When you first get diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the idea that you can be happy and live a good life may seem out of reach. It is not easy and it takes time \u2013but it is possible.<\/p>\n
Here are three ways to start living a better life with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
Take a second and think about the way you talk about yourself. When you talk to others about your illness, what words do you use? You hear lots of people with bipolar disorder say things like \u201cI am bipolar\u201d or \u201cI am bipolar and \u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Well let\u2019s be clear: you are strong, you are worthy of love, and you are capable of recovery; you are not bipolar, you have bipolar disorder. Bipolar is not an adjective; it does not define you. It is merely something you have, just like you have high blood pressure. You do not hear cancer patients say things like \u201cI am cancer\u201d or \u201cI am cancerous\u201d \u2013they have cancer. Whether you realize it or not, that language affects you. We don\u2019t realize how much impact words have. When we use this kind of language to talk about ourselves, we are giving so much power to a disease that doesn\u2019t deserve it. Making this small change can help you in the subtlest of ways. You get to take back the power, take back control. It might not seem like much, but if you start changing the way you speak, you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n
The more experience someone has with something, the better they usually are at dealing with it. Treat every experience you have as a learning one. If you have made a lot of progress and then have an episode, don\u2019t think of it as taking a step back. Try and think of it as the next foot forward. For example, if you are hospitalized, try not to think about it as a disruption of your progress but rather a lesson about what triggers you to get to that stage. Think of it as having a toolbox, and each time something happens, take something from the experience and put in your toolbox for the next time you feel something coming over you. It\u2019s important to equip yourself with information and tools to manage your symptoms if and when they return. You can\u2019t always predict when these shifts in mood will happen, but you can predict how you will react.<\/p>\n
\u201cComparison is the thief of joy.\u201d \u00a0When you start comparing yourself to other people, you start going down a slippery slope. It may make you feel like your progress isn\u2019t as exciting or important as it is. Obviously, big victories and breakthroughs are important but you can\u2019t expect them every day. Recovery is made up of little, daily victories that should be celebrated. If the hardest thing you did today was get out of bed, then take pride in that. Each day is an accomplishment. It can be easy to compare what we are going through with other people\u2019s experiences\u2014especially in the age of social media. People say things like \u201cThey have had it worse\u2026 what do you have to be sad about?\u201d While it is important to keep perspective, this kind of thinking often shames people into feeling like whatever they are going through isn\u2019t \u201chard\u201d enough or \u201csad\u201d enough to be taken seriously. People feel stupid for feeling a certain way when \u201cso many people have it worse than them.\u201d This can prevent them from talking about their problems and getting help. If you are a feeling a certain way, regardless of the circumstances that brought you there, you are entitled to feel that way. Everyone\u2019s progress is valid, everyone\u2019s pain is valid, everyone\u2019s feelings are valid. Your experience is valid.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When you first get diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the idea that you can be happy and live a good life may seem out of reach. It is not easy and it takes time \u2013but it is possible. Here are three ways to start living a better life with bipolar disorder. Don\u2019t let it define you. … <\/p>\n