Hi,<\/p>\n
Have you ever been to the circus? Or a local fair? Maybe even just a kid\u2019s birthday party. I\u2019m sure you have. If you have, you\u2019ve seen a clown. And you\u2019ve seen those great big shoes they\u00a0wear. Haven\u2019t you ever wondered how they can ever walk in them? I mean, they\u2019re HUGE!<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s just part of their thing. They\u2019re used to it. But can you imagine if you or I tried to walk in them? We\u2019d probably fall flat on our faces, wouldn\u2019t we? Well, that\u2019s the way I see trying to negotiate bipolar disorder without a plan. Yep. Trying to manage bipolar disorder without a plan is like walking in big clown shoes. Can you get the picture? It\u2019s like I tell people all the time \u2013 you have to have a plan.<\/p>\n
Without a plan, you have no sense of direction. It\u2019s like a ship without a rudder. A cake without a recipe. A college degree without its coursework. Without a plan\u2026How will you know what to do when your loved one goes into a bipolar episode? You have to have a plan. There\u2019s just no two ways about it. Having a plan just makes sense. And it will make your life so much easier. It is hard enough trying to cope and deal with a loved one with bipolar disorder. Things are confusing and frustrating enough as it is. But with a plan\u2026It can take away some of that confusion and frustration for you. There isn\u2019t a whole lot that you have control over when it comes to bipolar disorder. And sometimes you can feel really helpless. It can get really overwhelming sometimes, too. But having a plan can give you that sense of power back. This is one thing over which you can have control.<\/p>\n
There is a saying: \u201cLife is 1% what happens to you\u2026And 99% your reaction to it.\u201d Having a good, strong plan in place will help you to control your reaction to what happens when your loved one does go into that inevitable bipolar episode. And what comes afterward. First of all\u2026<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s deal with the beforehand. You need to be on guard. I\u2019m not saying that you can never relax. I\u2019m just saying that when it comes to bipolar disorder, you can never let down your guard and trust it. You always have to be on watch for any triggers, signs, and symptoms of a bipolar episode in your loved one. When you see one happening, you need to have a plan of action as to what to do: Call the psychiatrist first, increase in medication, hospitalization if necessary, etc.<\/p>\n
Then afterwards, you need to sit down with your loved one and do what I call a Post-Episode Analysis, so you know better for the next time what to do and can improve your plan.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
Have you ever been to the circus? Or a local fair? Maybe even just a kid\u2019s birthday party. I\u2019m sure you have. If you have, you\u2019ve seen a clown. And you\u2019ve seen those great big shoes they\u00a0wear. Haven\u2019t you ever wondered how they can ever walk in them? I mean, they\u2019re HUGE!<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s just part of their thing. They\u2019re used to it. But can you imagine if you or I tried to walk in them?<\/p>\n