Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? I hope you are doing well.
You may remember about 10 days ago or so someone
who works for me, helping me out with my organization
that helps both supporters and survivors of bipolar
disorder, quit with zero notice. <\/p>\n
In addition to that, she left a trail of a whole
lot of problems. It’s actually amazing when I
look at the list. Oh well I have to deal with it.<\/p>\n
The good news is that I have a great team of people
who have come together to help me and I have hired
someone else as well. BUT, it takes time to unscramble
someone else’s mess. <\/p>\n
It’s odd but this reminded me of when I was trying
to unscramble my mom’s mess. <\/p>\n
On the descriptions of my systems\/courses:<\/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
You’ll notice that I talk about coming into my mom
and dad’s house and going into my mom’s room
and seeing 5 feet of bills 3 inches high. That might
sound like an exaggeration but it is NOT. I have the
proof. For some reason, I saved EVERYTHING that I had
from my mom. I have a record of all the d.ebts and bills
she had. There were a TON. <\/p>\n
I will never forgot asking myself, “am I really seeing
what I am seeing?” There were so many bills and d.ebts
it was beyond comprehension.<\/p>\n
In addition to this, there were so many problems that
I didn\u2019t even know where to start.<\/p>\n
This is sort of how I feel with the person who quit.
I am “discovering” lots of things that weren’t done
and lots of phone calls not handled.<\/p>\n
Right now I am in the process of cleaning it all up.<\/p>\n
Yesterday I was in the gym and explaining the situation
to someone I am friends with. And he said,<\/p>\n
“Aren’t you worried that there are things she did
you will never know” Aren’t you worried that she
has created way more problems than you know about?”<\/p>\n
He was referring to the person who quit with zero
notice.<\/p>\n
Then I got to thinking about something. Worry and bipolar
disorder how those two go together.<\/p>\n
So I wanted to tell you a couple of things about it
in my daily email today.<\/p>\n
First, back in the day I use to worry ALL the time
about my mom. I would worry about:<\/p>\n
Can I get her into treatment
Will treatment work?
Will we ever find a doctor?
Will she ever be able to pay off her de.bts?
Will I have to support her for the rest of her life?
Can I ever have a life?
What will my next girlfriend think of my mom?
Can I support my mom and ever get married?
Will my brother ever talk to me again?
Will my mom follow the system that I set up?
What if my mom’s medication fails?
What is my dad has a stroke?
What is my mom’s mom dies and causes her to go into an episode
What is my mom calls one of my friends and says crazy things to them?
Will my friends think that I am strange that I have a mom with
bipolar disorder?<\/p>\n
The list goes on and on and on. I use to lay in bed and worry
all night long. I am not kidding when I say that I use
to get about 2 to 3 hours sleep a night for about a 9 months
or so. <\/p>\n
I felt like I was in a kind of prison. And then one day…<\/p>\n
I STOPPED WORRYING ABOUT THINGS I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER<\/p>\n
Actually here is what happen and this is a true story.
I say it’s a true story because people always write me
and ask, “Dave, is that a true story?” All my stories
are true I don’t make things up.<\/p>\n
Anyway, one day I was in one of my favorite places—
the library. I was looking for “programs” and “things”
for people with bipolar disorder. I actually didn’t
find a thing because our state failed to organization
any sort of logical database or book of programs
for people with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
Anyway I was sitting there and decided I was dead
tired so I was looking for a chair to sit and
relax it instead of sitting at a desk. I had
put in a solid 4 hours of researching in the
library so I was tired.<\/p>\n
Anyway, I found a chair and in it was a book:
“How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”<\/p>\n
and since at this time I was worrying 24 hours
a day I was like “Hey this book is for me.”<\/p>\n
Then an older guy walked by and saw me reading it
and said to me, “That’s a good book, changed
my life, you should read it son. It’s good. You
read books, don’t you?” I said yes and told him
about my mom and guess what? Well he had a family
member with bipolar disorder that had vanished.<\/p>\n
NOTE-If you talk about bipolar disorder, you will
find up to 33% of people have someone very close
to them that has the disorder.<\/p>\n
Anyway, so I started reading the book. Here’s
the deal, I can’t get into the strategies but
the book is EXCELLENT. I read it 3 times
that day. It’s a quick read.<\/p>\n
If you are worrying from bipolar disorder you should
get it right away from amazon.com or the library.
It’s super cheap like under $5. You can spring
for it.<\/p>\n
I don’t make a dime if you buy it but you should.<\/p>\n
I find that worry and bipolar disorder is terrible.
It destroy you. I really felt that I worried so much
about my mom, I thought on any given day I was going
to die from a stroke or some kind of massive anxiety
attack. I seriously think if I was older and not
in as good of shape at the time, it would have happen.<\/p>\n
In addition to the book I mentioned, I think the
other part of not worrying too much about a loved
one’s bipolar disorder is having the knowledge of
what to expect, how to handle things and how to
react. <\/p>\n
When you don’t know these things, you worry. My
dad still worries all the time about my mom’s
bipolar disorder. <\/p>\n
Why? He doesn’t know how to handle any potential
problems that might arise because he has been
lazy with studying all of my material that
he can get for f.ree.<\/p>\n
Me on the other hand, I am not worried about
my mom’s episodes any more because I know
EXACTLY what to do. For each problem that might
arise I have a solution and a back up solution
if the first solution fails. I also know how
to problem solve with bipolar problems.<\/p>\n
I really have this down to a science. You can
too it just takes time.<\/p>\n
I feel really, really, really, really bad when
I talk to people who are all stressed out and
worrying about their loved one. I try my
best to give them hope but I know they
are suffering. <\/p>\n
The good news is, if this is you, you can
get a lot of stuff from me to reduce your
feeling that you have to worry.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to run for the day and head off
to the gym. <\/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? I hope you are doing well.
You may remember about 10 days ago or so someone
who works for me, helping me out with my organization
that helps both supporters and survivors of bipolar
disorder, quit with zero notice. <\/p>\n
In addition to that, she left a trail of a whole
lot of problems. It’s actually amazing when I
look at the list.<\/p>\n