Hi,
I hope you’re having a good day.
I just got back from the gym.
You wouldn’t believe how much the weather changes here where I live!
It was 49 degrees yesterday and then really hot.
It’s really, really strange.
I’ve heard other people talk about it, too.
Someone I know who lives in Florida, and this is no lie! told me that she could be standing in her driveway and be perfectly dry and it could be raining on the other side of the street! Honestly! (of course that doesn’t last long before her side of the street gets wet, too).
But isn’t the weather funny?
It can change at the drop of a hat. (and of course, you can never depend on
the weatherman, either).
So what does the weather have to do with bipolar disorder?
It has to do with changes.
For one example, and I know, because I’ve done research on this, is that bipolar disorder is affected by seasonal changes.
Like, many people with the disorder get more depressed in the wintertime because of the loss of direct sunlight.
Or when there are thunderstorms, people with bipolar disorder can get depressed, too, because it is dark and gloomy.
On the other hand, during the summertime, many people feel much better.
But changes in the weather bring up a bigger point having to do with bipolar disorder, and that’s changes in general.
Changes are just a natural part of life.
I mean, you’ve changed, haven’t you? You’re not the same person you used to be.
Your life has changed. It’s not the same life it was when you were younger.
Even your bipolar disorder (or, I should say, your management of it) changes.
One of the biggest things is that you have to adapt to change.
But you can’t do it all at once, because that can really hurt you and your disorder.
Like I talk about all the parts of stability in my courses/systems, you should only change one thing at a time in order to stay stable.
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And there’s a difference between small changes and big changes.
It’s like there’s a difference between rearranging the furniture in your house and buying completely new furniture for the whole house!
See what I mean?
So, like, let’s take medication for an example…
And this is a BIG thing.
There’s a big difference between getting a dosage change or going off your medications!
And always, and I repeat ALWAYS, talk to your doctor first!!! Only your doctor should be changing your medication.
If you do it yourself, you run into a BIG danger of going into a bipolar episode. And if you go off your medication completely, you can pretty much be sure you’re going to go into an episode!
Anyway, another example of change would be if your doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist doesn’t seem to be working for you anymore.
Then you need to find another doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist, because they are SO very important to your recovery from bipolar disorder. So you may have to change to another one.
There are different parts to what I call the Bipolar Stability Equation: (other than medication
and therapy, which are essential).
There is sleep, exercise, healthy diet, etc. Also, good self-care, low stress, balance, strong support system, plans for what happens if you go into a bipolar episode, etc.
Now, if one part of your stability equation isn’t working, then you can change it and try something else. Like say the way you exercise – you can try a different way of exercising; or diet, you can try a different diet.
But one thing you CAN’T do, is change too many things at once, or you run the risk of becoming unstable, or even going into a bipolar episode.
Also, and this is a VERY important point:
Be careful of making permanent changes that can have consequences that can’t be reversed, like changes you might make during an episode.
For example: foolish business investments; divorce; selling your home; etc.
And remember, some things you can’t change, just like you can’t change the weather.
You cannot change someone else – you can only change yourself.
And you cannot change the fact that you have bipolar disorder – you can only learn to manage it.
And sometimes you cannot change your situation – you can only learn to deal with it.
What changes have you had to make in your own life?
How have you dealt with them?
David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.
Post responses below
That was a helpful explanation. Thanks
My wife is in an episode. She stopped taking her meds over 3 1/2 years ago to have another child and then didn’t want to start taking them again. Well we had our fourth child and she went into a depressive cycle for about a year and then when spring came she decided she wanted to try to get a job. she did so and then went into a hypo manic cycle for the last year and a half. I lost my job at the same time she was changing jobs and then she went completely full blown manic. She left home, wants a divorce, only contacts the kids every couple of weeks, doesn’t pay her bills or child support, wants me to pay her bills so her new boyfriend will think she is financially responsible lol,(i do not) and much much more. My older children are quite frankly just plain sick of it, it’s not the first time, and do not want her to come back (oh by the way the 2 oldest kids are my step kids). We have signed divorce papers but my kids counselors want me to hold off for their sake and I don’t know what to do at this point. How long can a manic episope last with out medication. Oh wait she still takes clonipin to help her sleep and I think it is prolonging her episode.
So Dave tell me what you think.
thanks,
Dear Dave,
Thanks for the timely reminder, all your blogs are very helpful: at the very beginning of Rachels episode nearly 2 years ago now, Rachel threw every thing of value to her life as a mother and a trainee doctor out a 2 storey window in her unbalanced state she stated she didn’t want anything to do with her kids, me, anybody she had known in her life to that point: I read your blog on BP to do with catastrophic episodes and what supporters have to do – I refused to listen to her demands,. I hospitalised Rachel,I would take the children to the hospital every week to visit,I would visit every day even if she didn’t want to see me , I gathered up all of her possessions ( the ones that weren’t broke) and stored them, I arranged with the children’s father for me to take full time care of the children and then when Rachel was ready to- talked her through the idea of her living permanently with the children and myself.There are things Rachel did 2 years ago that she now regrets she did- because those actions cannot be undone now. – Rachel has careful management of her Bipolar now, and she is dealing With her life. I love my daughter, I guess I want to say to Al is that it is only with unconditional love that we supporters can move mountains. When that love is gone- we can nolonger hold back the tides of change we must look after ourselves and those that fully depend on us.
My life since my diagnosis of bipolar disorder, has been one of “starting over,” over and over again. I had to deal with the consequences of what I had done in my manic episodes. I had to deal with REALITY, and become “just like everybody else.”
I’ve always been slightly eccentric, so my family and friends accept me for who I am. But – one MAJOR change I made was right after my second husband died. I was vulnerable and gullible, and allowed a con man to “take” me for $25,000, which he signed a Note for to pay me back. He made six partial payments – then skipped. I’m now in the process of suing him for that amount, plus interest. This has caused a LOT of anxiety and stress – I’m seeing my PCP toorrow for a possible ulcer. I’ve had them before, so maybe my doctor can just prescribe something to make it go away. Of course, there’s no such thing as a “magic pill,” but medical science has come so far, there MIGHT be some new medication for ulcers. I’ve been operated on 3 times for ulcers – NOT AGAIN. The recovery period is worse than the surgery…
I also sold my “gold mine” – my apartment house that I owned and was a landlady for 30 years – 2 years after my husband died. I have NO supporter(s) to have advised me. I made the decision on an impulse, and have been “paying” for it ever since. I miss the rents, as I am living from Disability check to Disability check. Being on a fixed income sucks..
“Change” happens to everybody. Like you say, it’s how we REACT to it and deal with it, that imparts wisdom for the future.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
In Ireland the weather is rapid cycling bipolar. Especially this time of the year, it can change several times a day. It’s difficult to plan anything ahead that depends on the weather. A nice warm day can be very therapeutic. It affects us all, not only those with bipolar.
Dear Dave,
I’ve written abt. this b/4. The absolutely biggest change that has ever happened to me, is getting sober. Even thru my latest major episode, last Jan./Feb., I KNEW that, if I did WHATEVER I needed to, to stay sober, that eventually, I would be better able to take care of my bipolar illness. God has been good to me; He led me to A.A., and I have been blessed w/LONG-TERM SOBRIETY, one day @ a time!! Thanks for listening/reading.
Lynn Sawyer