What is normal

Normal people still cry, laugh, love, greive, have good days and bad days......

I was looking at ariatboot's thread "Success stories" and I began to wonder what this elusive "normal" is.....

We get so used to looking at every bit of our mood and checking to make sure we are ok, are we too hard on our selves?????

It is completely normal for someone who has had something bad happen to be upset- we are allowed to be upset and it NOT be because of BP...

I'm not saying that our moods are not because of the BP or that we don't have to be careful not to trigger an episode.... just wondering if we should adjust our expectations of what "normal" is......

Just some random thoughts... what do you think?????

Note: I am not saying that BP or moods and episodes don't exist or that treatment is not required... ....just wondering about trying to find that elusive "normal" mood with appropriate treatment.

It's subjective to the person what normality is. For me personally, it's not sad, nor anxious, nor irritable, nor is it hyper or full of limitless energy. I think normal is like water. fluid, and responsive proportionally.

I agree BlackPup. When I was first diagnosed every mood I had I related it to having bipolar.

Now I judge my moods by what is my "normal". i.e. if my reactions are out of proportionate to how I would normally react and/or any extreme mood (major depression/hypomania) that can't be explained is normally the result of the bipolar.

We are good at looking at normal or not because we have to constantly judge this for our OWN normal! Learn the clues that say we're going into hypomania or mania - the things we see in ourselves each to try to keep from getting into a bad brain way, basically.

I can't remember what normal was for me, but I mourn for its loss.

This is what I am struggling with....

I want that "normal" non-bp people have.... which is ???????

I live for the day I am back to my old "normal" self.... which is ????????

I want to have "normal" moods which are ??????

Moods/Emotions for BP sufferers and non-sufferers are EXACTLY the same but we have to be more careful it isn't a trigger

This is just my opinion obviously

I still beat myself up about wanting NORMAL STABILITY.... NORMAL MOODS.... NORMAL LIFE but I know my NORMAL is completely different from you guys, my friends and family... my NORMAL is when there is no triggers and when I can have a good couple of days and feel good!!

I know you will all have your own "normals" and this is just my opinion

When I was still able to afford therapy, I remarked one day that I wasn't normal. My doc looked at me and asked what I meant by that. I said, "Like everybody else."

His reply has stayed with me: "Normal doesn't exist. No one is normal. The only standard is what is normal for you."

For me, normal will be when I can relax the constant control I have to maintain over my moods and my family stays happy.

For me normal is......my life as living with Bipolar.

For me normal is what i feel comfortable with.

Thank you blackpup for putting into words what I couldn't

I've been much happier and less reactive since I let myself still feel a range of emotions within my "normal." I'm always careful to look out for changes in my mood and warning signs etc but I feel like I'm less strict about what is "abnormal" and happier for it

Having lived in some pretty quirky locales, I've met a lot of people who wouldn't be considered normal by general society. At first, I was judgmental and made assumptions. Which is also what I to to myself. I'm learning (slowly) that anyone's "normal" is the comfort zone in your own personal space; as long as I don't infringe on someone else's space, I can learn to be okay with my idea of normal. Which may or may not have anything to do with BP! I'm still trying to figure that part out!