Hi,
How are you today?
Well yesterday I didn’t have Jury Duty. It was for a county that I don’t even live in. I have
no idea why I was invited since I don’t live in that county. What a waste of time.
Anyway, let’s jump in to today’s topic.
Some title, huh?
Ok, today I’m going to play magician for you, and teach you three MAGIC WORDS when it comes to bipolar disorder!
Only kidding!
Naw, only kidding about the “magic” part. The rest is true.
Because you and I both know that there is nothing magic about bipolar disorder.
No magic pill to cure it.
No magic wand to make it go away.
No magic words to make your loved one better.
But there are THREE words that can help you and your loved one to manage their bipolar disorder better:
1. CONSISTENCY
2. PERSISTENCE
3. BALANCE
CONSISTENCY
Just like the story of the tortoise and the hare, and the lesson that you learned about “slow and
steady wins the race,” you must then follow it with consistency.
In the thesaurus, consistency has other synonyms for it, like: symmetry, clearness, uniformity,
agreement, connection, tenacity, and conformity.
In my courses/systems I talk about how you MUST be consistent in your routine and treatment program in order to become stable with bipolar disorder.
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:
If you have bipolar disorder, being consistent in your routine, with your sleep schedule, healthy diet and exercise, gives you a greater chance of stability with your disorder.
You also need to be consistent with your medication and with your treatment.
These things are CRUCIAL for you to achieve stability.
Remember the “slow and steady wins the race” idea.
Consistency will eventually pay off for you in the long run.
Supporters have to be consistent as well, in their love, support and understanding, as their loved one becomes more consistent.
PERSISTENCE
If someone is consistent, it is much easier for them to follow that with persistence.
Persistence is when you set your goals and you go after those goals, not letting anything stand
in your way.
Someone famous said, “If you believe it, you can achieve it.” But I’m telling you, you cannot achieve it by sitting at home just thinking about it. Productivity is SO important for someone with bipolar disorder.
Without it, it is too easy to become idle, lazy, bored, and…
Depressed.
Which can very easily trigger someone into a bipolar depressive episode.
Setting goals and achieving them (being productive) is one of the best ways not only to avoid a bipolar episode, but also to be productive.
Being productive leads to a better lifestyle, and eventually to stability.
IF you are PERSISTENT enough to get there!
BALANCE
You also must maintain a balance physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
It’s like a table with four legs.
If one leg is out of balance, the other 3 might be able to keep you balanced, but not by much (depending on how strong the other 3 are).
But if 2 are out of balance, your life will definitely be out of balance.
And when someone with bipolar disorder is out of balance, they will go into an episode.
So balance is an absolute necessity in your loved one’s life.
You can be a big help here. The more balanced you are, first of all, the easier it will be for you to handle your loved one’s “bipolar world.”
Second of all, you will be a good example to your loved one of what it’s like when someone has balance in their life, and want it for themselves.
So when you have CONSISTENCY, PERSISTENCE, and BALANCE all working together, your loved one has a VERY good chance for stability!
Which of these is the most troublesome in your life?
Which seems the hardest for your loved one?
Post responses below
After almost 6 years I have been on your list and most of the time this was my only support I find that you have provided informative and excellent support.
However this is depandant on other resourses and they fail misberly in Nova Scotia , Canada .Our system has turned to criminal not Mental Health and let my family down over and over.
Keep searching you say ,I did! Be positive ,I tried !
Now I have seperated , burned out , a mentally ill man is in MY home .Burned rugs , no power [think of the results of that one ] It takes more than one man in the USA to help .I commend you effort but I am not a winer I deal with the results and facts ever day.
The mentally ill are now ‘The forgotten people ” It has come to serious issues that have destroyed some very important things in my life !
My job ,I worked as A Canada Post employee
My home, I no longer can live in
My credit etc.etc.
A human being that needed help and will end up on the street
Our goverment makes rules , but rarely do they have to live them
Sorry David but we are not all winey people , we have to keep going and burned out !
Carla
in Canada
DAve,
I love the idea of what you were talking about. It just seems really difficult for my husband to see that I am balanced and happy. He thinks that I am mocking him, or even trying to make him feel worthless. I know that it is the bipolar talking and I know that he really doesn’t mean the things he says or even thinks. But it is really hard to get the consistancy thing down when he is unemployed and we don’t have health insurance to cover the cost of the dr visits anymore. And with him being unemployed, we don’t have the money to pay out of pocket. The free clinics have a very long waiting list to even get in to have a consult with anyone….So, we are stuck at the beginning of the 3 magic words. He is unemployed, unable to get medical treatment, and has been cycling so dramatically that he doesn’t want to do anything but be upset and yell at everyone about nothing….Anyway, I do appreciate your letters and the info has been extremely helpful!!!
