{"id":310,"date":"2008-11-04T08:55:06","date_gmt":"2008-11-04T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/bipolarsupporterblog\/?p=310"},"modified":"2009-03-14T05:36:20","modified_gmt":"2009-03-14T09:36:20","slug":"bipolar-lesson-from-a-teddy-bear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/bipolarsupporterblog\/bipolar-lesson-from-a-teddy-bear\/","title":{"rendered":"Bipolar? Lesson from a Teddy Bear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi,<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I hope you’re having a great day!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hey if you are in the United States don’t forget to vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hey, if you are somewhere else besides the US and you are suppose to vote, don’t forget.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We have so many people from all around the world I don’t know what is going on everywhere. So everyone vote if you are suppose to be voting.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is your reminder : )<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Well I got back way late from my trip to New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I went to this conference and was showed around by a person who has bipolar disorder that is by far one of the most successful people I know with bipolar disorder. She is actually featured in my Bipolar Mastery System.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She introduced me to lots of people that can help me further grow this organization. It was great.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I am going to be doing another interview with her soon. I’ll keep you posted. She owns a VERY successful company and has been able to be a single parent, manger her bipolar disorder, run her business and handle it in an industry that has MASSIVE change. She is amazing and modest. She is SUPER smart.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So anyway, today I also have a sore throat probably because I have been getting virtually no sleep and the weather keeps changing like 30 degrees in the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Okay, so when I was coming back I saw a Teddy Bear in a store. I said, “Hey Anna would like that.” (she is my God daughter).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Anna really likes Teddy Bears.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Just the other day (Halloween), she was holding onto her teddy bear as if it was the most important thing in the world, and it made me think of something.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So what does this have to do with bipolar disorder?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Well, I’ll tell you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Anna made me think of bipolar disorder <\/span>the other day because her holding onto her teddy bear that way made me think of how some supporters coddle, or enable their loved ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Enabling is when you do things for them that they can do for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Enabling is one of the things that I teach about in my courses\/systems below:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit:<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/report11<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SUPPORTING A CHILD\/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit:<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.bipolarparenting.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit:<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.survivebipolar.net<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, I was talking about enabling.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So let me give you an example. <\/span>Say\u2026 medications, ok?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Your loved one is perfectly capable of taking their own medications. <\/span>But you also want to be sure that they take them, because if they don’t,\u00a0 ell, that’s a BIG trigger to a bipolar episode, isn’t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So here’s what one couple I know does:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She (the wife, she’s the supporter) bought her husband a pill box \u2013 they’re real cheap, you can buy them at pretty much any pharmacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once a week, her and her husband sit down with his medications and she watches him fill up his pill box for the whole week.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, here’s a system he has, which I think is cool. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In order not to get confused (because he is on several medications), once he has filled up each day with one medication, he turns that bottle upside down, so he knows he’s used it. <\/span>He does that for each medication in order. <\/span>Then when they’re all turned upside down, he knows he’s done. <\/span>The important thing is, she doesn’t do this for him, that he does it for himself, or else she would be enabling him. <\/span>She would be coddling him, just like Anna does with her teddy bear. <\/span>I guess I should say Teddy Bears because she has a bunch. <\/span>And you don’t want to <\/span>do that. However, this is the other part of their system. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And this is the part you CAN be involved in, because you want to be sure your loved one does take their medication so they don’t go into an episode.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, you still want to be a good supporter, while not being an enabler, and not coddling your loved one.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, this is what this man’s wife does, how she makes sure he takes his medication:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They keep his pill box in an open place in the kitchen by the sink.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He takes his pills at the same time every day, so usually she sees him take them. <\/span>But there are times when, for whatever reason, she doesn’t.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At those times, it is easy enough for her to check if he’s taken them, because all she has to do is open that day’s compartment, and if the pills are gone he’s taken them, and if they’re still there he hasn’t, and she just gently reminds him to take them.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a good system that goes to show how you can be a good supporter and help your loved one while not coddling them or being over-protective, and definitely NOT being an enabler (doing things for them that they can do for themselves).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I’m not saying you have to use this system or anything <\/span>\u2013 you can develop one of your own, and not just for medications. <\/span>I just used this as an example.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The important thing is that you not be an enabler.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have other ideas, or systems that have worked for you and your loved one, please share them here, so you can help other supporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Has anyone enabled and found it to be a huge problem? Please post some comments.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit: http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/testimonials<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide \u201cBipolar Disorder\u2014The REAL Silent Killer.\u201d Click Here<\/span><\/a><\/strong> to get FREE Information<\/strong> sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi,<\/p>\n

\n

I hope you’re having a great day!<\/p>\n

\n

Hey if you are in the United States don’t forget to vote.<\/p>\n

\n

Hey, if you are somewhere else besides the US and you are suppose to vote, don’t forget.<\/p>\n

\n

We have so many people from all around the world I don’t know what is going on everywhere. So everyone vote if you are suppose to be voting.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nBipolar? Lesson from a Teddy Bear - Bipolar Supporter Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/bipolarsupporterblog\/bipolar-lesson-from-a-teddy-bear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bipolar? Lesson from a Teddy Bear - Bipolar Supporter Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hi, I hope you’re having a great day! Hey if you are in the United States don’t forget to vote. Hey, if you are somewhere else besides the US and you are suppose to vote, don’t forget. 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