Hi,<\/p>\n
I was thinking about something today.<\/p>\n
You know how sometimes I talk about the people who work for me? About how I brag on the fact that they have bipolar disorder, but that I wonder what they look like. What I mean is about how you would never know that they have the disorder, unless they told you.<\/p>\n
Of course, I live in New Jersey, and they live in other places, all over the map. But I was wondering about what they look like in person. I mean, not their looks, but whether in person,<\/p>\n
that you can or can\u2019t tell that they have bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
So that made me think about you and your loved ones. If there\u2019s over 9 million people with bipolar disorder, chances are you know more than just your loved one with the disorder.<\/p>\n
Can you tell or can you NOT tell just by looking, if someone has bipolar disorder or not?<\/p>\n
Interesting question, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n
See, what made me think about it, too, was the many emails I\u2019ve gotten from people like<\/p>\n
you, asking me about whether \u201cit\u201d is the bipolar or the loved one, and about whether<\/p>\n
they are \u201cfaking\u201d it or not.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s been a real big issue, according to the emails and calls I\u2019ve gotten.<\/p>\n
So I give it to you. What do you think? What has been your experience? Can you tell just by looking, if your loved one has bipolar disorder or not?<\/p>\n
If so, what is it about their behavior that gives them away? For those of you who can\u2019t tell, what is it about your loved one\u2019s behavior that is different, that doesn\u2019t give them away?<\/p>\n
I think it\u2019s the fact that they\u2019re high functioning.<\/p>\n
High-functioning behavior can make a person with bipolar disorder NOT stand out as someone with the disorder.<\/p>\n
Does that make sense?<\/p>\n
Whereas, on the other hand, someone who has bipolar disorder, but is NOT high functioning, would be someone who you can tell DOES have bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
I have seen this firsthand \u2013 in the people who work for me\u2026 those I have interviewed for my courses, those who I have talked to at the support groups I attend\u2026and others I have heard from via email and phone.<\/p>\n
So what does make a person with bipolar disorder high functioning? I think it has to do with the self-management of their disorder. If they\u2019re taking care of themselves, I think it shows.<\/p>\n
What I\u2019m saying is that if they\u2019re doing all the things they\u2019re supposed to be doing, you won\u2019t<\/p>\n
be able to tell if they have the disorder at all.<\/p>\n
They need to be taking their medication on a regular basis. They need to see their doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist regularly as well. They need to eat a healthy diet, get good sleep,<\/p>\n
and exercise.<\/p>\n
All these things will make a person high-functioning.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
I was thinking about something today.<\/p>\n
You know how sometimes I talk about the people who work for me? About how I brag on the fact that they have bipolar disorder, but that I wonder what they look like. What I mean is about how you would never know that they have the disorder, unless they told you.<\/p>\n
Of course, I live in New Jersey, and they live in other places,<\/p>\n