Finding a Purpose
Purpose gives you a schedule. When you have passion about something- you will make plans to do it on a regular basis.
Purpose helps you manage bipolar disorder because you have something to live for. I don’t take this lightly as I had ZERO purpose for many years. Bipolar disorder took it from me. Then one day, I realized that my purpose in life is to be alive for my seven year old nephew. That changed my life as I could remind myself of this, even when I got really sick.
Now I find great purpose in helping people who love someone with bipolar disorder. When I help someone who is in crisis just like I was in crisis 15 years ago when I thought my partner would die from this illness, I feel that I have found my purpose in life. It took me over 20 years- but it sure helps life to have a reason to get up in the morning.
What is your purpose? It can be a child, art, helping others, travel, writing, building a car engine, anything. It doesn’t have to be altruistic. It just has to help you stay alive.
Julie
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What do I do if I don’t have a passion for ANYTHING? I’ve tried to hard to come up with anything to live for, but for the past five years or so, I’ve been stumbling through a tunnel with no light and no sound. I’m just so tired.
I have struggled and am now struggling with finding my purpose in life and having a purpose and feeling that purpose move me. I am a 58 year old male who has had a pretty good life even though I probably was wired and had Bipolar Disorder since before birth.
When I had a major episode of my illness about 15 years ago much of my purpose in life was ripped away from me – my children.
I did not give up. I did everything I could do to stay a part of their lives and stay in their lives. Now they are almost completely grown up.
My daughter, who was less than 3 years old when she was moved a thousand miles away from me is now in college and MARRIED to a Guardsmen who is shipping to Iraq soon. I no longer can play magic and see her when I need to.
My son, is 23 and is also in the National Guard and has been married for 5 years and for all practical purposes has dedided he doesn’t need or want dear old dad in his life.
I was a strong Advocate for mental health issues and I have lost my spark. I work in the mental health field and I am getting burnt out. I am on SSDI and I moved to a 55+ community due to economic neccessity and I feel like I have been put out to pasture.
Life was exciting and had a special purpose for me everyday as I constanly thought about my next trip to see my kids and/or my stepfamily and now with the economic conditions a trip seems out of the picture.
It is more that just depression. And it is more than a feeling. I am not making the vital adjustment to NOT being able to be a vital part of my children’s lives.
They were taken away from me becasue of this accursed illness and now they are drifting away due to time and circumstance.
dsh
I found this article uplifting and thank you for it. I agree that we must have a purpose”to keeo us alive.” I don’t know how you all feel but, sometimes I have not wanted to live. After a purposeful overdose and 2 months in the hospital, I’ve bee trying to live mostly for my family and myself too. My son broke out in hives during this extremely stressfull time at about 16 yrs. old. The guilt that stems from that is enough for me to work extremely hard to stay well. One time, my doc gave me abilify. It felt great for a short while then turned in the term where you can’t sit down(akethenasia) It was miserable and my husband who usually very supportive told me” I’m not coming to see you in the hospital if you go.” That comment scared the life out of me and I am monitoring myself very closely and seeing my doc every 4 weeks. I fell the depression come about 3 weeks and I tried to make it go away, but it didn’t. I made a concious decision to tell the doctor and whe said she had 18 patients the day before who were moving to the “down cycle of their illness! Holidays, maybe light and time change are some of the reasons I go down. I know my daddy had BP and got worse in the fall.I hope someone will comment because I need the interaction. I usually don’t write near this long! tks, lisa
My daily purpose is to get through each day without the depression totally taking over. If I can accomplish some of my daily routines, then the day is a decent one. If I can do a bit more, it is better. And if I can actually accomplish an extra job around the house that overwhelms me when I am not well, then it is a red letter day! Yesterday I cleaned out the garden shed, that was thrilling!
Writing gives me purpose. Regular blogging keeps me going. And that is why I am posting here today. I have been doing a little series called ‘Blogs That Bless Me’ and today I am featuring yours. I hope you like it.
I hope that working fulltime is a good thing for you. What an accomplishment after all of this time. I am praying for you….
i am all over the place with this, i think one thing and then the next day i think something else. i am a born dancer/artist/musician/fire dancer/etc. and i live to dance, yet i also don’t live to dance. i get so put down when i’m in a depressed state that i don’t even care enough about dancing b/c i am so sick of the vicious cycle that hypomania and depression put me through and i just can’t find purpose after that. there’s more to it but i guess it’s called hopelessness. but then i will feel totally different the next day for a little bit and then it comes back, but more often than not it stays with me. my purpose is also taken away from me from time to time: dancing. injuries, hospitalizations, medications, stupid mood fluctuations, life. if i can’t dance, i have nothing i feel. i know that’s not true, but dancing has always been my life. and then relationships is a whole other story. ugh…