Quote:
... there has been recently several discussions on approaches to our wellness. Lot has been said, but let me just point out few things.
1) "you can't will yourself out of bipolar, just like you cannot will yourself out of cancer". Actually, you cannot get through cancer if you give up. Often it happens person gives up and dies (hence why if people been married for decades and one dies, the other one of dies quite soon afterwards, without showing much symptoms of illnesses before).
And as much as it sounds nice "it's not your fault" upon being diagnosed... it can pretty much doom you, if taken the wrong way.
You actually can do a lot for yourself. And the right attitude does a lot. It helps you through. Go and soul search. Especially if you are doing badly... you probably have not much to lose. One theory is that major set backs are way of life telling you to reflect and change... so if you cannot go on right now... sit back and reflect. Discover. Soul search. There is a way.
|
It's that old saying, "Mind over matter." This has a lot of value if you know how to take it to heart, and actually use it in your life. To use another example, there are people who are physically disabled who are extremely depressed and spend much of their times doing nothing, and then there are those who have become athletes and are giving lectures on how being disabled doesn't stop them from living.
People often say that mental illness is something else, or whatever it may be, but the fact of the matter is at the end of the day, everybody has their own issues to overcome, regardless of what it may be. I see why mental health is any different. It should not be used as an excuse.
I truly believe that we are in control of ourselves, even if not our emotions all the time. We choose our own actions, and take the consequences for them. There are external factors outside of our control, and there's some crap you're born with or can't escape, but it's about how you play the cards you're dealt and coming out on top. So no, you can't "will" yourself out of bipolar, or other conditions, but you can "will" yourself a better life even with whatever your problem is. Don't ever use a diagnosis as an excuse.
Quote:
2) meds or not meds... I often get "you discourage people from getting the right treatment". But I speak to those for whom the mainstream doesn't work. If it works for you, chances are you are not gonna listen to some chick on the internet... but if you are seeking, why shouldn't I show you what worked for me? You don't have to follow. But if you are struggling... maybe you could consider.
Do what works for you. But please don't medicate "I hate my life, my job and my husband... but proper girls don't complain". If there is objective reason for your problems, it needs to be adressed in some way. And if your loved ones rattle on you for studying this and not studying that, for dating or not dating, for the way you wear your hair and peel oranges... it's often their problem, not yours. As much as it can damage your emotional well being.
And psychdrugs are mind altering substances. They can work on moods... but not really on personality. That's up to you.
|
I'll be honest. I've met and befriended a lot of people with issues over time, and the majority of those who are doing very well, especially compared to how they were at one point, did not get there because of psychiatric medications. With that in mind, and looking at how many people I see on meds and doing very poorly, I definitely don't think that meds are a solution, especially not by itself.
With that said, it really does come from what works for you, and whether you're willing to admit when something is not working. Half the problem is when people cannot admit to themselves that they need change and go about finding it. I find this mentality a lot with people on meds because it has come to represent their only lifeline.
So maybe that chick on the internet with alternative ideas is worth considering, because let's be fair, it doesn't hurt you to at least hear new ideas, and say what you will there is a certain stubbornness in attitude about this topic quite often.
Quote:
3) Spirituality: it's not about God exactly, or about being good Christian. It's about knowing your place in the world, being at peace... we often tend to get morbid or nihilist.... that's where spirituality and philosophy comes. If you think of death in abstract terms, that's for priest or shaman or your soulmate to discuss. Your doctor may not help much here.
|
This one is easy for me - Modern Western medicine certainly cannot address the soul/spirit, and religion as we know it often doesn't have the answers or solutions either.
I'm not a very spiritual person by any standards, and don't believe in the literal definition of a soul, but I do think that mind, body, and spirit are all there and they must all be addressed for maximum well being. Addressing the body is easy (although many still choose to not do it), but mind and spirit are a bit tougher. I think that a combination of expanding your knowledge and awareness can do wonders, whether it's through a religion, a philosophy, or ton of books and some traveling.
Quote:
4) I do think we have a lot of personal responsibility and that we have our fate in our hands. Yes, there are extrenal factors... but we still have a lot of choices. What ifs are often waste of time. It is what it is.
This is connected with number 3... as I think things happen for reason. We need to learn from them.
It may not be fair, but life just isn't. It could be much worse too, as you could be living some hellhole trapped in (genocidal) civil war or live somewhere where people die because the water isn't clean. And I don't think it's that offensive to say bipolar is better then dying of malaria or cholera or whatever scary disease we only read about here.
|
*ahem* You spelt external wrong. ANYWHO
I think I addressed most of this back at 1) but I'll disagree with Venus here (wow shocking I know) that things happen for a reason, but regardless I think that what separates a successful person and a fool is how one learns (or not) from their experiences and how they incorporate this knowledge into the future.
But yes, life sucks, it's not fair, but with all that in mind, someone always has it better and worse than you, and your life is your own. What you make of it regardless of circumstance is up to you.
P.S. Replying to this was annoying as hell. >.> Sometimes the coding here is so messed up. That, and your posts are funny.