Hi, how’s it going? I hope you’re doing well.

Remember the “good old days” before computers and the Internet? We actually had to do real research in the library! We had to read things from books! I love the library. There are five of them that I go to, and I go all the time. To me, it’s always been what a playground is to children.

I can find anything I want. And sometimes, the harder stuff to find, well, that’s like searching for lost treasure to me. I think a library is one of the greatest places to go.

But kids today are raised on the Internet, with instant results. So people growing up like that have a tendency to expect instant results from everything.

How does that relate to bipolar disorder? Well, think about it.

People who grew up using the library instead of the Internet are used to a slower way of doing things. They’re used to waiting, and waiting patiently I might add! (Remember those lines to check out books?)

But others expect instant results. And they are not patient, either. So if they have a loved one with bipolar disorder, they are going to tend to expect instant results.

But results from bipolar recovery do not come quickly – it takes TIME to recover from bipolar disorder. If you are the one who has the disorder, and you are of the Internet age, you might lose patience with your medication too quickly and think it’s not working, and want to go off it.

But that would be the worst thing you could do. It takes time to find the right medication. It takes time to find the right combination of medications. It takes time to find the right dosage(s).

It takes time for the medication to get to a good level in your system. It takes time for that medication to do what you need it to do. You can’t lose patience.

And if you go off the medication, you’ll just have to start all over again. And hopefully, in the meantime, you don’t go into an episode.

If you are a supporter, and are of the Internet age, your impatience might show with your loved one. You want them to get better. You want them to be better now. It’s hard to be patient and wait for them to reach stability, which can take a long time. But you can’t lose patience.

You need to be supportive and understanding and hang in there. You will eventually see results,

you just won’t see them right away.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave