Hi,<\/p>\n
Some friends of mine just had a new baby. It\u2019s amazing how quickly and how tremendously
\ntheir lives have drastically changed! They\u2019re really struggling with trying to figure this new parent thing out. Like what to do when the baby cries (it seems to cry for so many reasons).<\/p>\n
Maybe you\u2019ve had children, and you remember when they were babies (or you have a baby now)\u2026And you remember how they would cry. and you\u2019d have to try to figure out what they
\nwere crying about. Did they need their diaper changed? Did they need to be fed? Did they need to be held? Did they need their pacifier? Did they need something else?<\/p>\n
The point is, the only way that a baby has to communicate is through crying. But we learn, as an adult, that we have to communicate through words if we\u2019re going to get our point across. In other words, you can\u2019t expect your loved one to know what you\u2019re thinking or feeling if you just shut down and stop communicating.<\/p>\n
Communication is one of the most important things there is in a relationship. Especially when you\u2019re trying to deal with bipolar disorder. So why do supporters stop talking to their loved ones with bipolar disorder? Well, usually it has to do with fear. Fear that they will make their loved one worse. Fear that it will start a fight. Fear that they won\u2019t be understood. Fear that they will push their loved one away from them. Fear that they are making a \u201cmountain out of a molehill.\u201d
\nFear that their thoughts and feelings aren\u2019t really valid. Or any one of a number of reasons.<\/p>\n
They may even be going from past experience. Some bipolar supporters have tried to talk to their
\nloved ones in the past and it hasn\u2019t worked out, so they stopped talking to them. Maybe this is you. Maybe you tried sharing your thoughts or feelings with your loved one at some point and it didn\u2019t work out exactly like you wanted it to, so you\u2019ve stopped talking to your loved one, too.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s out of fear. It could be for one of the reasons I listed. Or it could be for another reason. But whatever the reason, if you\u2019ve stopped talking to your loved one, then communications have broken down, and that\u2019s NOT good. For you, or for them, for your relationship, or for their bipolar disorder. Maybe you just need to take a risk.<\/p>\n
Try taking something simple. And start with that. Like making a suggestion. For example\u2026
\nMaybe you can offer an opinion on what the two of you can do together this weekend or something. It\u2019s a start! Then work up from there. Eventually, you can rebuild the walls of your
\ncommunication and be able to share your thoughts and feelings with your loved one again.<\/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
Some friends of mine just had a new baby. It\u2019s amazing how quickly and how tremendously
\ntheir lives have drastically changed! They\u2019re really struggling with trying to figure this new parent thing out. Like what to do when the baby cries (it seems to cry for so many reasons).<\/p>\n
Maybe you\u2019ve had children, and you remember when they were babies (or you have a baby now)\u2026And you remember how they would cry.<\/p>\n