Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? I have some good news and some
bad news. The good news is my mom seems to
be back on track. <\/p>\n
The other day I wrote an email about how
it looked like my mom was going into
another bipolar disorder episode.<\/p>\n
I said how basically it was odd because
she normally goes in one major episode
a year and one gigantic big episode every
5 to 7 years. I was saying how in the
last 12 months she had been in 3 episodes
which were caught early enough so they
were resolved with 7 days or so.<\/p>\n
NOTE-It’s hard to keep track of all these
episodes so if some of the time is off
from another email I sent it’s because I don’t
really have a bipolar episode log, it’s from
my memory.<\/p>\n
Anyway, the other day I was saying how I
was seeing signs my mom was going into
another episode again. I was telling
you have I was growing concerned and
was going to monitor the situation.<\/p>\n
On this note, here’s something I want
to tell you. I am not micro managing my
mom. For example, if I see her going
into an episode I don’t say any thing. I
watch, listen and review. I see how things
go. I see if she follows the system she
has for herself. I see what my dad does.<\/p>\n
I allow it to get right before a total
nightmare and then if I need to I step
in. I believe this is the right thing
to do. I know I can’t keep jumping in
and fixing things all the time or I will
never have a life :).<\/p>\n
So in this case, I told my dad that it didn’t
seem like my mom was following all the things
she needs to do with her bipolar stability
equation. I told him she missed church, was
going to bed late, missed therapy, missed
exercise.<\/p>\n
Anyway over the last two days, based on what
I hear from my dad and now my aunt and based
on what my mom said to me on the phone, it
appears she is back on track. I will say this
medication is SUPER important for my mom but
there are other things as well.<\/p>\n
Speaking of medication, here’s the bad news.
Yesterday, I was in the gym and I heard some
really disturbing stories.<\/p>\n
This one woman came up to me that knows that I have
websites related to bipolar disorder and she told
me how her niece has it and has lost her job
and going to probably lose her marriage.<\/p>\n
Then another person randomly came up to me
and said he had a good friend who has bipolar
disorder who drinks and is really violent. He
said he is going to stay away from his friend
because he is scared of him when he is “off.”<\/p>\n
Then I was driving home and a friend called
and told me there was a person he heard about
that was married with two or more kids and
the husband was drinking and had bipolar disorder.
One day he went out and never came back. From
what I was told, I think he is assumed dead.<\/p>\n
I was kind of sad hearing all these stories.
The thing that makes me most sad is this. When
I think about a person who has bipolar disorder
and their lack of stability I think that it’s
so easy for them to be stable or establish
a level where they are mostly stable. Being
a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 is difficult. But
getting to 6 is not in my opinion.<\/p>\n
You want to know what all the people above
had in common? <\/p>\n
THEY ALL STOPPED TAKING THEIR MEDICATION!<\/p>\n
ALL OF THEM.<\/p>\n
Do you know how many hundreds of stories I have
read from people on my list that have loved one’s
that got off their medications and it turned
into a total absolute nightmare? <\/p>\n
Today I want to remind everyone the importance
of medication for stability with bipolar disorder.
You know what I am amazed about how people don’t
talk more about this. <\/p>\n
I go to support group meetings and the speakers
that’s right THE SPEAKERS will not flat out say
the importance of medication they like talk around
in circles.<\/p>\n
100% of the people that I know who do well with
bipolar disorder take medication like their doctor says<\/p>\n
100% of the people who work for me that have bipolar
disorder take medication like their doctor says<\/p>\n
100% of the success stories I have found
take medication like their doctors says<\/p>\n
EVERYONE I have interviewed with bipolar disorder
that had major problems like homelessness, bankruptcy,
failed marriages, no friends, drugs, alcohol, etc.
all was traced back to not taking medication.<\/p>\n
What amazes me is there are people that do not
take medication and think it’s like a game or
it’s funny. You see them post every now and
then on my blog. They will say things like “I
am feeling great and doing great and not taking
medication.” As soon as I read that, I feel
really bad for the people who are around them.
Because I know FOR SURE it’s going to be a nightmare
for the friends and family members around.<\/p>\n
If my mom didn’t take her medication there is
NO way we would deal with her. NO way. She knows
this too. If she stopped taking her medication
she would ramp up into a super manic episode,
I would have nothing to do with her, she would
put so much stress on my dad he would most likely
have a stroke (he has told me this numerous times),
she then would probably focus on her mother than
sister. It would be a total destructive thing.<\/p>\n
Here’s the thing however, my mom, according to
her and according to what I have found has always taken
her medication for the past 30 years or so. She told
me for the first 10 years she didn’t take it all the
time. But in the last 30 she has.<\/p>\n
My mom knows medication is totally important to
her. I just don’t know why everyone doesn’t think like
her or Michele Soloway who works for me who takes
her medication. I just can’t figure it out.<\/p>\n
One last story. I once interviewed someone who lived
outside the United States, with a wife, a business and kids. He told
me he got off his medication and then woke up in a
psychiatric hospital in California. He then found
out he was divorced, lost his business, custody to
his kids and that he had done many bad things. All
because he got off his medication.<\/p>\n
If you listen to the interviews in my courses\/systems:<\/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 hear these types of stories. Medication is
super important. <\/p>\n
Well I have to take off right now. <\/p>\n
Have a great day.<\/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 have some good news and some
bad news. The good news is my mom seems to
be back on track. <\/p>\n
The other day I wrote an email about how
it looked like my mom was going into
another bipolar disorder episode.<\/p>\n
I said how basically it was odd because
she normally goes in one major episode
a year and one gigantic big episode every
5 to 7 years.<\/p>\n