Over the past few months, I’ve had more stability in life than in the past few years. What has changed? My decisions. As people with bipolar, it’s our job to be detectives into our lives. What makes us sick.. and just as importantly, what makes us well? I know what makes me sick and I am learning about what makes me well.
Preparation for Stability
1. I had to rid myself of the triggers of bipolar before I could add the good items that increased joy in life. It wasn’t the other way around. There was no room in my life for the positive while I was allowing the negative.
A Huge Change that Led to Stability Many Years Later
Eight years ago I decided to NEVER let #mania take over my life again. It was incredibly hard. It was a big sacrifice and today, I am seeing the benefits. I had to stop dating. It was too dangerous for me as dating and mania went hand in hand. Click here to read Bipolar, Hypersexual, and Celibate: How a dramatic change helped me manage my manic hypersexuality.
2. I left relationships with people who had similar symptoms to mine. This doesn’t make these relationships wrong, nor does it point a finger. I simply can’t be in a relationship with anyone who has paranoia, mania or negative depression. It will come out in the relationship eventually and will make me sick. Who I have in my life 100% affects my moods.
These two changes set me free to say yes to what I wanted in life. Today, I work with stable people who are open to my working needs when it comes to bipolar. They know about all of my symptoms including the paranoia. They also know I’m not going to take these symptoms out on anyone in the work place, but I might have to take a bit of time to myself to deal with the symptoms during stressful times.
Removing the bipolar triggers allowed me to say yes to stable people and a stable working environment. It sounds simple, but it took years. If you start now, you can find the same stability. My bipolar will be back. It always comes back. But the space in between the mood swings is growing. One day? Maybe I will be more stable than ill. We can do this!
I used the picture of the bracelet for a reason. It’s so intricate, but each piece matters. Think of each bead and turn of the leather a change you need to make. Soon, they will add up and you will have a piece or art. Yourself!
