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Hi,<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Hope your day is going well.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Okay, there is no bipolar news today. Here’s what happen. We had a person have to resign for serious medical problems that were NRTB (not related to bipolar).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I do not actually post the news on the internet. I don’t know HTML and that kind of thing.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I am sitting here looking for the news but it’s not up. I am not sure why.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I have to call the person. I guess she had trouble but it doesn’t make me happy that I wasn’t notified let’s say yesterday or last night.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Anyway sorry. I am REALLY annoyed by this.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I will have it posted hopefully tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I want to talk to you about something today.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It’s about tweaking your treatment plan.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You know I work out a lot, right?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Well, sometimes I have to “change up” (or “tweak”) my routine some, or I would get bored with it, and then I probably wouldn’t <\/span><\/p>\n work out as much as I do.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This is why I work in about 9 different libraries and do cardio in many different parks.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Well, this is sort of like that, only with your treatment plan.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I mean, obviously, there are some things you just can’t change (unless they aren’t working).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your medication, as long as it’s working fine, is something you just shouldn’t mess with. <\/span>If you are having problems with it, or the side effects are bothering you, that’s something you should tell your doctor about.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n That’s NOT what I’m talking about here. <\/span>Therapy is another part of your treatment plan that is very, very important.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you’re happy with your therapist, fantastic!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But if you’ve been with them for a long time and you don’t feel you’re getting anything out of therapy any more, or you just feel like you’re going out of habit more than anything else, then that’s something you may want to tweak.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n First, talk to your therapist. <\/span>Tell them how you feel. <\/span><\/span>If you’re supposed to be with that therapist, then maybe you just need a tweak in your sessions (or go down to less sessions).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you’re not supposed to be with that therapist any more, then you may have to think about switching therapists. <\/span>Again, this is something you should discuss with them. <\/span>If this is what you decide to do, it would be good to have them on your side, as they may be able to give you a referral.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In my courses\/systems below, I go over all the parts that make up a comprehensive treatment plan. <\/span>Medication and therapy are just two of the parts:<\/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<\/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<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?<\/span><\/p>\n Visit:<\/span><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.survivebipolar.net<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Exercise should be part of your treatment regimen, but if, like me, you get bored with the type of exercise you’re doing, you may want to tweak your routine. <\/span><\/span>If you’ve been walking, try swimming instead (or the opposite). <\/span>If you’ve been doing free weights, try the machines instead (or the opposite). <\/span>There are many options for exercise programs. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you’ve been exercising at home, consider joining a gym or use free programs you may find in your area. <\/span><\/span>If you’ve been exercising alone, try working out with a friend.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You should be eating a healthy diet as part of your treatment regiment, but maybe it’s gotten too bland, and could use some tweaking. <\/span>Try some different cooking ideas. <\/span>Buy a low-fat cookbook and try some new recipes. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Look online for foods you like and make meals using those foods. <\/span>Meals shouldn’t be boring. If you’ve been eating 3 regular meals a day, try tweaking that to 6 smaller meals a day.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And be flexible! <\/span>Instead of thinking of it as “dieting,” (which everyone hates and is too restrictive), eat what you want, just in smaller portions, while being health conscious, and if every once in awhile you want that small bite of a candy bar, allow yourself that luxury! <\/span><\/span>(That way, you won’t want to eat that whole cake later on and feel like a big “cheater”!)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Sleep is still so very important, but can still be tweaked if you need to. <\/span>If you decided on a 9:00 bedtime but still find yourself up and tossing and turning at 10 pm, just change your bedtime to 10:00 and tweak your morning rise time.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As long as you are still getting 8-9 hours of good sleep every night, the hours you go to bed and rise aren’t as important. <\/span>Go to bed and rise according to what works for you and YOUR body’s internal clock.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Enjoyment is an important part of everyone’s life (bipolar or not). <\/span>If you aren’t having enough fun in your life, perhaps that’s an area that needs to be tweaked. <\/span>Now, don’t go so far as to get manic or anything, but make sure you include enjoyment as part of your treatment regimen. <\/span><\/span>Remember not to neglect your supporter, either, as that is very important.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n “Date Nights” are a great way to keep your relationship with your supporter close and let them know how much you appreciate what they do for you. <\/span>(Maybe this is an area you need to tweak? <\/span>Intimacy is very important.) <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Make sure you are taking care of your mental health \u2013 things\u00a0 like stress reduction techniques and relaxation exercises are also important in management of bipolar disorder. <\/span>If you have been slacking off in these areas, maybe these are a couple of those areas that need to be tweaked.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Get back to basics. <\/span>Maybe you’ve gotten away from some of those things that worked in the beginning, but that you stopped doing. <\/span>You may want to go back to doing those things.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Maintaining a good treatment plan is crucial for good management of bipolar disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes all it takes is some tweaking!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n PLEASE POST RESPONSES TO THIS EMAIL BELOW<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n