Everything's Okay!


 
At this moment in time, I feel like I've covered all of the really serious aspects of dealing with bipolar disorder in this blog. If something else comes up, I'll be sure to address it, but for now, I'm happy to announce that everything is going well for me. This is the first year that I spent time gearing up to prevent my not unusual fall/winter depression. I'm definitely going to continue trying to prevent seasonal mood changes, but this year, my preparations seem to have been overdone. This winter has been unusually mild, making it easier for me to get out and be active. I haven't felt any hesitation about going to the grocery store, running to the bank, or completing any of the other errands required to keep my life running smoothly. I've enjoyed all of the winter holidays so far, and am now looking forward to Valentine's Day.

Lately I've been walking with a few different friends. I've enjoyed the exercise as well as their company. We usually walk for an hour or two, so we have lots of time to talk. It's very therapeutic, and a great way to get exercise and relax in our hectic, modern world. In the past, it's been harder for me to find walking partners. I'm really glad that more of my friends are interested in walking now...maybe it's because we're getting older (?).

For the past few months, I've been focusing on preparing healthier meals and eating a more wholesome diet in general. I've long been frustrated by thinking of all of the chemicals I have to ingest, in the form of bipolar medications, that seem to throw my chemistry out of balance with the result being unpleasant side effects. While I have always understood the value of eating whole, unprocessed foods, I'm trying to become more vigilant about eating a cleaner diet with fewer added chemicals, thus avoiding the negative health effects of eating too much processed food, because I'm already tired enough of dealing with the side effects from medication. I believe that our bodies can only handle so many foreign chemicals! 

I can also report that I've been sleeping well and waking up easily. I've been enjoying spending time at home, at work, out in the community, and with my friends. In the fall, I joined two interesting community organizations. One is called Forge, which is a "community for innovators". So far the meetings have been very interesting. I met one entrepreneur who was looking to hire someone, and I told a friend with the right qualifications about the position, and she got the job! She told me that she'll take me out for dinner when she gets her first paycheck. The other organization I've been meeting with is called Let Them Tweet Cake , a group for women who are interested in social media--right up my alley. I'm really glad that I found these organizations, because both of them seem to be a really good fit for me.

So things are humming right along. I know I'll feel even better come spring and summer, but I'll also have to be watching myself and making sure I don't get too carried away. It's strange to be so dramatically affected by things both large and small. I guess that's why I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I'm happy that I understand my mood conditions, as well as myself, better than I used to. Time and experience have helped me so much in my quest to live a fulfilling life.

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/13/2012

    I read your blog post and found a link to it from Facebook. My husband has been diagnosed with bipolar and I'm learning about it to educate myself and help my husband. How things are going for you has given me more hope. Things are tough right now, but trying to get through it the best we can.

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  2. It's good that you're educating yourself. Please encourage your husband to educate himself too. It takes so much more than medication to treat bipolar disorder. Therapy and support groups have helped me immensely. Many support groups have two meetings at the same time - one for friends and family, and one for people with bipolar disorder. I have seen a lot of good come out of those kinds of support groups. It's great that you're being supportive, but your husband will have a lot of work to do on his own. It's possible to live well with bipolar disorder, but it takes a lot of discipline.

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  3. That's great to hear Andrea. It's nice to get a break from the rollercoaster otherwise known as bipolar disorder. Keep staying connected - that certainly helps me.

    Today happens to be the "anniversary" of my first manic/psychotic episode (31 years ago). A lot has happened in that time, but I have to say that I'm grateful for all of the experiences (good and bad) because they have all helped me to become the person that I am today.

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  4. I'm grateful for my good and bad experiences too, but I'm glad that the most chaotic period of my life seems to be winding down. I hope your "anniversary" went well yesterday!

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  5. I wanted to tell you that I love your blog. I've learned so much and am so thankful that you are sharing your story. I made a link to your blog on my most recent entry (about bipolar disorder) on my blog: http://charmainegrace.tumblr.com. I just graduated from nursing school and will start a job in psychiatric nursing next week!

    Thank you again for sharing such a personal and insightful story!

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  6. Thanks, Charmaine. I'm glad you like this blog. My next post is coming soon. Thanks, also, for making a link to my blog. I've checked the stats and I have much more traffic. It's always nice to have more readers!

    It's my dream to someday write a book going more in-depth on many things that I've glossed over here, but I would only want to do that if I had a good editor and also a good legal advisor!

    It's wonderful that you're going into psychiatric nursing. You seem to be sincerely interested in helping people with mental illnesses. Unfortunately,as I'm sure you're aware, not everyone who works with psychiatric patients treats them well. Some of my mental healthcare workers have treated me like a person with a problem and, unfortunately, some of them have just treated me like I am a problem. Being treated with respect, as in my current situation, has encouraged me to take the necessary steps to move toward recovery.

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