How time flies. I had my first bipolar disorder depression downswing at age 19. I had no idea what was happening. I was also psychotic, so you can imagine how few tools I had to take care of myself. I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 31, but no one taught me how to manage this illness outside of medications. For many of us, medications are not enough and the depression remains. I was very, very sick for a long time. I spent days and often weeks in bed, unable to get on with my life.
This is one of the few pictures I have of myself during my most depressed years. I was 31. I had my diagnosis and a big ole bag of pills, but I wasn’t getting better. One day, I was standing on a street corner in Seattle and I couldn’t decide what direction to walk. I thought to myself, “This is my life! This is what I’ve come to! I can’t even decide what direction I should take literally?” And in that moment, my life changed. I realized that depression was never going to let me do anything. If I listened to depression, I would be stuck for the rest of my life. On that day, I decided I would get things done even if I were still depressed. I was waiting for the depression to end before moving on in life. The depression didn’t end and I was stuck, so I changed my plan.
For the next ten years, I taught myself to work, have a relationship and get on with life even though I was often severely depressed. I created strategies, such as never getting in bed unless it was for sleep or the other great thing we do in beds, and made sure I was up and putting on my shoes even if putting on my shoes was all I could do.
I still live with depression and I still use the same strategies I created all of those years ago to get things done when I was depressed. I love my book Get it Done When You’re Depressed. I used the just last week when a vicious mood swing hit me after a business deal went south. I hope you can use them as well. I still believe I can end my depression, but until that happens, I am going to get things done! I want the same for you!
