Yeah, I am starting to see and to believe that even though it seems that other people can be harsh and not understanding to what I'm going through, it's ultimately myself that has been making life stressors and bipolar symptoms so much more traumatic than it has to be. Like how can I expect others to treat me to kindness when they honestly don't know what I'm going through when I myself am not going to be kind to myself when one completely understand exactly what I'm going through. The others may just be following my lead in being hard on myself.

I am going to find more self-soothing objects for my bedroom, which is my safe space. Last night I put on lotion after my shower, which I almost never do, and I tried to put all of the gentleness I could into the process. I want to get seasonal scented candles, body wash, and lotions after I use up what I already have.

Got a book on this topic, and the exercise I'm on suggests writing a letter to myself accepting all the emotions and struggles that I normally would beat myself up over. I'm going to work on that sometime soon. It feels so good to know that there are things I can do to give myself some relief when I'm experiencing something painful.