Hi,

How’s it going? I hope you are doing well.
I wanted to drop you a quick email today about
something really important about bipolar disorder.
I call it the small things make the difference.

Now, you know that I am a HUGE believer in medication
for bipolar disorder but there are other things
that I have seen with the people who work for me
and my own mother that make a huge difference as well–
it’s the small things people might take for granted.

Bipolar supporters and also people with bipolar
disorder need to realize this. I don’t even think
most doctors fully appreciate how impactful the
small things are on bipolar disorder.

You might be wondering, “Dave, what are the
small things?”

Here’s are just some of them (for people with
bipolar disorder):

-Keeping stress low
-Eating well and avoiding trigger foods (sugar is a
trigger food for my mom…meaning too much of it
can significantly contribute to her going into a bipolar
episode
-Having a routine if you have bipolar disorder
-Not watching TV late at night (several people I know with
bipolar disorder report too much TV at night can contribute
to a bipolar episode)
-doing positive self talk
-Taking medication at the right time that your doctor recommends
-Taking medication consistently
-Getting so many hours of sleep

Now if you are a bipolar supporter, you should be helping
your loved one with bipolar disorder accomplish the small
things and you should not be creating problems for them.

Let me explain. Okay if you are a bipolar supporter and
you and your loved one make a list of all the small things
that must be done for your loved one to manage his/her
bipolar disorder then you should help to make sure that
list is accomplished each day.

I find that many supporters are not helpful. Some by accident
others just really don’t try to be helpful. Let me give
you an example so you are clear. Okay, so if you know
your loved one should not be around lots of stress, has
to take medication later in the evening and needs to get
at least 8 hours of sleep, if you decided to constantly
recommend going to late night parties each weekend,
you would be part of the problem not part of the solution.

Does that make sense? Even my own dad comes up with
some ideas and I am like, “Dad, how is that going
to work for mom?” He says “Oh, yea you’re right.”
But then I think in my head, I wonder why he doesn’t
think of this before I say something.

What you should do now. You should make a list
of all the small things that you feel will lead
to either your or your loved one’s stability with
bipolar disorder.

Then you should work to make sure these small things
happen on a daily basis.

It sounds really simple but it’s powerful. I have
seen time and time again, even people taking medication
find that if they don’t do many of the small things right,
it negates the effectiveness of the medication.

For example, if my mom doesn’t get any sleep for many days
in a row, and watches tv late at night, her bipolar medication
doesn’t work right and she becomes unstable. I have no
idea but this is the case with her.

In my courses/systems, most of the successful people
who are interviewed talk about the importance of
the small things and it was through these interviews
I began to focus on them.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net

Well I have to run now. Can you believe this? As
a side note, it’s taken me about 45 minutes to think
about and type this email up. I have been on hold
with Sprint customer service trying to undo a bill
that I got from them for a cell phone I do not
own and know nothing about. I must say, sprint has
horrible customer service. Last week I waited more than
55 minutes and never spoke to someone. It’s a total
joke.

Anyway, there is a good lesson to be learned with
this which is persistence. When you are supporting
a loved one with bipolar disorder, many times you will
be faced with people, places and things that almost
seem impossible to deal with. They will lie to you,
stall, try to block you, etc. when you are trying to
help yourself or your loved one.

Make sure you take great notes on who you talk to. And
here is another tip that I am using right now with
sprint, you go into these things knowing they are going
to take a long time to deal with. You have something
else to do so that you can occupy your time as you
wait to get through the system.

Anyway, I have to run. Remember this tip because I GUARANTEE
if you are dealing with a mental illness you will be faced
with people that are like the sprint people I am dealing
with now.

Your Friend,

Dave

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.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