Very helpful info so far, but my family is dealing with someone who denies any from of mental disorder & says his wife is to blame for all his problems. She is at her wit’s end as she does not know how to deal with this & feels defeated all the time. he has been on meds but states he will never again go on meds or see a “shrink”. He has been diagnosed, but state’s the Dr. was a “quack”. He is on the verge of losing his second job over his anger lying etc.. What now?
When a loved on is in a severe manic episode, or even a hypomanic state the closest family members do lose their balance. We don’t feel emotionally safe, or physically safe or mentally safe. When our loved one is depressed, we don’t lose our balance because there is not as much chaos. I use the term “regaining our balance” alot. It is true. And it is especially right on target when dealing with persistent mental instability in a family member and specifically when they are manic.
My problem has been and still is – my son has bipolar disorder but refuses to be treated for it – he just dropped out of a school program that he was doing excellent with – but after 6 mos. – halfway thru program just decided to quit.- I am so frustrated.
Dave,
I’m actually replying to the message you sent my about rapid cycling bipolar disorder. My husband is bipolar and I think he is this. It was good to read your comments and learn about rapid cycling. He seems to go back and forth throughout the day. We’re just starting to treat his bipolar and it’s rough trying to get hime stablized. He’s been having a rough day today. He’s been struggling with insomnia this week and we’re not sure what to do. I’m just trying to be here for him talk to. Thanks for your help and knowledge.
Tara
Just a short note of thanks for reasuring me of my exact mission .I like to believe were here on earth to help others but obviosly we must remain focused never stop learning or ouit trying.
THANKS DOUG
i
i
HELLO “BABE”……….
Are there really magic….
Take Care Linda x
I think “consistency” is the hardest for me as a person with bipolar. I have achieved a certain amount of stability, having my last hospitalization for mania in 1977. But – I find myself “forgetting” a good, normal bedtime, and staying up to read or work on the computer.
I am basically a “night owl,” and feel more energized at night. And, my night meds give me an hour’s “rush” after I take them, so I have to allow for that. I haven’t had any appointments this week (hallelujia!), so I slept in until 11AM most mornings. But next week, I have 4 appointments, so will have to get up EARLY every morning,meaning going to bed earlier.
It’s dificult to do all THREE steps, but if you want to be able to “manage” bipolar disorder – instead of having it manage you – there are NO shortcuts to stability.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
We are still in a stage of trying to maintain a ‘normalcy’ with the adjustments that will have to take place depending on the aspects to be maintained for normalcy. I.e. having home care for my mom, and determining just how much I can afford to have paid for it. Adjustments are needed and hopefully that will take place. The changes will require my sister to be able to help when needed,and she has been good to do that in the past, but at this point has not been asked to do too much . I just hope that she will be able to do more when the time is needed to do so. The help she has recieved in the current status is great . So hopefully it will all work out. Especially that we will be able to afford the changes that are needed regarding my mother. My sister with regard to balance, consistency, and persistence is more prone to being on the lazy side, but has plenty of company and that does tend to keep her from being on the depressed side, though that is certainly easily possible for her to get upset at changes that might have to take place. ( moves to different regions of the country) . At this point I am hoping that won’t have to happen, but that is still a possibility. I am not looking forward to that, but do wonder what is possible as an alternative that will be feasible to consider . The other options are not as expensive hopefully. These would be a possible move to a ‘nursing facility, where either one or both would be there’, and or having me move up for an ? period of time. That I don’t want to think about but know that it is an option I don’t want to do, as I do have a husband. The other option is if they move here, finding everything needed and having to re-establish a support system here, and I would be the only one they know besides my husband. So that is a lot to consider and the finances are a Major factor of the cause as to what we do . My sister is in the middle of all of this, and her need to have consistancy persitancy,and balance are even greater and I am not there to do that, but the help that has been given is great, it’s just that there is a cost to it. And it’s that cost that is the cause of the consideration of having to make the changes not desired . So the smooth running ‘home front’ is going to be facing changes in the next number of months, and balance is going to be crucial to keep it all working smoothly. That is the status of things where my sister who is the ‘bi-polar’ one is going to have to face issues none of us want to think about in the ? future regarding my mom and her adjustments to where is best for her ? If she can recover enough to do more that will help, but the time as to how long that will last is very much unknown. At her age, with osteoperosis, it is a real risk to have only my sister at home and she has to have dialasys three days a week . So that is why we need to have the support for my mom too there. This is a lot for my sister to be going through, and a lot for my mom and myself being so far away from it all. I hope that gives you a better understanding of the pressures that I face, and that of my sister too. Thanks for the efforts that you give to try to help. Mrs. J.C.