This is a post from my Julie A. Fast Facebook page. I write about life with bipolar on this page daily……
It’s amazing that we can use little pictures to capture life with bipolar mood swings!
😀😕🤕😟😢😭….🤠😀🤪🤣…🤬😈👿👹… 😕🤕😟😢😭….🤠😀🤪🤣…🤬😈👿👹… and on and on it goes!
A few thoughts on acceptance and bipolar. I know that many read my posts and never comment or like so as not to be seen on a bipolar page. That is fine with me. The fact that you are here is what matters. It means you are thinking about your brain.
It might help to know that I have never really ‘accepted’ this diagnosis. I am still shocked and upset that I have a serious mental illness. I am never used to it fully. I have had symptoms since age 16, was diagnosed at 31 and now in my mid 50s I still struggle with the reality of having bipolar.
Some never ‘accept’ the diagnosis at all. I find this disrupts lives and families. If you have mania and depression that you can chart, you have bipolar. Acceptance isn’t about whether you have the illness or not. Acceptance simply means you are open about the reality in your brain and ask for help to feel better.
Are your loved ones in pain because of your moods? Has someone asked you to go to the doctor, but you are scared to face the reality of having bipolar?
You are not alone. Do you think I like this awful, crappy, life changing AWFUL illness? Of course I don’t like it! But I do accept that there is something in my brain that affects my mind and body on a daily basis. Some days are easier to face than others. I still show up.
If you are on the fence about getting help and are reading this privately, it means you KNOW you need to make changes in order to feel better. Bipolar is real. It is life long. It never goes away. It is the diabetes of the brain! It is life changing whether you accept having the illness or not.
I feel better knowing why I get so sick. Calling it bipolar helps me. The diagnosis changed my chaotic life for the better. I want us to face reality. We are not in denial if we are on a page that is 100% devoted to bipolar. We are scared. We are confused. We are hoping that we don’t have the illness.
This is all normal. I encourage you to do what works for you to get help. Start with Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and go from there. It tells you exactly what to do if you have bipolar.
Saying yes to the diagnosis changes life for the better. Acceptance comes and goes, but asking for help is forever.
Julie
PS: No one can tell if you click on the link below. It shares a bit more about getting diagnosed with bipolar.
