In my opinion, too many people with bipolar disorder believe what other people say about them. Well, let me tell you a saying I heard about that. "What other people think about you is none of your business." Pretty powerful, huh? Think about it.
It's better not to know what other people think or say about you, especially to your face, because then there's a chance you might believe them, and then... well, then it might change the way you feel about yourself.
Your opinion of yourself is the only opinion that matters. And that opinion should be high! You are special, don't you know that? Everyone with bipolar disorder is special.
We have gifts, for one thing. Most of us are more intelligent, talented and creative than other people are. If you don't believe me, check out famous people with bipolar disorder online.
You'll be amazed at the people who have the disorder just like you - people like Beethoven, Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, Jim Carey, Robin Williams, Robert Downey Jr., Patty Duke, Carrie Fisher, and many, many others.
Look around at your own circle, the people you know who have bipolar disorder. Aren't they more creative, intelligent, and talented than others? You almost have to be, to live with this disorder, don't you?
Think about the way you approach things - you think outside the box. You come up with more creative solutions, not just the usual ones. Not just in a manic episode, but even in normal times, you have creative ideas. We are poets, musicians, actors, writers, artists... shall I go on? I repeat, we are special!
You should have high self-esteem! Just think of all the things you can do (some at the same time - we're geat at multi-tasking)! And do well, I might add. Some of us even struggle with perfection, we want things to be done so well. But that's because we care about things so much.
And we have a great capacity to love people. To show affection in creative ways. Just ask our supporters, family, and friends.
Unfortunately, that great capacity to feel so deeply, so strongly, can also be our downfall when we go into bipolar depressive episodes. But that's just one of the things with which we must struggle - it's just the nature of the beast.
But when we are happy, we are oh so happy! We can feel so good about everything - including ourselves. So much so that it doesn't matter what other people think about us - we can just shrug tat off, it doesn't matter.
If you don't like yourself now, give it time. It will come as part of recovery. You will get to know yourself, learn the good parts of yourself, and get to like yourself in time, as you grow, as you stabilize.
If your self-esteem happens to be low right now,just remember that it won't stay there forever - it will get better, as you feel better. Just be yourself, and remember that your opinion is the only opinion that counts. Don't try to be who you think others want you to be. Just be yourself. That's good enough.
Wishing you peace and stability,
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Can People with Bipolar Have Dreams?
Ya know what really bothers me about bipolar disorder? It's when it beats people down, sometimes through other people, and makes them feel "less than," like that they can't have a normal life, or they can't look forward to things like vacations, can't go places, can't make plans, and CAN'T DREAM!!!
Of course we can dream!!! I am so sorry that someone convinced you that you can no longer have dreams - they were so, so wrong. It's like they stole your dreams right away from you! And that just isn't right.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you very definitely CAN DREAM! You can dream as much as you want to, about anything you want to! And nobody can stop you. You have a right to your dreams.
I have a son with bipolar, and he has a dream. He has wanted to go to college for so long, but missed the boat out of high school. He ended up in the work force for 11 years. Well, guess what? He is finally going after his dream, and he is going to college this May! Nothing is stopping him from living his dream!
Not the naysayers, not the people that say he's too old now, not the people that say he'll never make it, not the people that say he can't afford it, not the people that say he can't get financial aid, not the people that he can't do it because he has bipolar disorder, not the discouragers, not the downers, not anyone!
Because he is finally going after his dream. And he IS going to get it! He is determined. And he is NOT going to let anything or anyone stop him. Not even the bipolar. Especially not the bipolar.
Just because we have a mental illness does NOT mean that we can't go after our dreams! It doesn't have to put us down or hold us back in ANY way, not if we don't let it.
I had a dream. I wanted to be an author someday. Well, guess what? Not only did I not let the bipolar disorder stop me, I wrote about bipolar disorder! And now that book is on amazon.com and is helping other people. YES!!!
Dreams are great. They give us hope. And no one should be allowed to take that away from us. So don't let them! Ignore what they say. Believe in yourself and in your dreams. Think about my son. Think about me. And there are others.
There are a lot of people who wouldn't let bipolar disorder steal their dreams. Be one of them!
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Of course we can dream!!! I am so sorry that someone convinced you that you can no longer have dreams - they were so, so wrong. It's like they stole your dreams right away from you! And that just isn't right.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you very definitely CAN DREAM! You can dream as much as you want to, about anything you want to! And nobody can stop you. You have a right to your dreams.
