Bipolar Disorder and Focus:How do you do it Julie?

Here is a reader question from Michelle. She asks important questions. How DO we get through the days,weeks,months and years when we have focus problems because of bipolar disorder!

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Hi Julie 

Can you please tell me how you are consistently productive and living with bipolar disorder? I too,am a writer,and I start projects,but can’t finish them. I have boundless energy for awhile,then I crash. I can’t commit to making long term projects with people because I can’t depend on myself that I can follow through. Where do you get your energy? How do you manage on a daily basis? I wake up each day not knowing how I am going to feel. I have to live day by day,and it sucks. Any positive feedback and/or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Michelle,

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for your question- to be honest,I go through everything you describe above- [ Read More ]





It’s 9:30 PM on a Friday night and I’m…..

HOME! I am practicing what I preach these days. Early to bed and early to rise- it makes such a difference when I have a lot of work to do. I have to send in a manuscript on Tuesday for a book I don’t really want to write.  In the past,this would have made me stressed and ill- these days I know that I have to modify my life in order to keep moving forward so that I can meet my deadline.

I went out with my family tonight to a spiritual event based on Shaman teachings from Mexico. It’s always great to hear different ways of thinking!

In the past,I would have gone to karaoke afterwards- but not tonight.. NO. I am managing the illness instead of letting it manage me! I know that going out late is a trigger,especially with all of the hypomania I’ve been going through.  I want [ Read More ]





Sports Psychology and Bipolar Disorder

As you may have heard me say a million times in the past,I get a lot of inspiration from professional athletes. They are unique in the world in that their  minds must be completely under control in order for them  to be successful at such a high level.  Here is an example. The world series of baseball is going on these days –the pitcher on the mound tonight had a fight with his catcher earlier in the year.  This of course is not ok in the multi million dollar world of professional baseball.

So the pitcher saw a famous sports psychologist named Ken Ravizza and learned to get his mind under control so that he could use his physical talents to win games.  Here is what the psychologist said:

“It’s not like an elite-level athlete is messed up and we’re going to fix him,” Ravizza said. “It’s about what it takes to be great. The mental [ Read More ]





Football Players and Trouble:‘I’d never put myself in that position.’

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 [ Read More ]





Bipolar Disorder Triggers

Bipolar Disorder Triggers

I just finished an article on bipolar disorder triggers for my column in BP Magazine.

I was going through some serious trigger issues when I wrote it! Do you write things down when you’re sick? I find it helps. I can often see my role in what’s going on if I write about what I’m honestly feeling.

I started seriously examining my bipolar triggers about eight years ago when I created the Health Cards (my treatment plan on bipolarhappens.com )-  wow,I was a mess. I walked into situations without thinking and I was constantly ill. I’m a lot more vigilant now. A lot more. The minute I start to get sick,I think to myself- what is going on here? And I examine my life. Often it’s a problem with a person or work. Considering that my life pretty much revolves around relationships and work,this is depressing!

A friend of [ Read More ]