Tending a Bipolar Yard
Published: Tue, 07/05/11
Hi ,
How are you doing today?
I hope things are going ok
for you.
When I was younger, I had a
landscaping business.
And I really enjoyed doing it,
and it helped people who couldn't
do their own lawns, etc.
But part of landscaping is cutting
back the bushes.
Trimming the dead parts, to make
room for new ones.
Getting the weeds out of the way.
So that, in the end, people could be
proud of their yards.
Now, the trimming back and getting
rid of weeds had to be done on a
steady basis, or they would overgrow.
Same with the lawns.
In other words, without pruning, things
get overgrown with the wrong thing.
They need constant attention.
And the more attention I gave them,
the better the result.
Bipolar disorder is like that.
First of all, let me say that everybody's
different, and what works for one
person might not work for another.
So I'm just going to talk in general.
But let's take medication for example.
You might start out on one medication,
but it may have some side effects that
you don't like.
So what can you do about it?
There's only two things you can do:
1. Deal with the side effects
2. Change medications
Dealing with side effects can be done.
It's worth it as long as the medication
is working for you.
But those side effects can be like the
thorns on a rosebush -
They bother you, but they are necessary.
Most side effects, though, can be
managed with not too much effort.
But medication changes (dose, amount,
maybe even a different medication
or combination of medications), is like
tending to that rosebush.
You keep at it until it becomes what you
want it to be.
Or until it helps you be what you want
to be, which is stable.
There are other things you do for your
stability.
Like see a doctor, psychiatrist, and
therapist.
And going to those appointments
regularly is like landscaping the front
of your home - you tend to it, and you
do it regularly.
Only by regular attention can you get
to where you want it (yourself) to be.
Starting an entire exercise routine when
you're not used to exercising can be
too much.
But starting slow and building up to a
better routine that works for you, is like
tending to the weeds.
One thing might not work so well for
you, but another one will.
So you discard the old routine and
begin a new one, adding and changing
as you need to in order to get the
result that you want.
It's the same with eating a healthy diet.
You try one thing, and it might work,
or it might not.
But you prune and weed until you find
something that does work well for you.
Stability in general is like landscaping
your yard.
You know what you want it to be like.
But it needs tending to, so you do what
you have to in order to get stable.
Once you reach stability, though, it's
not such a big job as an overgrown
garden with weeds.
Once you are stable, you may need
tweaks here and there, but for the
most part, you will have a well-
tended "self."
What are you doing to tend your
garden of stability?
Is it working for you, or does it need
to be "trimmed and weeded?"
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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