=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <=\n\nHi,\n\nHow’s it going?\n\nI hope you are doing well.\n\n WANTED\n\nReally quick, I am looking for
success stories of those with addiction
and bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
If you are a recovering addiction AND have
bipolar disorder and are doing well, please fill
out this form.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/successstories\/<\/p>\n
Okay now\u2026.<\/p>\n
I have to say sorry again (I had to say it yesterday
as well). <\/p>\n
Yesterday we just discovered that
some of the phone calls that we have received
in the last month were not being sent to
the right area.<\/p>\n
This meant that some people didn’t
get a return call.<\/p>\n
I am really sorry about this. We fixed the problem.
Actually Michelle H (I have 4 people that work
for me with the same first name), fixed it. <\/p>\n
Barbara is working hard to return all calls
she has logged.<\/p>\n
If you called in, still have an issue and need
a call back, please call us back and someone
will get back to you.<\/p>\n
I must say, I have learned a ton. I have never
had anything grow so fast and become so
big. It’s required hiring lots of people,
investing in lots of technology. <\/p>\n
It’s been really fun however and I really like
doing it. The reality is, everyone on the team
loves what they do. If they didn’t we wouldn’t
do well or have a great site like we do.<\/p>\n
Someone wrote yesterday or the day before
that some of my emails look “borderline bipolar.”<\/p>\n
It’s really funny when I read that stuff. First, I challenge
anyone else to take on all that I do and do it without
being rushed someone days. There’s a simple reason
why some of my emails come across being rushed.<\/p>\n
Know what it is?<\/p>\n
Well it’s because I am rushed. I have 4 different
businesses and a lot going on. I have to send these emails
out and it takes at least an hour a day.<\/p>\n
Imagine subtracting an hour a day and having to
do something like type of an email, send it out,
etc.<\/p>\n
You probably would have days that you would
be rushed, right?<\/p>\n
It doesn’t make any sense to me when people write
stuff like that. <\/p>\n
If you sit back and think about it, logically a person
can see that I put in a whole lot of work into this
but I have other stuff going on.<\/p>\n
We try really hard to get everything right but
me have made mistakes. We have bought wrong
things. Make some errors. BUT, I have a phiolosophy
of you can’t be perfect. I never beat myself up when
a mistake is made. I never get mad at anyone on
the team. <\/p>\n
I see with bipolar disorder however, some people
make a deadly mistake and believe other wise.<\/p>\n
This may come as a shock to you, but<\/p>\n
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT!<\/p>\n
Too many supporters have this
misconceived notion that they have to
be perfect, at least in the sight of their
loved one. They’re afraid to “upset the
apple cart” if they share any negative
feelings with their loved one, or if they
even express their feelings at all. They
think that if they even offer an opinion,
that that’s a no-no, because everything
centers around their loved one and their
bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
Boy, is that wrong!<\/p>\n
I don’t even know where that notion came
from, but it is very wrong. NOBODY is
perfect! And thinking that you have to be
perfect is setting yourself up to fail.
Nobody can live up to that kind of expectation.
All you can do is the best you can do, and
that’s all!<\/p>\n
I know some supporters have written to me
and told me that their loved one expects
them to be perfect, but that doesn’t make it
right. They say that if they say or do anything
wrong, that their loved one screams or yells
at them, until they’re scared to say or do anything,
for fear of upsetting their loved one. I know,
this happens in some households where the loved
one has bipolar disorder. It’s true, but that
doesn’t make it right. <\/p>\n
These are the cases where you (the supporter)
have to sit down with your loved one
between episodes and express how you feel
in the most loving, supportive way possible
and talk about acceptable and unacceptable
behavior, and set boundaries, and then stick
to those boundaries. <\/p>\n
Your loved one will be more receptive
to listening to your feelings and opinions
when they are between episodes. Don’t
even try to talk to them when they are in
an episode, because they will not listen to you.<\/p>\n
But let me ask you this \u2013 Is it your loved
one who is expecting you to be perfect, or
is it yourself?<\/p>\n
Expecting yourself to be perfect will only
lead to burnout. You can only keep it up for
so long. You still have to meet your own needs
while you are meeting your loved one’s needs.<\/p>\n
You can’t keep stuffing your own feelings, or
one day they will erupt and you will find
yourself very angry and in a fight with
your loved one. Stuffing your feelings is
not the answer.<\/p>\n
In my courses\/systems, I have several
teachings on how to deal with your feelings,
especially the negative ones:<\/p>\n
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER? SUPPORTING A CHILD\/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER? HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER? Supporters who do this will take on Unfortunately, this “perfect supporter” Eventually their systems will break down, You need to accept your flaws. You need If you’re expecting perfection from yourself, If this has described you, then take a break You can only do the best that you can, and Your Friend,<\/p>\n Dave<\/p>\n ===>> Great Resources For You <===\n\nGet Your Own Subscription To This Newsletter Get More Help On Bipolar Disorder View Past Daily Bipolar Emails For F.REE Get Audio Information On Bipolar Disorder For F.REE =PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES Great Resources For You <\/p>\n
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/report11<\/a><\/p>\n
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarparenting.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Visit:
http:\/\/www.survivebipolar.net<\/a>
Trying to be perfect is not an ideal
you can live up to, no matter how much
you want to. You are trying to be
someone you can’t be. It will cause
you to secretly resent your loved one,
and will lead to a strained relationship.
There will be tension between you.
Eventually it will stress you out.<\/p>\n
too much responsibility \u2013 including
responsibility that should be their
loved one’s \u2013 in their quest to be the
perfect supporter. They will hide their
concerns behind a mask of “Everything’s
ok” (even when it isn’t).<\/p>\n
will try to be Superman (and fail miserably).<\/p>\n
and they will run out of steam. Then they
will be no good as a supporter for their
loved one. Remember \u2013 no one is perfect.
So stop trying to be!<\/p>\n
to know that you’re going to make mistakes \u2013
that’s just a part of learning how to help your
loved one manage their disorder. And if they
do go into another episode, well, that is NOT
your fault! Just like it’s NOT your fault that
they have bipolar disorder in the first place!
You couldn’t stop them from getting the
disorder, and you can’t stop it from flaring up
at times, either. It’s not under your control.<\/p>\n
chances are you’re expecting perfection
from your loved one as well, and that will
be a dismal failure, because they’re not perfect
either. Especially if they’re newly diagnosed
with bipolar disorder. Their flaws are probably
glaring right now. They’re probably struggling
with this diagnosis, and looking to you for help.
And you won’t be any help to them if you’re
trying to be Superman.<\/p>\n
from perfection. Give yourself permission to be
human. It’s OK to NOT be perfect! Join
the rest of the world of NON-perfect people.<\/p>\n
that’s all right!<\/p>\n
Want your own copy of these daily bipolar
emails sent to you for F.ree? If so, visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/register3<\/a><\/p>\n
Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each
one is designed to help you with a different
area of bipolar disorder whether you have it or
you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/catalog.asp<\/a><\/p>\n
Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http:\/\/www.bipolarcentral.com\/supporterblog\/<\/a><\/p>\n
Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http:\/\/bipolarcentral.libsyn.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"