Hi, how is your day going? I hope you’re having a good one.<\/p>\n
You may or not remember a musical many years ago called “The Music Man.” In this musical, there was a song about a new pool table the town had just gotten. Some people weren’t happy<\/p>\n
about it. So the song was about that.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the lyrics:<\/p>\n
“We’ve got trouble<\/p>\n
Right here in River City<\/p>\n
Trouble with a capital T<\/p>\n
That rhymes with P<\/p>\n
That stands for pool\u2026”<\/p>\n
Now, that’s kind of a lighthearted way to introduce today’s topic: Patience with a Capital P<\/p>\n
You need patience with a capital P if you are going to be able to deal with your loved one’s bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
I know, that may sound “easier said than done.” I remember I lost my patience with my mom many times. It was really hard for me. Sometimes I would have to explain things over and over<\/p>\n
again, and she still didn’t get it, so I would get frustrated and lose my patience.<\/p>\n
It’s hard to have patience with a loved one who has bipolar disorder sometimes. As supporters, we’re dealing with our own problems, then sometimes we have to deal with our loved one’s problems as well as our own. Sometimes the stress level gets too high (both theirs and yours).<\/p>\n
Losing your patience will only add fuel to the fire, though. Your loved one depends on you<\/p>\n
to be patient (with a capital P). And you need to be patient for your own sake as well.<\/p>\n
Patient people can think clearer. They don’t react to things as much as impatient people. Impatient people get angry and frustrated more often. They get stressed. And stress can bring with it a host of physical problems, like ulcers.<\/p>\n
For someone with bipolar disorder, stress can even bring on an episode, so patience with a capital P is especially what they need to practice.<\/p>\n
But supporters are just as susceptible. If you aren’t patient, you will react more negatively to a situation, or to something someone may say to you (or something your loved one has done).<\/p>\n
If you stuff your feelings, as many supporters do, it may come out anyway, in the form of impatience, frustration and anger. This doesn’t help anything.<\/p>\n
What WILL help is if you have patience with a capital P.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, patience is not easy to come by. You will have to work at it.<\/p>\n
The next time you face a situation that you can’t do anything to change (like your loved one’s behavior), try practicing patience with a capital P. It may get you further.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi, how is your day going? I hope you’re having a good one.<\/p>\n
You may or not remember a musical many years ago called “The Music Man.” In this musical, there was a song about a new pool table the town had just gotten. Some people weren’t happy<\/p>\n
about it. So the song was about that.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the lyrics:<\/p>\n
“We’ve got trouble<\/p>\n
Right here in River City<\/p>\n
Trouble with a capital T<\/p>\n
That rhymes with P<\/p>\n
That stands for pool\u2026”<\/p>\n