The difficulties maintaining stability for those with bipolar disorder are real. Individuals often become frustrated or even lose hope due to the chronic nature of this disorder. EBeth, a forum member and volunteer, shared some points to help overcome these hurdles. She says: “I am working full-time again for the first time after three years of very little work and seven years since full-time work. This is after having been pretty darn sick with this illness. What helped? What gave me hope?” EBeth is a professor, and she shared her tips with us:
Difficulty: Hard
Time Required: Varied
Here's How:
- Meds - It would not be possible without my meds, that's for sure. And I am still going through med trials. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for now.
- Support - It would not be possible without the support of my husband. I keep the kitchen clean, and he cooks me dinner (I get home pretty late). I also have invested many years in developing friends that I let it all hang out with.
- Coping Methods - It would not be possible without the skills I have learned from this site and another household management site as well as books, therapists, etc. And, I have had to have just plain perseverance in learning coping methods. One of the other things I did for myself was to find a therapist who could help me with the coping skills end of things.
- Organization - I got rid of a bunch of clutter. I set up systems. I do a daily minimum of housework every morning. I write everything down. My walls are covered with calendars and reminders. I post on bulletin boards nearly every day to keep up my motivation. I made a conscious decision after a pretty low dysfunctional bottom to go on meds again and try to learn how to create an organized life.
- Patience - I accomplished all of this in BABY STEPS. It took me a couple of years to get my daily routines, household organization, and financial tracking to the point where I didn't have to struggle so much - where it became more or less habitual and automatic.
- Perseverance - My therapist says that we have some challenges in the “executive functions” of our brains - planning, organizing, and remembering even though we may be very bright. The trick is learning how to compensate for it.
- Acceptance - Yes, at times, I cry on the way home because it's not fair that I have to work SO HARD just to be at normal. Yes, I frequently look like an idiot in front of a bunch of 20-year-olds. So what. It won't kill them to deal with an earnest, caring, smart professor who has no clue what day of the week it is. And more importantly, it won't kill me to let other folks see me as human. We are part of the range of human expression, and we have a right to be accepted as we are. Period.
- Motivation - Do your best. Go for your maximum functional level – whatever it is. My therapist told me yesterday that my job was not to compare myself with others, but just to go for my personal best - to be realistic and not expect fast progress.
