Bipolar: Just Like Your Yard
Published: Tue, 12/11/12
Hi ,
How are things going for you?
I hope you're having a good day today.
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.
Your loved one might start out on one medication,
but it may have some side effects that they 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 them.
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 your loved one be what they want to be,
which is stable.
There are other things your loved one does for their
stability.
Like see a doctor, psychiatrist, and therapist, like I
recommend in my courses/systems below:
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
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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 your loved one
get to where they want it (themselves) 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 your loved one is stable, they may need tweaks
here and there, but for the most part, they will have a
well-tended "self."
What do you think?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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