Are You Making These 5 Big Bipolar Mistakes?
Published: Sun, 08/09/09
Hi ,
I hope you are doing great!
I talked to a bunch of bipolar
supporters recently.
We were having a good talk,
and I learned a lot of things about
the way they were coping with
their loved ones' bipolar disorder.
But I also noticed that they were
making 5 big mistakes.
And I wanted to pass on these 5
big mistakes onto you, to make
sure that you're not making them,
too.
1. Doing nothing and hope the
problem fixes itself
Year after year, my dad thought
like this.
He always thought that it would
work itself out.
He ignored things that were indications
that my mom was getting worse and
worse - things that he should have
noticed, before things got out of control.
He didn't do anything, because he thought
the problem (my mom's "condition," or
the bipolar disorder) would fix itself.
He honestly thought mom would get better
without him having to do anything about it.
That has got to be the number one mistake.
That's like ignoring the elephant in the
living room.
Bipolar disorder is NOT going to go away
by itself.
You HAVE to do something about it in
order for your loved one to get better.
2. Reacting instead of being proactive
My dad always let bipolar disorder run
the show so to speak.
He never knew what to do, because he didn't
know enough about the disorder to help
my mom.
Now, because I have taught them, my mom
is in charge of her bipolar disorder, instead
of IT being in charge of HER.
That's why I teach in my courses/systems
below that having knowledge of bipolar
disorder is one of the most important things
you have to do:
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
If you don't have KNOWLEDGE of bipolar
disorder, how can you fight it?
If you don't realize what you're up against,
you will be reactive instead of proactive,
just like my dad was.
He just plain didn't know what to do, so
my mom got out of control.
Then when she went into the worst episode
of her life, he had to react to the situation and
take drastic measures and put her in the hospital.
I'm not just picking on my father here, I see
other supporters making the same mistake.
You need to learn as much as you can about the
disorder and about your loved one's symptoms,
so that you can be proactive, and head off an
episode before it becomes full-blown.
3. Not realizing how serious bipolar disorder
can be.
Just like I was just saying about having to put
my mom in the hospital, my dad didn't realize
how serious bipolar disorder can be.
If he had realized it was something that could
actually make my mom that out of control,
I think he would have taken it more serious
much earlier than he did.
Bipolar disorder is a very serious disorder.
It can destroy families. It can destroy lives.
And supporters need to realize how devastating
an illness bipolar disorder can be, and how
dangerous it can be for their loved one.
Some supporters don't take it serious enough,
until they're sitting in a hospital waiting room,
like my dad.
4. Trying to change your loved one, looking
for a quick fix
Many supporters are looking for a quick fix.
I don't blame them. Many of us do, when we're
faced with a difficult situation.
But you have to understand that you can't
change your loved one - they can only change
themselves.
Getting stable takes time - it will NOT
happen overnight.
It will take patience on your part as a supporter
to wait for your loved one's treatment
(medication and therapy) to work.
There is no quick fix to recovery from bipolar
disorder.
5. Not realizing your loved one can be "normal",
stable and successful
Yet, along the same lines, some supporters give
up too soon.
They think that their loved one will never get stable,
and this is just as big a mistake.
NEVER give up hope on your loved one.
With your help and support (and a lot of work on
your loved one's part), there is ALWAYS hope
for stability and recovery from bipolar disorder
for your loved one.
Just like I said before, it won't happen overnight,
it will take time, and there will be set-backs and
probably more episodes before it happens, but
your loved one CAN become stable, "normal,"
and successful.
My mom did it!
Have you noticed yourself making any of these
5 big mistakes?
How do you see them happening in your life?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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