I have a son with bipolar, and he has a dream. He has wanted to go to college for so long, but missed the boat out of high school. He ended up in the work force for 11 years. Well, guess what? He is finally going after his dream, and he is going to college this May! Nothing is stopping him from living his dream!
Not the naysayers, not the people that say he's too old now, not the people that say he'll never make it, not the people that say he can't afford it, not the people that say he can't get financial aid, not the people that he can't do it because he has bipolar disorder, not the discouragers, not the downers, not anyone!
Because he is finally going after his dream. And he IS going to get it! He is determined. And he is NOT going to let anything or anyone stop him. Not even the bipolar. Especially not the bipolar.
Just because we have a mental illness does NOT mean that we can't go after our dreams! It doesn't have to put us down or hold us back in ANY way, not if we don't let it.
I had a dream. I wanted to be an author someday. Well, guess what? Not only did I not let the bipolar disorder stop me, I wrote about bipolar disorder! And now that book is on amazon.com and is helping other people. YES!!!
Dreams are great. They give us hope. And no one should be allowed to take that away from us. So don't let them! Ignore what they say. Believe in yourself and in your dreams. Think about my son. Think about me. And there are others.
There are a lot of people who wouldn't let bipolar disorder steal their dreams. Be one of them!
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Monday, February 7, 2011
Bipolar: You Can't Afford This
If you have bipolar disorder, there's one thing you can't afford - complacency. Complacency is just too darned close to giving up. And giving up, for us, can really do us in. It can mean that the bipolar wins and we lose, and we just can't let that happen.
Complacency can go from simply ignoring something or not caring all the way to the darkest depression imaginable, and everything in between. And if you don't think you have control over this, you're wrong, because you do.
If you feel yourself becoming complacent, or notice that you have become complacent, you can do something. Anything. But don't let it go on. Do something about it. Take control (whether it's of yourself or of the situation).
You can become complacent just by putting up with something for too long, when you should've done something about it. Well, it's never too late! Do something about it now! Take charge of the situation now! Be empowered - take back your control, and no longer be complacent.
Complacent implies not caring - not caring about what is happening around you and/or to you. Be proactive! Do something about it! CARE about it! Even though you're starting in the middle, at least you are starting somewhere, and that matters. It will change things.
You can make things better for yourself by coming out of your complacent fog and making a decision to get involved in your own life. Don't stand for what you have been letting go on any longer - stop it!
You cannot afford to allow complacency to have any hold over your life. YOU need to be in control. YOU need to be proactive. YOU need to be involved. YOU need to make decisions. YOU need to be front and center in your own life.
You can fight this. You CAN do it! Complacency no longer has to have any reign over your life. You no longer have to suffer from that bipolar episode you feel into because of complacency - you can bring yourself out of it. Just try! Just push! Just make the effort! Just take control!
You can change things. You can make a difference. You can take the reins back. You can get back in control of your own life! Just do it!
Wishing you peace and stability,
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Complacency can go from simply ignoring something or not caring all the way to the darkest depression imaginable, and everything in between. And if you don't think you have control over this, you're wrong, because you do.
If you feel yourself becoming complacent, or notice that you have become complacent, you can do something. Anything. But don't let it go on. Do something about it. Take control (whether it's of yourself or of the situation).
You can become complacent just by putting up with something for too long, when you should've done something about it. Well, it's never too late! Do something about it now! Take charge of the situation now! Be empowered - take back your control, and no longer be complacent.
Complacent implies not caring - not caring about what is happening around you and/or to you. Be proactive! Do something about it! CARE about it! Even though you're starting in the middle, at least you are starting somewhere, and that matters. It will change things.
You can make things better for yourself by coming out of your complacent fog and making a decision to get involved in your own life. Don't stand for what you have been letting go on any longer - stop it!
You cannot afford to allow complacency to have any hold over your life. YOU need to be in control. YOU need to be proactive. YOU need to be involved. YOU need to make decisions. YOU need to be front and center in your own life.
You can fight this. You CAN do it! Complacency no longer has to have any reign over your life. You no longer have to suffer from that bipolar episode you feel into because of complacency - you can bring yourself out of it. Just try! Just push! Just make the effort! Just take control!
You can change things. You can make a difference. You can take the reins back. You can get back in control of your own life! Just do it!
Wishing you peace and stability,
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Bipolar? Do Something!
