Hi,<\/p>\n
When you were younger and you didn\u2019t feel like going to school\u2026Your parents made you go anyway, didn\u2019t they? Yep, mine made me go, too. Even when I didn\u2019t feel like it. What about later? When you didn\u2019t feel like going to work? You still had to go, didn\u2019t you? Even when you didn\u2019t feel like it. You can\u2019t just call in sick just because you don\u2019t \u201cfeel like\u201d going to work that day. You have a responsibility to be there. And you have to meet that responsibility. Otherwise, other things will suffer. Like the bills not getting paid and other things.<\/p>\n
Well, unfortunately, it\u2019s the same with being a supporter. You can\u2019t just \u201ccall in sick\u201d because you don\u2019t feel like \u201cshowing up\u201d one day, can you? Even if you don\u2019t \u201cfeel like\u201d being there.
\nJust like back in school\u2026 or at work. You have responsibilities to your loved one just like you did at school and have at work. People depend on you at work, and your loved one depends on you at home. You have to \u201cshow up\u201d and meet those responsibilities. Whether you feel like it or not.<\/p>\n
And sometimes that can be frustrating, I know. Frustration is one of the biggest negative feelings you can have when you\u2019re a supporter to a loved one with bipolar disorder. I know, because there were many times that I experienced frustration when I was trying to help my mom with her
\nbipolar disorder. I got so frustrated that time when she was in her worst episode that I wanted to turn around and walk out on her and never come back! (but of course I didn\u2019t). The point is that many times, I sure didn\u2019t \u201cfeel like\u201d being her supporter!<\/p>\n
There were many times that I just had to \u201cshow up,\u201d like we all had to back in school on those days when we didn\u2019t \u201cfeel like\u201d going and our parents made us go anyway. On those days when you\u2019re that frustrated, you just kind of tie a rope and hang on, it\u2019s all you can do. And you hope that the next day will be better than today.<\/p>\n
The thing is, that those days are going to happen. It\u2019s just inevitable. Yes, there are going to be some days where your loved one seems to have improved in leaps and bounds. And that\u2019s great!
\nBut those days are few and far between. Mostly, their recovery will consist of long, dry days that seem to go on forever\u2026Days where they don\u2019t seem to have made any progress at all. Or, worse yet, days where they seem to have even gone backwards a little (or even a lot). Or they could have even had a relapse, or an episode, when they were doing great for a while, or even a long
\ntime (or so you thought).<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s when you can get really frustrated. And so can your loved one. Then it\u2019s really bad, when both of you are frustrated. It\u2019s hard to keep a positive attitude then. But you still have to \u2013
\nYou still have to \u201cshow up,\u201d even when you don\u2019t feel like it. It\u2019s how you get the best of this thing called bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
When you were younger and you didn\u2019t feel like going to school\u2026Your parents made you go anyway, didn\u2019t they? Yep, mine made me go, too. Even when I didn\u2019t feel like it. What about later? When you didn\u2019t feel like going to work? You still had to go, didn\u2019t you? Even when you didn\u2019t feel like it. You can\u2019t just call in sick just because you don\u2019t \u201cfeel like\u201d going to work that day.<\/p>\n