Hi everyone,

As you may know, I am doing quite well regarding Bipolar symptoms. However, today two separate stressors happened (not even severe ones) and I partially fell apart. Not crying, but teared up, listened to depressing music (I used to do this LOTS when I was severely depressed), and even flitting suicidal thoughts! I haven't had ANY suicidal thoughts for months now, so that was unnerving.

The two stressors got solved eventually...but I still feel shaky. How could I have been knocked down so easily? How do I deal with life's unexpected twists and turns?

[~Christina]

Hey Melissa (((((( HUGS ))))

Im sorry this happened to you ... same kinda thing happened to me a few days ago ,, here i thought i was doing good and BAMMM i was thinking stupid again ..

I think stuff will just pop up and we have to try to remember how fast our moods and thoughts can shift and its from bipolar and just deep breathe and remind ourselves the feelings will pass

Again (((((( HUGS ))))))))

Be kind to yourself ~

[sb7777]

It's often easy to forget about the importance of stressors. I know I have.

I now try to keep a journal that details how different stressors affected my moods. I figure, at the very least, I'll understand a little more about how my mind reacts to certain situations. At best, I may be able to consistently identify the situations that trigger my mood reactions, and either avoid them or better prepare for the next time I'm faced with them.

Hang in there.

[lad007]

I hate when that happens.
I learned from some Buddhist teachings that when you are starting to feel like that think of a tree on a mountain. The tree is strong(like we are living with this, and surviving), when the wind comes, and it will, the tree bends but it does not break. The wind will always come, but the tree has roots and will survive. And so will we.

Mindful Meditation,

That's one thing that really works for me, I swear by it. Just being in the present, allows me to do what is needed, with out freaking out. Ok I am still working on it, but I am making huge improvements on how I handle stress when the situations pop up. I still freak a bit but I can now quickly turn it around, a lot of time within minutes.

I really like Jon Kabat-Zinn, I like the way he presents Mindfulness, Ok I think he's awesome... but check him out if you like, he really just has a good way of teaching and keeping you interested.

Oh if you do watch that video, he has many others on you tube that are more interesting, I posted that one because he does a guided meditation in it.

Melissa, hang in there, you have made sooo much progress, and I know you are strong, the thoughts may have flitted through you again, but remember they are flitting, not here to stay.

[venusss]

I use the existentialist approach. What is it compared to history? Or on less extreme scale... will it matter in twenty years from now? (How do I want to decide so twenty years from now I feel at peace with it?). Life is not meant to be easy and some things are supposed to hurt. But we are made as survivors.