We have a tendency to complicate things, especially when we're in an episode. Well, I read this new book on bipolar disorder and this man truly simplified everything - he said that when you're in a depressive episode and you're so overwhelmed that you can't even get out of bed, DO SOMETHING!
Even if it's taking a shower or making your bed, do something! Anything! He says to just "move your muscles." Simple. Not easy, but simple. Even if you have to force yourself to do it.
He was in this really bad, really dark, all-encompassing depression one time, he writes, and it was around Christmastime. He'd been sitting in the same spot for a long time. Just sitting. Thinking that that's all he could do, that he was too depressed to do anything else.
Then he thought of the "do something" idea. So he made himself decorate his house for Christmas. He didn't WANT to do it, he MADE himself do it.
After it was done, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had done something. He had finished something he had started. He was still depressed, but a little less so, because he had made himself do something despite his depression.
He felt a little better about himself and his situation. All because he did something. Maybe he didn't want to do it, but he did it anyway, and look at the results.
I can so relate to this. There was a time when I was so depressed and feeling so overwhelmed that I was frozen and couldn't do anything. My dining room table had gotten cluttered to the point where you couldn't see the top of the table any more.
The more I looked at it and thought, "I should clean that," the more depressed and overwhelmed I got. It was awful. I stayed like that for months, frozen, unable to do anything about my dining room table and all that clutter.
Then one day I made myself pick at a corner of it. Just do a small part. A little bit of cleaning up the clutter. It actually exhausted me, because it was emotionally draining for me. But the fact was, I did it! Not a whole lot, but I did something. And I was able to look at it and think, "I did that." And to take pride in the fact that a corner of that mess was clean.
The next day I forced myself to do another corner. And I felt a little better. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was actually proud of myself for having done something, and not just sitting around like I had been for months.
Each day I picked at a small part of that dining room table. Just a small part. I still didn't want to - it still seemed an overwhelming task for me. But I made myself concentrate on only a small part.
It took more than a week to clear off that dining room table, working at it this way, a small part at a time, but I did it.
I can't say that the depression miraculously lifted or anything, but I can say that I felt better for having done something. For accomplishing something when I'd felt so overwhelmed that even a shower seemed out of the question.
Gradually, by doing these "somethings," I did come out of that depression. Little things added up, and in time I was able to do more things, and to feel better about myself.
If you are in a depression right now, DO SOMETHING! Start small, like I did, like this man did... just do something, anything. Make yourself do it if you have to, but do it. Move your muscles, as he says!
Gradually your depression will be lifted, as you do more "somethings." As you start to feel better about yourself. You've got to start somewhere, and you've got to start sometime. How about now?
And don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Even if it's taking a shower or making your bed, do something! Anything! He says to just "move your muscles." Simple. Not easy, but simple. Even if you have to force yourself to do it.
He was in this really bad, really dark, all-encompassing depression one time, he writes, and it was around Christmastime. He'd been sitting in the same spot for a long time. Just sitting. Thinking that that's all he could do, that he was too depressed to do anything else.
Then he thought of the "do something" idea. So he made himself decorate his house for Christmas. He didn't WANT to do it, he MADE himself do it.
After it was done, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had done something. He had finished something he had started. He was still depressed, but a little less so, because he had made himself do something despite his depression.
He felt a little better about himself and his situation. All because he did something. Maybe he didn't want to do it, but he did it anyway, and look at the results.
I can so relate to this. There was a time when I was so depressed and feeling so overwhelmed that I was frozen and couldn't do anything. My dining room table had gotten cluttered to the point where you couldn't see the top of the table any more.
The more I looked at it and thought, "I should clean that," the more depressed and overwhelmed I got. It was awful. I stayed like that for months, frozen, unable to do anything about my dining room table and all that clutter.
Then one day I made myself pick at a corner of it. Just do a small part. A little bit of cleaning up the clutter. It actually exhausted me, because it was emotionally draining for me. But the fact was, I did it! Not a whole lot, but I did something. And I was able to look at it and think, "I did that." And to take pride in the fact that a corner of that mess was clean.
The next day I forced myself to do another corner. And I felt a little better. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was actually proud of myself for having done something, and not just sitting around like I had been for months.
Each day I picked at a small part of that dining room table. Just a small part. I still didn't want to - it still seemed an overwhelming task for me. But I made myself concentrate on only a small part.
It took more than a week to clear off that dining room table, working at it this way, a small part at a time, but I did it.
