Hi,<\/p>\n
Today I want to talk to you about the fact that I think you are lucky. I know, I was talking about this with someone the other day who has bipolar disorder, and when I said that, they thought I was crazy. You probably do, too! You probably can’t think of even one reason why you’re lucky at all. And if you’re a supporter, you’re probably thinking the same thing. But whether you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does, I\u2019m telling you that you are lucky. And I’m going to tell you why. If you are reading this, then you are already thinking about a mental illness. You may think you have one. You may know you have one. You may think your loved one has one. You may know your loved one has one. The great thing is, though, that you are thinking in this direction. That makes you lucky.<\/p>\n
Because there are millions of people with a mental illness that don’t know that there is anything wrong with them. Did you know that there are 1 in 4 people with a diagnosable mental illness?<\/p>\n
And I’m not making that up! It’s the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that says that!<\/p>\n
Now, that’s a national government agency saying that, not me! And many of these people don’t even know that they have a mental illness! Do you know how sad, or even scary that is? Just think of the statistic I’m always telling you about people with bipolar disorder. That 20%, or 1 in 5 people, who don’t take medication for the disorder, will kill themselves. Some of those people are those who don’t even know that they have bipolar disorder! So, if you have bipolar disorder, if you’ve been diagnosed with it, and are taking medication for it \u2026You are lucky. And if you’re supporting a loved one with it and are helping them with their medications\u2026You are lucky.<\/p>\n
Because you\/they aren’t going to be a statistic.<\/p>\n
I have seen this 1 in 4 statistic in action. I have had friends that fly off the handle for no reason.<\/p>\n
Friends who spend money like the world is coming to an end. I have one friend who is so paranoid that he thinks there is a global conspiracy! I have seen people (and I know that you have, too) wandering around the streets homeless, dirty, and talking to themselves. You know that these people have an undiagnosed mental illness. So, you’re lucky that yours or your loved one’s is at least diagnosed!<\/p>\n
Once a mental illness is diagnosed, then you can do something about it. Then you can become educated about it. Then you can take medication for it. Then you can develop a treatment plan for it. Then you can learn how to manage your disorder.<\/p>\n
You can talk to other people who have the same disorder. You can do so many things to help yourself recover. You can become STABLE! Don’t you see how lucky you are?<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
Today I want to talk to you about the fact that I think you are lucky. I know, I was talking about this with someone the other day who has bipolar disorder, and when I said that, they thought I was crazy. You probably do, too! You probably can’t think of even one reason why you’re lucky at all. And if you’re a supporter, you’re probably thinking the same thing. But whether you have bipolar disorder or are supporting someone who does,<\/p>\n