Reach out to me, if you like, and I will respond. My screen name is: Slmsmc@aol.com. Stay strong, and don’t do ANYTHING foolish until you talk to me.

  8. Hi,

    Here is a follow up post to why my name shows up as on behalf of David Oliver.

    Here is what the tech people said. Get ready for your head to hurt 🙂

    Dave,

    We have been using a form of email authentication referred to as
    “domain keys” for both Yahoo!, and Gmail for quite some time, but
    recently started authenticating all of our mail sent using this process.
    This form of authentication results in much higher levels of deliverability,
    as this is a standard form of authentication.

    For certain email clients, including some versions of outlook, when an email
    is authenticated, you will see, after you click on the email to view it that
    the email is from: yourlistname@aweber.com on behalf of
    you@yourdomain.com

    This is how outlook displays authenticated messages.

    As far as that message ending up in the spam folder, obviously authenticating
    an email is an email best practice, and would not lead that message into the spam
    folder. ISPs want senders to use authentication, as it proves the identity of a sender.

    Outlook uses a practice called content filtering to filter messages, and something
    specific within that message is causing it to be placed into the spam folder.

  9. I just wanted to make sure that the information I was reading each day, was actually from David.

    Just got a little confused when I read who the sender line on the recent emails.

    Question asked, and answered.

  10. I would like everyone to know that the stigma still exists in this world. I have experienced especially this past year.The worst part was my hippa rights were violated in the local hospital I had to go to before being transferred to a psychiatric hospital in another town. (hippa is a law that protects your confidentiality). There was a nurse who should have taken herself out of the equation d/t a conflict of interest. I also went from a low risk to a high risk in a matter of an hour!? I am in the process of checking my records and checking the physican’s credentials. I am also going to check out tomorrow if we have a support group for Bipolar Disorder in my community. If we don’t I am seriously thinking about starting one. I want to add something to the person who is still having suicidal ideation’s, please call your doctor, I still had the same thoughts when I got out of the hospital, called a neighbor, because I knew there were guns and ammunition in the house and no longer wanted to die, but was so afraid that I might not have the strength to stop myself. Thank God my husband had already removed them, because I had previously had asked him, but had forgotten. So please reach out to whom ever you can, your life is worth saving, you will get better! I did! This to shall pass! God be with you! Debra

  11. SHEILA, your boyfriend seems much the same as mine. My boyfriend is loving, caring, generous and fun to be with when stable. During a manic episode he is not himself. Last year something happened to trigger an episode. He stopped taking his meds and eventually ended up in the psych ward for 6 weeks. He said dreadful things to me and at times threatened me (verbally). It can be very scary to see the man you love acting like he is possessed by a demon. Afterwards he did not remember half of what he had said and done during the episode. His libido is not what it used to be, since he has been on anti-psychotics. Once in a while it really wakes up and that’s always worth waiting for (lol). It could be testosterone deficiency as well though and maybe the meds can cause the deficiency. (That’s just a guess, I’m not a medical professional). He is going to see his doctor about it shortly. You need to have patience.

    Common signs of an on-coming episode to watch out for:
    Very fast speech, little or no sleep, extreme enthusiasm, spending sprees, making bad decisions. Dave lists and describes a few more on his website. These are the most common. Everyone is different and bipolar disorder is totally unpredictable. The worst thing is when he is feeling great, then believes he doesn’t need his meds and can’t be persuaded to get help.

    The best you can do is to know who his doctor and his psychiatrist are, so you can contact them in an emergency.

  12. Dave, thank you for discussing “stigma”. I know now that it is my own doing as to whether or not I have this. (My attitude toward myself).
    Cindy

  13. I have been receiving your messages daily for at least 4 months. I look forward to reading them every morning – they give me inspiration, information and encouragement. Our daughter has been in treatment since last September – she is only 20 and I know we have a long road for recovery. Don’t ever let anyone discourage you from your passion – you have helped me deal with challenges everyday – god bless you – YOU have been my support system EVERY DAY! Thank you!

  14. Hi Dave and friend!

    Thanks for the excellent email today. To AMBER: I am also in South Africa and supporting a husband with bi-polar.
    Please feel free to contact me if you want to chat.
    My email address: cwessels1@fnb.co.za.
    To all out there, God is good, all the time and without His help none of us would be able to make it.
    Pray for one another and your loved ones.
    God bless you Dave, and your team, for all the wonderful work you do for us all.
    Colleen, South Africa.

  15. My daughter is bipolar. Sometimes it’s just more than i can handle. She’s so flighty she changes her mind every 5 minutes about what she wants to do with her life.

  16. Hi Dave,
    I have been reading all your emails, and after reading the email regarding loosing weight with being bi-polar I wonder how you handle weight loss any different because your bi-polar? Should bi-polar people eat differently than people without? You should create a course on how to walk and use the bathroom properly with Bi-Polar too!! Or oh wait! How about a course on how people with bi-polar should groom their pets….or maybe how to take advantage of idiots that happen to be bi-polar.
    Matt

  17. Hey David,
    Just because “you were forced into this” doesn’t mean you have to make a profit off of information.
    Matt

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