Bipolar Lesson from Fireworks
Published: Sun, 07/18/10
Hi ,
How's it going?
Hope you are doing well.
I was just thinking earlier today about a
conversation I had with a friend a while
back.
This friend hates fireworks, apparently.
So the Fourth of July is not exactly his
favorite holiday.
There was a third person who was in the
conversation, and she accused him of not
being patriotic.
He calmly replied, saying that he disliked
fireworks because of the pollution, the
danger, and the noise.
But, he continued, he loved his country
and was proud to be an American.
I thought it brought up a good point.
You CAN be patriotic without liking
fireworks.
You know what else?
You CAN be compliant with your
medications without liking the fact that
you have to take them.
Liking them and taking them are two
entirely different things.
Just like admiring fireworks and admiring
the country are two entirely different
things.
It also depends partially on why you don't
like them.
If you don't like them because they are
not working correctly, or because of some
awful side effect they give you, then you
should talk to your psychiatrist and find
out what needs to be changed.
But, if you don't like them for the same
reason that you might not like having to
take any other pill for the rest of your
life, then you can work your way through
the dislike.
I'm sure that there are many people who
have insulin dependent diabetes who do
not like taking their insulin.
But many of them could die if they didn't
take it.
Bipolar disorder is just as serious:
Many people with bipolar disorder die
from suicide when they are depressed.
Many people with bipolar disorder ruin
their lives and their health when they are
not compliant with their medications.
As much as we might not like to admit to
it, medications are a necessary part of life.
And that doesn't make you a "pill popper."
Pill poppers are people who like to take
medications for anything that they can
get away with.
In your situation, you are someone who
recognizes a need to take very specific
medications for a medical problem.
That's right, I said medical.
Science is finding out more and more
about mental illnesses, and they are, in
fact, brain disorders.
Which means it's not "all in your mind."
It's also in your brain.
LOL.
No, but seriously.
If you had a serious medical problem that
you had to take medications for to avoid
very serious problems, wouldn't you take
it?
Well, you do have a serious medical
problem that you have to take medications
for.
It's called bipolar disorder.
And you know what else?
It's okay to not like taking them!
Nobody said you had to enjoy swallowing
pills once a day, or that you have to like
the concept of it.
But, like many other things in life, we
sometimes have to do things that we don't
like to do.
What ways can you encourage yourself
to take your medications despite a strong
dislike for them?
What ways can you remind yourself that
they are, in fact, necessary?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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