Something that’s fascinated me is why one would stop taking bipolar medication. Don’t do that. I want to share some other thoughts I’ve had about acceptance of a bipolar diagnosis and some of the things I’ve learned that really make acceptance and staying the course really difficult and how to one might overcome these. Here they are:
- The uninformed acquaintance should remain uninformed of your diagnosis until they’re well informed enough or open to learning about a bipolar diagnosis. So, hide your meds when you’re expecting new company and don’t leave what looks like a bag of M & Ms near your bathroom hand-basin.
- Go on a treasure hunt once you’re out of their company and put the meds back where you will remember to take them or where you’ve built a routine taking them – be it back near your toothbrush for the evenings or close to the coffee maker for when you rise in the morning.
- Learn to live with yourself and the effects your treatment may have on you. Do what you can to minimize the side effects or at least delay them to a more manageable or appropriate time. You’ll get forgetful, buy a notebook. You’ll nearly fall asleep at the wheel, delay your meds until you’re unlikely to need to drive again that day. You’ll break cups, you’ll shake like a leaf, you’ll miss some steps on the way down and you’ll lack the coordination to walk the dog sometimes, wait until it passes or reconfigure your schedule by an hour to take up those chores.
- Learn everything you can about your diagnosis. Take seriously the fees your clinician is charging to render you a service. That service should be complete, extensive and of valuable enough to justify the fee. Make notes if you must. You’ve not had a visit with your doctor for several weeks, don’t tell them how you’ve felt for the last three days.
- Time. It takes time for your medication to work. It takes time for the really unbearable side-effects to fade. Tell yourself every time you’re in a slump or climbing the walls, and you will still have these moments although somewhat milder, that this too shall pass.
- It’s OK not being able to articulate you thoughts all of the time. They are numerous and complex. They’re brilliant. They’re unrealistic. Allow your cognition to catch-up with the hamster wheel. If you can remember them for the next 30 seconds do your best to write those ideas down. They are likely very creative and useful and could be used productively when you’re back to your level self.
- Get used to the feeling of being boring, uninteresting, unmotivated, lethargic, uninformed, lacking that wit you’ve used to get you out of many a sticky situation. Depending on their degree of severity all of these are actually traits of being lucid and level like everyone else. Boring, but true. If it becomes an issue talk with your clinician and work it out.
- Never forget how far you’ve come. Memories of the times things were really dire fade over time but that doesn’t make them any less real. They happened and you’ve over come them and are where you are today because of the treatment you’re on. Keep a diary. Re-read those entries if you’ve got the emotional strength to do so.
- Know that you’re alive today because you’ve put in the work to get better. You’ve probably narrowly escaped the worst outcome any of your loved ones could cope with,more than once. Appreciate that you and your clinician have put in the hours of consultations, the days of medication’s side effects. Acknowledge the courage it took to make those awkward apologies to scorned friends and family to get well and able to take on the world again.
- Your treatment is a chemical experiment. You can’t stop midway and turn off the flame, add or remove some of the compounds. Take your medication on time, every day, as prescribed. Make sure you refill your prescription before thoughts that you’ve miraculously been healed over come you. When you do stop your medication, which you will, and fall off the tracks, which you might, be brave enough to seek help again so you can return to the beautiful mind you are.
And you are a beautiful mind. You have talents unlike many others. You’re enough. Being enough is enough and you can be proud of that.
