Hi,
How are you?
I hope you’re feeling fine.
Have you ever heard the expression, “It’s my way or the highway?”
Or heard Frank Sinatra sing, “My Way?”
I’m sure you’ve at least come across people who think that their way is always right.
(Difficult people to deal with, aren’t they?)
We’d all like to have things our own way.
But life just isn’t like that.
You learn very early in life that you can’t get your way sometimes.
Just think about any teenager you know (or have raised)!
They have to do things their parents’ way.
We learn that there are rules that we have to obey – we have to do things the government’s way.
When we work at a job, we have to do things the boss’s way.
If we’re married, we have to get used to sometimes doing things our spouse’s way.
If we’re sick and want to get well, we do things our doctor’s way.
Well, if you have bipolar disorder, you have to do things the bipolar way.
In my courses/systems, I teach you about doing things the bipolar way, and what that consists of.
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?
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You just can’t do things your own way if you have bipolar disorder.
There are going to be things you have to do that you don’t like.
Like taking medication for the rest of your life.
Or going to see a doctor, psychiatrist and therapist on a regular basis.
Or having to stick to a strict sleep schedule.
Or having to eat healthy.
Or having to exercise.
You might even have to get used to not working.
And having your finances stretched.
But worst of all, you have to get used to having bipolar episodes, and the after-effects of them.
And that, you definitely won’t like.
But learning how to do all these things, and accepting and doing them, is doing things the bipolar way.
It doesn’t mean that your bipolar disorder controls you – in fact, it’s the opposite.
Doing things the bipolar way is respecting the limitations that having the disorder puts on you, and being successful and stable in spite of them.
So, in fact, you are in control of your bipolar disorder instead of it being in control of you.
Although it may be hard to accept at first, having bipolar disorder makes you different from other people, and you may have to get used to that.
Now, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, necessarily, because I have several people who work for me that have bipolar disorder, and they are some of the most intelligent, creative
people I know (even compared to people without the disorder).
But the point is, if you think you can do things your own way, you’re going to find out quickly that your way won’t work.
You have to adjust to the bipolar way.
It means you have to make some lifestyle changes, but these changes will lead to stability for you.
What about you?
Are you still trying to do things your own way?
Do you agree with me about doing things the bipolar way?
Post responses below
I find bi-polar people difficult to deal with in the work place. Always back stabbing, and trying to undermine you. Why is that?
They are also hard to get along with and very opinated.
HI DAVIE BABE…..
Yes I am okay…hope your well….I think if you think you are right all the time well you are not listerning to what
other people are say and taking there thoughts on bord…
you have to look at the situation from all angles…and I no some people may not be in the same state of mind but that is down to there illness…or there may just be having a bad day…Dave if you read this can you not send me any Email for the next week because am taking a break..
Take Care Linda x
I found out, through trial and error (and 3 hospitalizations), that I HAD to do it the “bipolar way.” I HAD to leave Washington, D.C., even though the “Potomac River ran through my veins,” because it was making me both physically and mentally ill. I HAD to stop reading the Bible MY way, and interpreting it MY way, or else I would go back into the delusions I had before. I HAD to regulate my sleep/wake cycles, or I would become hypomanic. I HAD to limit myself to ONE man, instead of being promiscuous and thinking THAT wouldn’t harm me.
In fact, I’m now medication-compliant, go to bed early, see my shrink and therapist regularly, and give up on a LOT of the things that USED to make me happy, in order to stay SANE.
I am in NO way, “Superwoman.” I can’t do it ALL. Why, I can’t even “multitask” because I get distracted. I HAD to learn how to NOT go to work, and live on Disability – and be HAPPY about it. Some dreams are better off NOT being realized for the sake of “controlling” the bipolar disorder.
Am I HAPPY being bipolar?? NO WAY, but I realize I am NOT like other people. I DO have limitations imposed on me by my illness. But there ARE things I CAN do to accommodate the bipolar, and be more in control of my illness.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
To Susan:
with respect there’s a whole heap of people out there in the workplace that backstab and undermine others efforts and are self opinionated and they are definitely not Bipolar.
Anyway what you say Dave about the Bipolar way is just sooo right… my daughter Rachel has to adhere to the Bipolar way if she is to be in control of her Bipolar on a daily basis: she tried to do things her way and got sicker and sicker and it wasn’t until she realised she would not get better or even hang onto stability if she didn’t go the Bipolar way did she show any improvement- my daughter has been stabilized for the last 5 months and she continues every day to follow through on all aspects of her bipolar plan – yep she has her bad days and we are beginning to map those too and to find out the Bipolar way to treat them – thank you Dave for all your help
regards
Shona
Dave
I enjoyed your article on doing things your own way.
sounds like me.
I am bipolar I for have been twenty years.
I have ordered “7 Secrets of Living with Bipolar Disorder” and am waiting for it to come.
Sincerely,
Mary L. Ritenburg
this is one of your best posts. I have learned it all by experience (some not very pleasant)