Here is a copy of a recent newseltter.
My Brother Ed Talks About My Mania!
I recently did a radio show on mania. My guest was Andy Behrman, the author of Electroboy. It was a fantastic interview as it’s always great to two people with bipolar disorder to discuss the illness!
In order to prepare for the show, I asked my brother to tell me what it’s like to have a sister with bipolar disorder. I did the same with my friends- if you listen to the show, you can hear the letter my friend Karen wrote explaining how she helps me stay stable when I get manic.
Here is what my brother wrote:
How to Deal with Julie’s Mania
Simple, blunt and to the point…
It’s hard to look for the signs that Julie has taught us. Even after all of these years, a conversation with my mom will have me saying, “Of course! How could I not have noticed the tell tale behavior of the week!”
If I were a casual friend, then I would probably never bother with it and would write off our friendship as too much work. It takes a special (unique!) person to care, learn and follow through on what Julie needs from a good friend. Actually, as an older, middle age adult, I care more about relationships and other people’s feelings. I think I would be willing to put up with what Julie needs from a friend. As a young man. No way!
Julie’s qualities are worth it though! If it weren’t for those, I could see where some people with mental health issues would be out of luck!
Ed
**
Hmm. It’s interesting (and sometimes painful!) to read an honest assessment of your own behaviors. Ed and I have worked on our relationship for a long time. It took him a few years to even understand how the Health Cards work and why they are so essential to my health! He is a good brother. I will write more about how we work together in the next newsletter.
Julie
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