Here is a comment from J. on my blog about the economic climate in this country- it’s a good one!

thank u for this. I needed some cheering up. financially we are at out wits’ end. I function only due to my meds. without them i’d be dead now. bipolar is no joke, and having financial problems on top of it…well, it’s hard to stay sane. I CAN choose to enjoy as much of my life THIS MOMENT as I can, no matter what is going on around me. so I try. I fight depression. my meds keep me from mania which is good or we’d be in worse trouble. I thank god I still have left things to be thankful for RIGHT NOW. tomorrow will be dealt with tomorrow. that’s how I cope with money problems I can’t fix. one day at a time. if I live in the present I can cope better with bipolar too. thanks for this blog and newsletter things u put out. it helps. u know what we live with. take care.

**

Wow, thanks to Jen for putting into words what a lot of us feel. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS- it’s just money- it’s just politics- it’s just change. I struggle with my worries- and then realized the situation doesn’t change if I worry, it changes if I work at change. I sound like Obama! Those of us with bipolar disorder do experience things more strongly than others- we get sick and stressed enough as it is- when you add the economy to this, things are tough. It will pass.

I will not let it get me down- Julie

Well, I certainly know a lot of people who have been hit hard by our ‘current economic situation.’ That is for sure. Some of my friends have lost jobs, others have seen their profits decrease- and many are worried about getting laid off.But! I also have friends who have done very well in this economy. For example, a friend of mine works for an online college and they are doing very well. Refinanice mortgage companies and debt relief companies sure seem to be going strong.

My moods have defintely been affected by all that is going on. It’s a daily task to remain positive- but I have to do it. What is the alternative? I would rather be in a bad situation with a good attitude than a bad situation with a despairing attitude.This takes 24 hour work on my part. The positive attitude can be tough.

I was on TV yesterday – which was fun and great- then a few hours later I heard that one of my very important recording studio work projects fell through. It was quite a blow. I was down last night and woke up pretty worried this morning- and then I thought to myself: Only I can do something about this.I made it to my office and started to work. I got online to find another recording studio- I put some flowers on my desk- they are beautiful irises. I talk with my webmaster soon – we will work on continually improving my books and website.You just have to keep going even when you’re crying. Here is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

 I am always sending it to people-The way my day turns out is up to me. I may be depressed – I may be sad, but I can still work and see friends and family. What my brain is saying is not always true! There is a big difference between depression and concern about work and the economy! Things will pick up as they always do- and we will be going strong again!Julie

PS: I just sent out a great newsletter on paranoia and relationships- if you are on the mailing list and didn’t receive the newsletter, please check your spam folder. If you

Bipolar Disorder with no Health Care Insurance: What are my options?

I just received this question via Twitter.  It’s such an important topic, I wanted to give as many tips and resources as possible. These tips are all excellent ideas, even if you do have insurance!

**Hi Julie, Someone I love is battling bp. I really want 2 help her. She can’t afford insurance. We live in NY. Don’t like 2 see her suffer. advice?Here is my reply: No insurance to treat bipolar disorder?  There are ways to get the help you need!

1. Contact your local NAMI or DBSA and see if they resources for local organizations that help those without insurance. Here are their web addresses www.nami.org and www.dbsalliance.org.  If you live in a larger city- there are often branches in your area.
2. Check to see if your state has a low income insurance plan. Often they are full- but if you get on the wait list for the future, there is a chance.  
3. Ask everyone you know if there is a free clinic- low income clinic or a teaching hospital where you can get help. I also suggest calling a hospital psych department- they usually have a lot of information.  
4. Visit www.moodgarden.org for peer support.  There are probably many there who can offer advice.
5. Let your health care professional know you don’t have insurance and ask them about any prescription assistance that may be available to you. You can also research this on your own by visiting www.needymeds.org. Almost all drug companies have drug assistance programs- you can go to their main site for more information. Pharmacies such as in Wal-Mart offer generics for as little as $4. Here is a PDF link to the bipolar disorder medications they cover. It’s a much longer list than you might expect! http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf
6. Work as a team.  You both have to learn to manage the triggers that lead to bipolar disorder symptoms.  You can do this through my books, exercising together, working on relationship skills and talking in the most positive and hopeful terms possible. Bipolar disorder is an illness that affects a person’s ability to manage their emotions- the better you two communicate with each other- the less mood swings for your partner! My book Get it Done When You’re Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track is very action oriented- there are many ideas in Get it Done When You’re Depressed that you can use together. My book Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder: A Four Step Plan for You and Your Loved Ones to Manage the Illness and Create Lasting Stability is oriented towards the person with the illness, but there are many tips for partners in there as well.  Both books are available in stores, online and in the library.
7. Visit the bipolarhappens.com blog at www.bipolarhappens.com/bhblog.  There is a relationships category on the right. I also talk extensively about how to manage the illness throughout the blog.
8. A person’s ability to manage the illness on their own and with the help of others is far, far more important than only relying on medications.
9. Reduce symptoms as much as possible so that you need fewer doctor visits and less  bipolar disorder medications.  I know that when I practice what I teach in my Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder I need less anxiety or anti psychotic meds, etc. Taking care of myself also means I don’t have to rely on my Lamictal (generic Lamotrigine) as much.  You can read about the Health Cards at www.bipolarhappens.com – and yes, there are variable rates for people who need financial help purchasing the treatment plan. 
10. And most importantly, read my book Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner.  For the cost of a dinner out, this book will give you all of the tools you need to manage the illness as a couple. Of course, it’s better if you can do it with bipolar disorder medications as well- but I know from experience that this book can cut symptoms by as much as half and it saves relationships as well!  This was one of the top selling bipolar disorder books in the world last year. It’s also available in most US libraries- if not, you can request that they order it. If you go to a book store and read the chapter The Bipolar Conversation- you can learn more in a few minutes on how to manage the illness than you ever thought possible!

