First I wanted to thank all the people that have written comments
on my blog. If you want me to read something for sure, write it
on my blog. I read 100% of the blog entries.
Dawn wrote on my blog at:
http://supporterblog.blogspot.com/
NOTE: What I have done is posted my responses noted with DO>
DAWN:
Hey Dave,
It’s Dawn. I just wanted to say yes, I have heard of a lot of people
losing thousands of dollars because of the irresponsible behavoir that comes with Bi-Polar Disorder. However, there are some of us out there that
don’t necessarily have that exact problem.
DO> That’s great. BUT, do believe you should have a system in place
that will prevent this from happening if it should. I always say
hope for the best, but plan for the worst. It only take a short
period of time to wipe out your finances.
DAWN:
The problem I have is that my everyday bills exceed my means. The only way I can see to fix that is to go back to work and get off of disablity but in order to do that I have to go school so I can get a job that isn’t going to put me into an episode from the stress.
DO> I see another way, cut your expenses if possible, if you have d.e.b.t
cut that using a system. You can get a bunch of books on cutting expenses
and saving m.o.n.e.y. You would be surprised all the ways there are to
do this. Or see my course at www.bipolarcentral.com/debtletter
Also, you should work to add extra income. I teach people
to be creative. For example, can you get a part time low stress job and s.t.a.r.t a home b.u.s.i.n.e.s.s. BUT you have to be careful not to exceed
the limits on what you can make on disability. Make sure you talk your
plan over with your doctor as well to monitor your treatment plan.
I think you have to look at possibly doing a split between a job and other
h.o.m.e business income. NOTE-I am not an accountant or offering legal or
financial advice but you should consider with a business you can
expense and write off things related to the business. This saves money.
The extra money can go towards paying off your d.e.b.t. Check out
books in the book store or the library related to this subject. Or
look at what I have at: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarbusiness
Do NOT sink a ton of m.o.n.e.y into the business.
Watch out for m.ulti l.evel marketing schemes or anything that sounds
way too good to be true. I actually wrote the book on scams literarily.
I am one of the nationals leading experts on identifying get r.i.c.h
quick schemes. I have a book titled “Get Rich Quick Schemes Finally
Exposed.”
Consider picking one or two that are simple to start up and generate immediate profits with high margins. Side note: I helped a lady start a plant watching business. Less than $10 to start and pretax margins are 98% or so. She keeps 98 cents or so for every dollar she makes.
She makes like $500 to $800 a month, last I heard. Totally stress f.ree
and very simple to do.
If you, your doctor, and others involved in your support feel you can
create enough of a stable income, you may consider getting off disability
BUT make sure you think it through carefully. Run ALL the numbers FIRST.
DAWN:
Now that is putting me into debt because I only get so much f.r.e.e funding, the rest has to be covered by student loans. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you but that adds up real quick. I’m looking at around $16,000.00 by the time I finish my bachelors degree. So my question on that is do you know of any scholarship programs that can assist in this area.
DO> I am not sure. I have had people ask me about this. If I were
you, I would research books on how to get scholarships, look for PAID
services that find them for you and talk to guidance counselors
or people in college admissions offices. The paid services, although
cost money, are really efficient and have guarantees of some kind.
Take all the information and you will most likely have the answer.
I think there are paid services that do this for you however.
I don’t know who. Check google.com and research.
Lastly, I would think that you could get more scholarships not
connected to bipolar disorder but ones like everyone else can get. But
I am not 100% sure.
DAWN:
My school said that if I keep my grades up above a “B” then I will qualify for a few programs but I have to have two terms under me before I can apply. At that point I will already have incurred about $4,000.00 in student loans. Do you know of any other way?
DO> What I wrote above. If you got my course at:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11 and fill out the form
for non legal and medical advice (remember I am NOT a doctor or
lawyer or accountant) and fax or mail to me. I will
call you on my dime and spend time brainstorming a plan. I have
too many ideas to write in this medium. But what I wrote already
should put you on the right track.
Remember to talk to your doctor about your plan to make sure
your treatment is line with your goals.
Finally look at your skills. If you can get a higher paying job,
you can work less. Can you consult anyone with anything? Consulting
pays very well. You can be a consultant on a wide variety of things.
