=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <=
Hi,
How’s it going?
Hope you are doing well.
Hey, it’s snowing here today. I didn’t
even know it was suppose to snow today.
But I like the snow. It was much better
back when I could have “snow days” and
get a day off from school. Now, my
boss is so demanding I don’t get days
off (I am my own boss 🙂
Anyway, I wanted to write a quick note
on something that I thought of–the
bipolar disorder lesson from the Giants
football team.
Last night was the Super Bowl. The Super
Bowl is when two football teams play
each other for the championship at
the end of the year.
Football is the sport where there is a
ball that people throw around. If you
are from another country, just
run a search in google to find out.
Why am I explaining this? Well I have
had over 175,000 people sign up for
my list and there are lots of international
people that might not know.
Anyway, here’s the deal. The New England
Patriots were undefeated the entire season.
The expected to win and win big against
The Giants. ALL experts predicted this.
The experts said New England was the greatest
team EVER and that there was NO chance
the Giants could win.
Well guess what? The Giants did win.
What’s the bipolar lesson? It’s that
sometimes you have to take what experts
in the mental health field say with
a grain of salt–or ignore it. Especially
when it comes to who can become successful
or get bipolar disorder under control.
If you are a bipolar supporter, you will
be faced with a steady stream of negatively
probably. Many from those in the mental
health field. You may hear:
-your loved one won’t get better
-your loved one is a mess
-your loved one can’t ever do this
that and the other thing and won’t be normal
-you’re loved one will keep being out of control
forever
-there’s little hope
How do I know? Experts told me this about my
mom. Not only did experts tell me this, my own
family doubted there was hope for my mom.
BUT many times, these experts are wrong.
If you have bipolar disorder, you’ll hear
a lot of negative stuff as well:
-you’ll never be stable
-you’ll never be able to beat bipolar disorder or
control it
-you’ll never be able to start that business you
want to start
-you’ll never find the right combinations of medications
etc.
Even though many times this is totally not true.
You can’t let negative experts bring you down.
Now you should welcome realistic thinking like:
“bipolar is a serious condition and requires
a serious treatment plan that may take an extended
period of time to get just right” but not the
kind of statements that suggest success can
never be reached.
If I look at everyone that works for me with
bipolar disorder, ALL were told they were hopeless
and that they basically could not control bipolar.
It was suggested that Michele Soloway that works for
me be permanently put in an institution for the rest
of her life. “They” said there was no hope for her.
Well, she now works for me and is one of the most
incredible people I have ever worked with. What she
gets done is amazing. Not to mention
all the other people who work for me with bipolar
disorder.
Actually I was just thinking of something. Over
the years, my mom racked up massive d.ebt through
her episodes to the tune of over $30,000. That’s
a ton.
I was told by experts in the mental health field
that there was NO way she could pay it all off. It
was impossible I was told. Guess what? I put together
a system and this month, she made her last payment.
She paid it ALL off herself. ALL.
If I could figure out how to use my scanner, I would
scan all the sheets I have over the years showing
how she incrementally paid it off slowly but surely.
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
Virtually every success story that I have
as an interview reveals the odd were
against them and they were told success
was unlikely. I include these success interviews
in my material to first, let the people reveal
the real life strategies they use and secondly,
give you inspiration that you can do it as well.
If the people who are my success stories can
do it, why can’t you? Well you can.
Now the Giants did what I did. The believed in
themselves. They had a plan and strategy and
the executed it well.
That’s what you need to do with bipolar
disorder. Believe. Have a plan and strategy.
Execute like you have never executed a plan
or strategy before.
I have to run. Catch you tomorrow.
Your Friend,
Dave
P.S. Want your own copy of these daily bipolar
emails sent to you for F.ree? If so, visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/register3
P.P.S. 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.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp
P.P.P.S. 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/
P.P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
My son was diagnosed as being bi-polar two years ago. The doctor, a psychiatrist, put him on medication. Finally, I got the doctor to change his medication. I could see a difference in him almost immediately!!!! That was over six months ago!He still has a little rage inside, but his “episodes of anger” don’t last as long.
When I was first hospitalized, I did not grasp that I WAS a mental patient. I was just on the psych ward for “exhaustion.” Then – it dawned on me – I had lost it all – my dream job, my fiance, my apartment – and I cried desperately in my Mother’s arms.
It is a hopeless feeling when you realize you’ll be stigmatized with bipolar for the rest of your life. I KNEW I was smart; I just didn’t know part of my brain was “off.” Everything I believed in my delusions were just that – delusions. I couldn’t trust my own THOUGHTS. THAT’S scary…
In my subsequent hospitalizations, my delusions recurred, but I wasn’t “smart” enough to recognize them. I just went along with them, “hoping” they were the “truth.” But, alas, they were still delusions.
I hope I have matured in my illness to the point where I WILL recognize the wayward thoughts for what they are – a trick that my mind plays on me when I am sick. One of my psychiatrists told me in 2001 that “you have the wisdom to know what will throw you into a manic.” THAT gave me a hope for a future; that I could discern the delusions from truth.
I have tried VERY hard to stay on the straight-and-narrow. I have followed my treatment plan, taken my meds religiously, and limited my stressors. I have not had a hospitalization in 31 years, and don’t ever expect to have another one.
However, bipolar disorder IS scary. It can/will sneak up on you when you least expect it. You have to recognize your triggers, and make an appointment, STAT, to talk to someone. I have trustworthy supporters in my psychiatrist and my therapist. They know me well enough to tell the bipolar from Suzanne, and how to “tweak” my meds to get me back to “normal.”
I have no supporters aside from the above two people, but I’m doing OK. Reading and learning from others on this blog, as well as putting in “my two cents” when I can help someone else, helps ME to clear my mind of unwanted thoughts. I hope YOU feel the same way. There IS hope for recovery AND a little bit of “sanity” in this insane world.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love them. Stay sane, and God loves you, and so do I.
Dave, I’ve been on your mailing list since shortly after my husband was diagnosed with bipolar. He’s on medication and is going to counseling but his episodes now are mini compared to what they used to be. I have a question — As much as I try to maintain a positive atmosphere for him, how can you not be negative about an idea that seems so “grandiose”. Is it a mini manic episode or is it a real idea-dream-wish-belief, etc? During a manic episode, my husband can save the world and do everything under the sun, and the moon for that matter. As a supporter, what should I look for that will tell me the difference if this is real or bipolar.
Dave, I love your emails about the weather – all that snow you’ve been getting. Maybe where you live the seasons are still more defined and you get a real snowy winter and a sunny summer. Our weather in the British Isles is rapid cycling bipolar! It changes from one extreme to another within days, sometimes hours. A couple of weeks ago the temperatures were 10-14C, then they suddenly dropped down to freezing -4C. Last Friday it was definitely manic, when we had gales and floods and sleet with the sun getting through occasionally for just a few minutes. Today it’s been a bit warmer but very gloomy. My mood often depends a lot on the weather. My boyfriend, who is bipolar 1 doesn’t seem to notice the weather too much. He can be “up” on the darkest coldest day and “down” on the sunniest. But then the weather’s episodes change much more often.