Posted by judy1 on February 4, 2001, at 9:04:00
In reply to Accepting diagnosis of bipolar II - HELP!, posted by MJ on February 4, 2001, at 3:11:04
I'm probably the last person you would expect encouragement from (BP 1, treatment resistant and rapid cycling). But what struck me most about your letter was the level of support you have around you. The best thing you can do is gather them all up and ask your shrink (he/she will love this) if they can come in for a session to be educated about your illness. They will probably get the diabetes speech, yes this is a life-long illness, yes you will most likely need to be on meds for life, and ways to support you since this is a disease of moods and the people around us have a great deal of influence on how soon we get well (I think as much as meds sometimes) As for your own ways to cope- it is normal to go through the levels of grief (like any major illness) and I agree Jamison's book was wonderful. I know it is difficult with 2 young children, but exercise and sleep regulation are really crucial. I think you will find a great deal of support on this board, and remember the true success stories probably aren't here posting- but there are quite a few. Take care, Judy
poster:judy1
thread:4384
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010105/msgs/4397.html