I just hired a lady who is consulting me on how to organize my
physical files and my files on my computer. Many people know how
to do this but she took action and started a b.usiness to do it.
She makes great money.
=======================================
Well that’s it for today. I have to run. Lots of things to
do today. Catch you later.
Oh I forgot. I saw the movie Breach on Sunday. It was EXCELLENT.
I highly recommend it. Anyone see The Number 23? I heard bad
things from some friends but one friend said it was good.
Dave
I would like to apologize to Dave, for not responding to any of his e-mails sooner. I read each e-mail that you send, however, as I do not suffer with the disorder personally, I have loved ones that have been diagnosed with it. I also suspect a loved one of having this disorder, but he won’t get treatment. Your mailings have been very informative on a personal level, and this copy of your response to Dawn was very helpful for me.
I want to know if ADHD and Bipolor has anything in common a friend of mine has bipolor and his daughter was diegnosed with ADHD I have read your comments on bipolor saying people tell things that don’t happen to them and I wonder if my friends daughter has done that she’s 8 years old is she too young to be tested for bipolor she told something on her step granpa that he touched her but that was never proven because it was never investigated it was turned over to the police but they never did anything obviously they didn’t believe anything happened please let me know if there is any simularities with ADHD and Bipolor? thanks Jane
I tried to respond to your email last week, and I was unable to due to needing a new account. What I wanted to say, is that your emails are helpful to me but I wonder about the rest of the family! You did say the whole family needs to be involved in order to prevent relapses!
As far as this new post, I know from experience that children are never believed, and it hurts the child to know there is nobody to turn to when it does happen!
I would like to comment on Jane’s post! The police do not do anything, judges are biased toward the person accused, and children are not believed until they are teenagers! So it is difficult to say whether anything happened in your friend’s daughter’s case, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen either. That is why it is so common for children to be molested and nobody believes them! So it continues…..what happens, if the mother is bipolar, the judge will not listen to her at all…even if she has not had an episode in decades! And lawyers and judges both can twist your words around…the most honest person can look like a liar in court, and the most accomplished liars, probably get away with it cause they are good liars…..Some doctors do diagnose bipolar in toddlers, and a 4 year old recently died from the medicines her doctor prescribed her! She was 2 when she was diagnosed and 4 when she died….her parents were arrested!
I just read the email regarding Dawn and her financial situation. Dave, I am actually working right now to go off disability and get a job. I should graduate in may with my bachelors and believe I can then climb out of the debt I am in. I was almost there at one time until I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and then with Bipolar. I will soon be able to work and get out of debt… IT IS POSSIBLE!
HI Dawn and Dave,
Carol in South Africa here…
In our country people with mental illness and on disability can study for a fraction of the price. The universities classify them as “disabled” and they get all the “perks” this implies. My brother has bipolar and he completed a maths degree through the distance learning university UNISA and paid only 10% of the fees.
It meant he could take as long as he needed to get his degree (no stress) and didn’t strain my mom’s finances (his main caregiver).
In the US you should be eligible for a ton of perks if you are on a disability grant. Check out your distance learning institutions – ask them about fees for the “disabled”.
