Hey, y’all –
I was just writing an article about how some people with bipolar disorder isolate themselves from others, and it reminded me that I used to do that, too.
It wasn’t that I thought that I was better than anyone else or anything like that, it was more like I felt “less than” other people. I felt like I was broken in some way, just because I had bipolar disorder and they didn’t.
So I really didn’t open up to people at first and tell them that I had the disorder. I just kind of kept it to myself, figuring I could handle this thing all alone.
I know what you’re thinking. In fact, you can probably already predict what I’m going to say, right?
Right. It didn’t last long. I fell flat on my face. Right into an episode.
In the hospital…
Yep. In the hospital, I realized I couldn’t do this thing alone. I realized I needed help if I was ever going to experience any type of recovery from bipolar disorder.
I met others like myself — people who knew how I felt, knew what I was going through, where I had been – people who had similar things happen to them.
I didn’t have to hide any more! I wasn’t the only one! There were others just like me! What a revelation that was to me.
Slowly at first, I came out of my shell and started asking for help.
I started with a small bipolar support group. I learned I could share, and that people wouldn’t think I was crazy. I could tell people how I felt and they wouldn’t hate me or tell me I was wrong or even throw me out!
I found out it was ok to be me. It was ok to have bipolar disorder and that it wasn’t the end of the world.
And that was the beginning of my true stability.
Yes, I was on good medication. Yes, I had a good psychiatrist and therapist. But to me, true stability also means having a good support system — people who know the real you and love you anyway. People with whom you can be yourself and not have to put up this mask of “I’m ok” all the time.
Face it, we’re not ok all the time. And there are times when we need other people to help us. We just cannot be stable all by ourselves.
No matter how long we’ve gone between bipolar episodes, we will still fall down, and we will need help getting back up again. Family, friends, other people… we need them.
We just can’t do this alone.
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Hey, y’all –
I was just writing an article about how some people with bipolar disorder isolate themselves from others, and it reminded me that I used to do that, too.
It wasn’t that I thought that I was better than anyone else or anything like that, it was more like I felt “less than” other people. I felt like I was broken in some way, just because I had bipolar disorder and they didn’t.
So I really didn’t open up to people at first and tell them that I had the disorder. I just kind of kept it to myself, figuring I could handle this thing all alone.
I know what you’re thinking. In fact, you can probably already predict what I’m going to say, right?
Right. It didn’t last long. I fell flat on my face. Right into an episode.
In the hospital…
Yep. In the hospital, I realized I couldn’t do this thing alone. I realized I needed help if I was ever going to experience any type of recovery from bipolar disorder.
I met others like myself — people who knew how I felt, knew what I was going through, where I had been – people who had similar things happen to them.
I didn’t have to hide any more! I wasn’t the only one! There were others just like me! What a revelation that was to me.
Slowly at first, I came out of my shell and started asking for help.
I started with a small bipolar support group. I learned I could share, and that people wouldn’t think I was crazy. I could tell people how I felt and they wouldn’t hate me or tell me I was wrong or even throw me out!
I found out it was ok to be me. It was ok to have bipolar disorder and that it wasn’t the end of the world.
And that was the beginning of my true stability.
Yes, I was on good medication. Yes, I had a good psychiatrist and therapist. But to me, true stability also means having a good support system — people who know the real you and love you anyway. People with whom you can be yourself and not have to put up this mask of “I’m ok” all the time.
Face it, we’re not ok all the time. And there are times when we need other people to help us. We just cannot be stable all by ourselves.
No matter how long we’ve gone between bipolar episodes, we will still fall down, and we will need help getting back up again. Family, friends, other people… we need them.
We just can’t do this alone.
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele