Bipolar Supporter – The What If Game
Published: Sun, 09/11/11
Hi ,
How are you doing today?
I hope you're having a good day.
Sometimes when children are little, their
parents play the What If Game with them.
It goes like this:
The parent may ask little Suzy something like,
"Suzy, what if you were a princess, what
would you do?"
And Suzy might answer, "I'd turn a frog into a
Prince and make him marry me."
A predictable answer for a little girl.
But not very realistic.
Or they might ask little Johnny something like,
"Johnny, if you were President, what would
you do?"
And Johnny might answer, "I'd stop all the wars
and make peace and bring all the soldiers home."
A noble answer for a little boy.
But not very realistic either.
That's not what the What If Game is for.
It's for sparking imagination.
At least in little children.
On the other hand...
Teachers use it with their students in the
following way:
In math, they might ask,
"What if we were to substitute the number 6
for X, what would happen then?"
Or in English...
"What if [this] would happen, how would that
change the plot of the story?"
Even scientists can use the What If Game in
their research, by doing the same thing that
math teachers do...
They can ask themselves, "What if... I were to
exchange this value for that one... how would it
change the formula and subsequently, the results
of my research?"
Can you see the value of that?
So, even in research, the What If Game can be
used positively to spark the imagination.
However, the What If Game can also be used
negatively.
How, you are probably asking?
When it's applied to the past.
In my courses/systems below, I talk about
how dwelling in the past is a negative thing,
because it doesn't help you to deal with your
present:
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
Still, you're probably thinking, what does any
of this have to do with bipolar disorder, right?
Ok, you've been very patient, so I'll tell you...
It has to do with what I was just talking about.
How the What If Game can be used in a
negative way.
When you're a supporter of someone with bipolar
disorder, you very much have to deal with things
as they are, and not how you would like them to be.
In fact, that's called mindfulness, a part of
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, which is the
type of therapy specifically developed for
borderline personality disorder, and which
can be used to help your loved one with bipolar
disorder as well.
But you can learn the principle as well, as it
will help you, too.
If you play the What If Game, it will only distract
you from dealing with things the way you need
to be dealing with them in your present everyday
life.
You can't expect your loved one to be learning
a principle that you yourself aren't willing to
follow, can you?
And it's easy to follow.
In other words...
Instead of thinking, "What if my loved one was
better able to cope with their bipolar disorder by
themselves, how much better my life would be?"
You replace that thinking with, "How can I better
cope with how my loved one's bipolar disorder?"
So you are dealing with things more
realistically.
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Then it's not a What If Game any more.
You are looking at things with mindfulness
then.
You are dealing with things as they are, and
not how you'd like them to be.
In this way, you think about NOT how you
can change your situation, but how you can
deal with things just as they are.
It's more realistic, because you realize you
cannot change your loved one, but have to
accept them just the way they are.
Now, this does NOT mean that you have to
accept their behavior, especially when their
behavior is not acceptable.
You do have the right to have them take
responsibility for the consequences of their
behavior during bipolar episodes, for example.
In other words, you should not be expected to pay
these consequences for them.
It's only fair.
What do you think about this?
PLEASE POST RESPONSES TO THIS EMAIL BELOW
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/bipolarsupporterblog/bipolar-supporter-%E2%80%93-the-what-if-game/comment-page-1/#comment-29352
FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME
Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
===>> Great Resources For You <===
Get Your Own Subscription To This Newsletter
Want your own copy of these daily bipolar
emails sent to you for F.ree? If so, visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/register3
Get More Help On Bipolar Disorder
Don't forget to take a look through the
different programs I've put together... each
one is designed to help you with a different
area of bipolar disorder whether you have it or
you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com
View Past Daily Bipolar Emails For F.REE
Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
Get Audio Information On Bipolar Disorder For F.REE
Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can't learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com