Hi, how\u2019s it going? Hope you are doing well.<\/p>\n
A friend told me something interesting the other day. At first it didn\u2019t make sense. I had to ask him to explain what he meant. But once he explained, it really made sense to me. And I think it\u2019s something that most of us could use in life.<\/p>\n
This is what he told me: \u201cWe should help each other with our burdens, but we all carry our own by ourselves.\u201d Like I said, at first it seems contradictory. But after a while, when you stop to think about it, it makes sense.<\/p>\n
Help with the things that are hard in life is always a good thing. But at the same time, we all need to take responsibility for our own lives.<\/p>\n
For someone with bipolar disorder, this is what this means: If you can get help from a supporter or a service, that is great. If you can help someone else out with what you learned, that is also great. But when it comes down to it, you are the only one who is responsible for your own recovery.<\/p>\n
If you are a supporter, this is what this means to you: You can help your loved one out with their bipolar disorder in any way you can, and that\u2019s great. Occasionally, they might even help you out with problems that you have, and that\u2019s great, too.<\/p>\n
But when it comes down to it, there are times when you have to step back and let them make their own decisions about their recovery. After all, it is their recovery, not yours. I know, sometimes it can be hard to remember that. Trust me, I know.<\/p>\n
And there is nothing wrong with wanting to help out in any way possible. There isn\u2019t even anything wrong with wanting to fix it all. That is, as long as you realize that you can\u2019t just \u201cfix it.\u201d As long as you realize that you can\u2019t be the only one putting effort into their recovery.<\/p>\n
If they don\u2019t want to recover, then anything you do will be pointless, no matter how hard you try. If they want to fix a few things, but they don\u2019t want to go through the effort of working on everything, then you will only be able to help them in the areas that they are willing to work on.<\/p>\n
If, on the other hand, they are willing to work on everything as long as it is in a manageable form, then you can help them along with the process. A good place to start is by helping them keep their recovery plan reasonable and manageable.<\/p>\n
Help them to break up larger goals into smaller steps. Help them realize that they don\u2019t have to work on everything all at once. You may even need to remind them that they are not going to recover overnight, no matter how hard they try. In fact, if they are trying that hard to recover that quickly, then you may need to question whether they are in a manic stage or not.<\/p>\n
Taking on responsibility for ourselves can be a challenging thing. Sometimes we feel like it would be so much easier if it would just go away, or if someone else could deal with it for us. While those thoughts are nice, we need to remember that they are just thoughts, and that reality doesn\u2019t actually work that way.<\/p>\n
Accept the help you get; there is nothing wrong with getting help. Don\u2019t be afraid to help others to the best of your ability. But in the end, take responsibility for yourself. What are your thoughts on this?<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi, how\u2019s it going? Hope you are doing well.<\/p>\n
A friend told me something interesting the other day. At first it didn\u2019t make sense. I had to ask him to explain what he meant. But once he explained, it really made sense to me. And I think it\u2019s something that most of us could use in life.<\/p>\n
This is what he told me: \u201cWe should help each other with our burdens,<\/p>\n