 As we all know, the health care insurance system in the US is very broken. This is especially hard for people with bipolar disorder as we need to manage the illness daily. It really is up to us to do all that we can to stay healthy while we look for health care. There is hope and there are a lot of options as you can see. Your partner is very lucky to have you. When you work together, stability and a strong relationship are the rewards!  

Julie Fast

www.juliefast.com

There are some very popular books on the market that suggest taking a media break- one is 8 Weeks to Optimal Health by Dr. Andrew Weil and the other is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.  I have taken media breaks many times over the past 14 years – for a long time I didn’t have a television.

I’m starting one today. The news is just too histrionic for me right now. It focuses on what we don’t have instead of all that is going well with this country. Yes, many of us are struggling financially. As I mentioned before, I’ve taken a huge hit to my monthly income. So I’m sitting down and doing something about it. Every day in every way! Even when the depression hits.

Many people are prospering because of this economy! Discount stores, amazon.com, writers who preach fiscal responsibility! People are driving their cars, going to restaurants and movies and generally having a good time. They just don’t make good headlines!

It’s a time to get very creative and thrive. And the media is the exact opposite of this.  Even if you were laid off, as two of my friends were- watching how bad it is or how bad it’s going to get is pointless. If you aren’t planning to sell your house anytime soon, it’s not a big deal what the market does. If your job is secure and you have money in the bank- first of all good for you – and secondly- no one is going to take it from you.

So I am on my fast.  Mental health management is my number one goal in life. It’s hard to stay stable if I wake up at 4AM worrying about the US economy. I want to focus on increasing my own wealth!

Join me!

I just cut up my credit card…

This may have not been too smart business wise, but I felt it was necessary. I put everything on the card and it’s not like I was going on spending sprees- it was mostly normal stuff like groceries and dinner as well as my business stuff.  But now that I have made a commitment to be 100% fiscally responsible this year (unlike some entities I can think of!), I think that going to a cash based system for small purchases makes more sense. I can actually think before I spend!

I will have to plan ahead when I go somewhere and ask myself- do I really want to spend $20 on dinner?  Credit cards make it too easy to spending without evaluation the purchase. I stopped manic spending a long time ago- but the smaller stuff still gets me! My rotating business expenses as well as all of my household needs are on automatic payment- so this actually is a very smart idea!

Julie

 PS: It was a very, very smart idea! I can already see some huge changes in my thinking.

Here is a comment from Lyn:

Good for you!!!  I cut up all but one credit card years ago, and now even that one is gone.  I have stopped being a consumer.  It was a very powerful decision, and I have never thought I was wrong.  It has become a safety for me: when you don’t have credit, you are very aware of all spending, so spending sprees are out of the question.  My ‘debit card’ is tied to my bank account so every purchase has to be thought over and evaluated, to be sure I have enough money for groceries at the end of the month.  I am very proud of this accomplishment, and when I feel stupid and believe I don’t do anything right, I can challenge that with my knowledge that I at least have my money under control! 

Lyn

Bipolar Disorder and Business Finances

Wow, this is an interesting time in our country financially, isn’t it. And yet, as I have said before, it’s also a time for opportunity. I know that I have not been as fiscally responsible as I could have been in terms of my business. A lot of it has to do with my limited work hours due to bipolar disorder, but some of it is definitely from choices I have made.

My dear friend Lorraine Haatia is very fiscally responsible! She is a continuous improvement specialist for companies large and small.  She recently published a very interesting article on how companies can cut costs during these interesting economic times. Here is the link to the article. I think it has great ideas for individuals as well!

 http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2009/week4/Tuesday/012007.htm

 Julie

Bipolar Disorder and Stress: The US Economy

Yes, our economy stinks. It has affected my business greatly- and not in a good way- and it has possibly affected you similarly.

I was very freaked out at first. A friend of mine lost her job and many friends lost a lot of their retirement. Eventually I realized that worrying was not helping me. I now choose to see this situation as a challenge to myself intellectually and emotionally instead of something awful.  This is when I can get very creative and focused on my goals.  What can I do to turn this around in my life? What can I do to create business elsewhere?  What do I need to change?

People are spending less- that is actually a good thing for this country in the long term. It has made me look at my spending.  What can I do now to protect myself from this when it happens in the future? Etc.

We don’t need money stress when it comes to bipolar disorder- but the news can make things seem much more terrible than they are. Yes, people are losing jobs and a large part of their 401Ks and other investments- but many are seeing this as a time to change. 

A friend of mine worked in the mortgage industry- (yikes!) – when she was laid off, it was terrible at first and then a blessing. She is on unemployment and can now choose a career path she actually likes! She is in a much better mood too.

Another friend of mine, who is 62 lost a significant part of her savings, she said, “After I cried, I realized that this was the time to finally write the book I have been talking about for years!”  We worked together and she sent in her book proposal last week! No kidding!

Julie