Hi,<\/p>\n
Remember back in school\u2026There were some students who got A\u2019s, and some students who got C\u2019s. And for those C students, it didn\u2019t matter how much they tried or studied, they just weren\u2019t A students. In other words\u2026There was just a limit to what they could do.<\/p>\n
There are other kinds of limits in life as well. For example\u2026We have speed limits. Those are rules that are imposed on us for our own (and others\u2019) safety. And we have to obey those limits, or else we\u2019ll get a ticket.<\/p>\n
There are also endurance limits. In other words\u2026There is only so much that your body will tolerate before it will react.<\/p>\n
So, like, if you\u2019re under a lot of stress and anxiety for a long period of time, your body may react with stomach problems or migraines, or, at worst, when it\u2019s reached its absolute limit, you will have a heart attack or stroke. Especially if you have pushed it to its limits by doing other unhealthy things by eating wrong (being overweight) and smoking.<\/p>\n
Well\u2026People also can have their limits. Like when they\u2019re dealing with a loved one with
\nbipolar disorder. You have to have a lot of patience when you\u2019re dealing with a loved one with bipolar disorder. But what do you do when that patience is stretched to its limit?<\/p>\n
What can you do when you feel like you don\u2019t have any patience left for your loved one? Do you just stretch the boundaries even further? Do you keep allowing them to continue the behavior?
\nDo you keep stuffing your feelings? Do you walk around on eggshells, not wanting
\nto make any trouble?<\/p>\n
Do you keep everything inside, not wanting to take the chance of making them even worse?
\nAren\u2019t you sick of them laying around on the couch all the time? What about them spending money you can\u2019t afford for them to spend? What about their lying all the time?<\/p>\n
Now ask yourself: Is it worth it? If you are stretched to your limit\u2026And you are the one getting sick\u2026Is it worth stuffing your feelings, and walking around on eggshells in fear of making your loved one worse?<\/p>\n
Ask yourself: What about me? What about my needs? Because you, and your own needs, are just as important as your loved one and their needs!<\/p>\n
And if you have been doing the above things, and if you are stretched to your limit, and if it is starting to manifest itself in physical ways\u2026Then you do need to do something about it, before
\nit gets worse.<\/p>\n
Because then you could wind up as sick as your loved one\u2026Or even worse. Like I said earlier\u2026You could even wind up with a heart attack or stroke from the stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n
Do you want that to happen? No, you don\u2019t. You may think that keeping your feelings from
\nyour loved one is protecting them in some way, helping them, but it actually isn\u2019t. It isn\u2019t helping them, because it isn\u2019t helping you. In fact, it is actually hurting you. And it is hurting the relationship between you, because you aren\u2019t being honest.<\/p>\n
And honesty in a relationship is very important, especially when you\u2019re dealing with bipolar
\ndisorder. So you need to own up to your feelings. Somehow\u2026You need to tell your loved one how you are feeling.<\/p>\n
They need to share the burden. If there is something they can do to help the situation, then they must do it. But they can\u2019t do anything to help you, if you don\u2019t first tell them what they can do.
\nYou need to tell them, because they\u2019re not a mind-reader. Let them help you, like you help them.<\/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
Remember back in school\u2026There were some students who got A\u2019s, and some students who got C\u2019s. And for those C students, it didn\u2019t matter how much they tried or studied, they just weren\u2019t A students. In other words\u2026There was just a limit to what they could do.<\/p>\n
There are other kinds of limits in life as well. For example\u2026We have speed limits. Those are rules that are imposed on us for our own (and others\u2019) safety.<\/p>\n