I can't say that the depression miraculously lifted or anything, but I can say that I felt better for having done something. For accomplishing something when I'd felt so overwhelmed that even a shower seemed out of the question.
Gradually, by doing these "somethings," I did come out of that depression. Little things added up, and in time I was able to do more things, and to feel better about myself.
If you are in a depression right now, DO SOMETHING! Start small, like I did, like this man did... just do something, anything. Make yourself do it if you have to, but do it. Move your muscles, as he says!
Gradually your depression will be lifted, as you do more "somethings." As you start to feel better about yourself. You've got to start somewhere, and you've got to start sometime. How about now?
And don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bipolar is Getting Better All the Time
Do you know why I left the bipolar support group I was in? Because everyone in it was so depressed and down about why they weren't getting any better - they were convinced that they would never get better with their bipolar disorder.
I didn't feel like I fit in with my attitude, like the old Beatles song, of "getting better all the time." I had been to hell and back, and had lived to tell the story. I figured anything else had to be better than what I had been through.
Plus, I had a very good, very strong support system, who encouraged me and helped me to believe that I would keep getting better.
That is so very important - to have that good, strong support system behind you, supporting you and encouraging you. If you don't have one yet, I would encourage you to get one now.
Your attitude is very important as well. You need to believe that you CAN get better, and that recovery WILL happen for you. Be positive. Negative thinking can really bring you down and make you like those people in my bipolar support group.
Positive thinkers are winners. Positive thinkers with bipolar disorder believe not only that recovery is possible, but that recovery is possible for THEM!
That's the difference that your attitude and thinking can make. It can be the difference between being stable or not for you. So be positive!
Practice being stable. If you walk the walk, you are bound to reap the results. Do the things that bring stability, like taking your medication, seeing your psychiatrist and therapist, eating a healthy diet, sticking to a good sleep schedule, exercising (even if it's just walking), being productive, not isolating, staying balanced (emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually), etc.
And be good to yourself. If you're not good to yourself, how can you expect anyone else to be good to you? Do things that you enjoy, that make you feel good. Things like hobbies, or even volunteer work. Or reading, listening to music, yoga or tai chi, watching tv or a video, visiting with family or friends, etc.
There is no limit, there are no rules. Just be good to yourself. The better you are to yourself, the better you will feel about yourself, and the better you feel about yourself, the better you will feel about other people, and the better you will treat them, too. Then the better they will treat you in kind.
You ARE getting better all the time. If you are working toward recovery each day and not sitting and being depressed about not being recovered yet, you are getting better. Each positive thing that you do brings you that much closer to stability and recovery. Stay positive and you'll get there!
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
I didn't feel like I fit in with my attitude, like the old Beatles song, of "getting better all the time." I had been to hell and back, and had lived to tell the story. I figured anything else had to be better than what I had been through.
Plus, I had a very good, very strong support system, who encouraged me and helped me to believe that I would keep getting better.
That is so very important - to have that good, strong support system behind you, supporting you and encouraging you. If you don't have one yet, I would encourage you to get one now.
Your attitude is very important as well. You need to believe that you CAN get better, and that recovery WILL happen for you. Be positive. Negative thinking can really bring you down and make you like those people in my bipolar support group.
Positive thinkers are winners. Positive thinkers with bipolar disorder believe not only that recovery is possible, but that recovery is possible for THEM!
That's the difference that your attitude and thinking can make. It can be the difference between being stable or not for you. So be positive!
Practice being stable. If you walk the walk, you are bound to reap the results. Do the things that bring stability, like taking your medication, seeing your psychiatrist and therapist, eating a healthy diet, sticking to a good sleep schedule, exercising (even if it's just walking), being productive, not isolating, staying balanced (emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually), etc.
And be good to yourself. If you're not good to yourself, how can you expect anyone else to be good to you? Do things that you enjoy, that make you feel good. Things like hobbies, or even volunteer work. Or reading, listening to music, yoga or tai chi, watching tv or a video, visiting with family or friends, etc.
There is no limit, there are no rules. Just be good to yourself. The better you are to yourself, the better you will feel about yourself, and the better you feel about yourself, the better you will feel about other people, and the better you will treat them, too. Then the better they will treat you in kind.
You ARE getting better all the time. If you are working toward recovery each day and not sitting and being depressed about not being recovered yet, you are getting better. Each positive thing that you do brings you that much closer to stability and recovery. Stay positive and you'll get there!
Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
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