Good luck
Cheers
Carol
I have been reading your emails and want to say thanks for your dedication. I have been researching BP trying to gain the knowledge of any reasons and any prevention of the hurt my brother is experiencing. My brother is a wonderful daddy and has been a devoted husband. His two boys mean the world to him, He loves his wife despite all the evil mean things she has, and still is putting him through, (due to her diagnosis of BP) which has been 6 yrs. ago and They have been married going on 11 yrs. The first of January he has been served with divorce papers. His whole life now…Constant heartbroke..Scared..and Sad. I hurt for them so bad…But I know its not an inch compared to my brothers hurt and the hurt i know my nephews will have to come. She to has the money money money spend spend spend and always has as long as I remember her. She has been the abuser in their relationship And i Have seen it for many yrs. now And Hes really been through torture and belittlement mentally abusing him and I’m really upset with her this time. and really don’t even want to talk to her. Especially from the things i have learned over the past mth. She hates everything about him she says..She will be better off without him. How can someone if they had a heart do this? A Daddy’s Love for his Children..He has put up with it all these years for the love of the children…She knows what this will do to the boys..They love their Daddy. And she has always been jealous of that and now plays mind games(especially their oldest son 10yrs old) to feel sorry for her .And there 4 yr. old steadily buying for him. Oh I’m sorry for just going on and on but I pray along with god’s Guidance that you or someone may have any info or suggestions to ease the turmoil in my brothers life and I know it will even get worse for him. We were talking the other day he had really been upset that nite before thoughts and fears going on he told me that he lays there thinking…Is this the last nite Before all our lives are split.He said that this was the worst scarriest feeling, He reads and prays every nite with the boys this has been a forever thing with them. (Oh lord I still pray to give my brother the strength) But I am so disappointed that my sisiter n law is doing this especially after all my brothers support and taking the mental whippings and tounge lashings. She has always let me repeat always had to have the control…..never has included my brother with any finances. When He would inquire about things(after she had done jumped all over him about things) She becomes irate screaming…Not to worry about balances or where **’HER’** Money went Oh my gosh….thats another whole chapter. Like I said its money money money for her never enough belittles my brother front of many of his friends let alone their boys (which he says in front of the boys is his embarrassment) But its about how much more money she makes than him. I have found out in the last mth. Hes been going through more **** than i ever realized. He is tore down and i want to help but dont know how. As with I know you see in alot of people along with life experiences with your mom the toll and destruction BP does to a persons family. All the family…Her family always try to pay her way out of the illness and never looks for opportunities to find solutions to help her and See all the problems…..All it has ever been is blamed on my brother the debt the whole picture is always my brothers fault. He has never been good enough for her. Her parents are just as bad, with the belittlement. We are from the country… not the country club… And raised having to earn our keep we may not have money, but they are no better, just better off financially. And my brother cant go up against their (always thrown up at him) money. Right now especially even more because she always buys buys buys stuff for the boys. I mean constant. My brother cant and doesn’t want them having everything handed to them. He wants them to appreciate and respect things. But once again she controls so he has no say! She has been hospitalized twice I know of in the last 5 yrs. Admitting wrong to my brother and in her therapy she did the steps thing to recovery or whatever they call it one of her things was to communicate with my brother and involve him in the finances. To sit down twice mthly and go over them with him. Which Never happened. When she seems to be backed against the wall and feels some lost of control its then she gos screaming faults to brother or or lies about him all him until finally she steps up to, some, well let me say a little of her responsibilities. But its now once again all him and now shes filed for divorce and now is the time my brother is really seeing that his life with his kids are in jeopardy because she’s not going to change her decision, and he will fight for his rights to his children….But courts almost always favor in mother side…And he cant go pay 5 or 6 thousand retainer fee..so already feels the negativety.. but he cant accept not going to be with them every night. And seeing them wake up every morning . His life has always been them boys. He needs all the support and info input anything anyone can tell me to help him through this horrible nightmare. If you lasted this long in comment I thank you and appologize if I am not in the right place to comment. And will cut off here before going on another of couple hours typing and crying. seems long but its only a few things that has went on. well I didn’t hit publish comment last night sat and thought about it..feeling that its stupid.. But its real..so now here it goes.. Thanks, and God Bless.
Hey dave,
My name is steve and i have rsd/crps type 2 , a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I’ve been clean for two months. I’m also bipolar. I’m interested in the fact that you’ve experienced bipolar head on and sometimes it’s better to hear someone whose been through it, instead of somebody flipping through a text book to solve or help your issues. I know because i’ve been in three institutions and in counseling since i was six, i’m now 29. Just thought i’d introduce myself and say thanks.
Hello and SNOW??! I’m in Texas and don’t really believe in it (ha). But I do have faith more and more in yourself and your site. I’ve been in and out of prison for ten years and off and on meds and then fit in having two babies…needless to say, I’ve made a complicated life even if I wasn’t a lunatic, so far as things go. I’m desperate to figure out a consistent schedule, and a way to contribute to the household income. Your info is tantalizing and seems truly to lead to optimism and opportunity. I’m going to try to buy the program and specific business guides. Thanks for the hard work.