Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? Yesterday I sent an email
about how he a positive attitude makes
all the difference when supporting someone
with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
I got some emails from people saying that
I am contradicting myself.<\/p>\n
About what? Well they are saying that on
the one hand I say that you shouldn’t be
negative towards someone with bipolar
disorder. They (the people who wrote me),
said that I say: You shouldn’t say the person
can’t be successful, is child like,
needs constant monitoring, is a pain,
is a major problem.<\/p>\n
And they say (the people writing me) that
I also say that you should have a positive
attitude and hope for the best but plan
for the worst.<\/p>\n
So they are basically saying that on
the one hand I say “Don’t be negative
towards people with bipolar disorder.”
But they are saying on the other hand
I say, “Plan for the worst” which is
negative.<\/p>\n
Let me try to clarify how I think about
this. It’s true. I think that you should
have a positive attitude when you are
dealing with bipolar disorder. Whether
you have the disorder yourself or you
are supporting someone with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
However you have to have a realistic
attitude as well. You have to realize
that bipolar disorder is a mood disorder
or mental illness that affects the
way someone thinks and his\/her moods.<\/p>\n
I don’t think that I am contradicting
myself when I say that you need a positive
attitude BUT at the same time you have to
plan for the worst. <\/p>\n
Let me try to give an example of how
I think people should NOT be.<\/p>\n
You should be a caregiver or supporter
of someone with bipolar disorder and walk
around and say things like:<\/p>\n
-my life sucks because I support someone with
bipolar disorder<\/p>\n
-my loved one is such a pain in the neck<\/p>\n
-I hate being a caregiver<\/p>\n
-Why me? Why did I have to have a loved
one with bipolar disorder<\/p>\n
-I can’t stand them<\/p>\n
-I hate my life<\/p>\n
-They are a liar<\/p>\n
-I hate the position that I am in<\/p>\n
These are all examples of someone with
a poor attitude. They are actually real things
that have been said to me over 2 years of
volunteering in 3 different places in
New Jersey.<\/p>\n
So that’s an example of being negative.<\/p>\n
But you can be positive and at the same
time realistic and plan for the worst.
For example:<\/p>\n
-I love my loved one BUT I have to plan
if he\/she goes into an episode<\/p>\n
-Being a caregiver is tough BUT I’ll get
through it because I am tough myself and
I have a lot of resources at my disposal<\/p>\n
-We don’t have a lot of money now because
systems weren’t setup and my loved one
wasn’t getting the right treatment BUT now
we have the systems in place, and I am working
to improve my c.redit score and also s.tart
a b.usiness on the side to make extra money.<\/p>\n
-We can’t go to late night parties because of
my loved one. BUT we can do lots of things in
the day.<\/p>\n
-My loved one has a mental illness that is
very serious. BUT it could be worse, my loved
one could have a deadly fatal illness with no
cure like certain cancers. (REREAD THIS 25 times
because it’s true. Bipolar Disorder is not
as bad as many illnesses people get these
days.)<\/p>\n
See what I mean? Look at those statements.
So I would just like to repeat, I am not
contradicting myself. You have to have a positive
attitude but at the same time plan for the
worst. Nothing contradictory about that.<\/p>\n
SUPPORTING AN ADULT?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/report11<\/p>\n
SUPPORTING A CHILD\/TEEN?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarparenting.com<\/p>\n
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.survivebipolar.net<\/p>\n
Well I have to take off for the day. I have
to wait for the phone person to fix my
phone so I finally can have a new phone in
my new place that I am moving into. <\/p>\n
Hey someone wrote me that I need to buy
a course on how to move because it’s taking
me too long. That person is right. I should
have but I don’t know where to buy it :). <\/p>\n
If you sell one forward me a website address \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
See you tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
P.S. 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\/<\/p>\n
P.P.S 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? Yesterday I sent an email
about how he a positive attitude makes
all the difference when supporting someone
with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
I got some emails from people saying that
I am contradicting myself.<\/p>\n
About what? Well they are saying that on
the one hand I say that you shouldn’t be
negative towards someone with bipolar
disorder. They (the people who wrote me),<\/p>\n