I heard a person say this at a restaurant the other day. “I’d never put myself in the position.”
What a concept!
If we don’t put ourselves in certain situations, then we can’t have the bad outcomes that often come with the location/person we chose to be with/or dodgy situation /etc.
I listen to sports radio and NPR all day. One big topic on sports radio is the number of football players that get: shot or shoot someone, robbed, beaten up or beat up someone and stopped by the cops for reckless/drunk driving. Interestingly, there is a statistic that the sports radio commentators keep bringing up. Trouble happens between the hours of 1-5AM. And that is when almost all of the football player trouble happens.
They put themselves into the position of getting in trouble. They choose situations that huge, rich professional ball players should simply avoid.
How does this relate to bipolar? Because when I used to get manic- I did all of the above- or at least came close to it. I know others who have been in similar situations. When we feel ourselves get manic- we can say- no! I will not go to that bar. No! I will not put an ad on Craigslist just to see who’s out there. No! I will not go drinking with you. No! I will not have sex with a stranger! No! I will not take money that isn’t mine. No! NO! NO!
Mania has a treatment window. Those of us with mania problems should never be out between the hours of 1AM and 5AM anyway. We need to be asleep. If you’re a tough, young and restless guy- like many guys are- you have to have a plan in place to be IN BED at those hours. What you choose to do in that bed is up to you, but at least you won’t be on the streets.
I sound like a mom lecturing a kid- but it’s a lecture to myself as well. ‘I’d never put myself in that position” is a great mantra for al of us with bipolar disorder.
Julie
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This is SO powerful. I have been worrying about triggers lately…I have been diagnosed only in the last year, and it was sort of an iffy diagnosis, but I felt some confirmation when meds improved my life. But I had never had SWINGS. I had some highs, I mostly was depressed…until a couple of weeks ago, when a trigger sent me spiraling into depression, and a few days later I swung back up higher than a kite. When I realized what was happening, and the impulses I was having, I was terrified that I was going to ruin my life.
But you just nailed it. I can make choices. This thing does not OWN me.
Hi Andrea, I am so glad you are doing better. Yes, trigger management is key. The day I stopped troublesome relationships is the day my life improved 100%
The illness takes away a lot of our control- so if we can prevent mood swings- we can get that control back! julie