I use to wear my feelings on my sleeve regarding episodes. Now I am able to look back, and laugh at myself. My husband and I often laugh at one particular episode where I was extremely excited and euphoric about the cheesecake he gave me. "This cheesecake is heaavenllyyy. What did you put in it?". It's funny because it was a simple pineapple cheesecake that he bought from good old Publix. The laughter helped me to not take it so seriously.

[vjdragonfly]

I'm glad you are at a place where you can except them for what they are and not let them drag you down. And hey, if it makes you happy then it is all good.

I'm still trying to get there Chelbten, but when I start to feel down, I go to funny websites to get a good laugh. And that really does hep break the depression.

[A Red Panda]

I laugh at myself too - I also have the urge to share the silly things I say and do with others. Sometimes I'm horrified by why I share - but I still think it's funny and I'm quite alright with laughing at myself!

The ability to laugh at oneself is a sure sign of maturity. Congratulations to everyone
who has achieved that! I'm still working on it.

[LadyShadow]

I laugh at the way I dance around when I'm watching commercials. Something catchy would come on and I would get up and do a silly dance. Thank god no one is watching! LOL. Laughing at oneself is so essential. Good idea for a thread! Thank you

[faerie_moon_x]

I forget where I put things all the time. Once I was looking for my phone. We couldn't find it anywhere. My husband kept calling from his phone. I'd hear it ring. It's behind me! I turn around, search. Now it's behind me again! Turn around, search. Each ring spinning around trying to figure out which direction it's coming from....

It was in my back pocket the whole time....

[middlepath]

Originally Posted by Chelbten

I use to wear my feelings on my sleeve regarding episodes. Now I am able to look back, and laugh at myself. My husband and I often laugh at one particular episode where I was extremely excited and euphoric about the cheesecake he gave me. "This cheesecake is heaavenllyyy. What did you put in it?". It's funny because it was a simple pineapple cheesecake that he bought from good old Publix. The laughter helped me to not take it so seriously.

this makes me think of the time a friend and I (from back home) went out to a nice lunch and i was so flippin' hypo (or more???) that when they served the appetizer (lobster/avocado terrine), I thought it was so delicious and i had so much emotion that was needing to explode I started crying. Tears were streaming down my face. My friend who knows i am an artist just chalked it up to being a passionate person. That is true, I am passionate, but REALLY? tears over food. I should have busted out into laughter...no wait...good that i didn't because then it would have been obvious that i was manic! At least the tears can be explained, but tears and giddy laughter simultaneously....dead giveaway : )

[Resident Bipolar]

I find it very heartwarming reading these posts. It is such a good thing to be able to make light of potentially negative situations and our own illnesses. Laughing at ourselves is a brilliant way to overcome sadness, negativity and (definitely essential) embarrassment. I have known people suffering from various physical and mental illnesses of whom love to have the occasional laugh at themselves and the behaviours associated with their ailment.

It is a good thing, I think, to make the occasional joke about the implications of the bipolar disorder I experience and I enjoy people laughing along with me.

For example, due to my low mood recently I've been suffering from some short-term memory lapses. When I stay at a friend's (or indeed my partner's) home, I have to leave a door key in the key safe at my parents' home to let myself in whenever I head back. On the way back to my mom's home on Tuesday, I realised I'd left the key in her house when I last visited instead of putting it in the key safe. I called her in a panic and she agreed to take her lunch break early to let me in and get the key. Upon being let into the house I searched around for the key and became worried and frustrated because I couldn't find it. I had a bit of memory return and in a moment of ponder decided to check in the key safe. It turned out the key was in the safe all along and I'd completely forgot about putting it there. Job well done! Me and mom both found this funny and didn't mind about the hassle too much because of the comedy behind it.

Yes, being able to laugh at yourself definitely takes the impact off a serious illness a tad. That can only be a good thing!

RB

[PinkFlamingoFlapper]

Being able to laugh has helped me accept myself, and look kindly on my bipolar disorder. I don't like to think of myself "struggling" or "fighting" with bipolar disorder - it is a part of me, and in order to love myself, I have to love it also! When I am depressed I tend to fall alot - America's Funniest Home Video style! Once, while leaving my son's school after volunteering at their Christmas party, adorned with a Santa Claus hat, I stepped out of the front door of the school, misstepped, and twirled around, falling backward over a bench and into a sticker bush! And school was ready to be dismissed, so this was in front of a large group of parents! I looked up from my position on my rear in the sticker bush to a silent group, all with eyes and mouths opened so wide they looked like they were all performing a caricature of Munch's Scream! I'm sure my antics were fodder for many Christmas dinner stories that year!

Originally Posted by middlepath

this makes me think of the time a friend and I (from back home) went out to a nice lunch and i was so flippin' hypo (or more???) that when they served the appetizer (lobster/avocado terrine), I thought it was so delicious and i had so much emotion that was needing to explode I started crying. Tears were streaming down my face. My friend who knows i am an artist just chalked it up to being a passionate person. That is true, I am passionate, but REALLY? tears over food. I should have busted out into laughter...no wait...good that i didn't because then it would have been obvious that i was manic! At least the tears can be explained, but tears and giddy laughter simultaneously....dead giveaway : )

Middlepath this is too funny. Thanks for the laugh

Originally Posted by jeffro1972

I'm still trying to get there Chelbten, but when I start to feel down, I go to funny websites to get a good laugh. And that really does hep break the depression.

jeffro1972, I have a couple funny websites that I bookmark that I use as picker-upper as well.

Thanks for sharing everyone.

Originally Posted by faerie_moon_x

I forget where I put things all the time. Once I was looking for my phone. We couldn't find it anywhere. My husband kept calling from his phone. I'd hear it ring. It's behind me! I turn around, search. Now it's behind me again! Turn around, search. Each ring spinning around trying to figure out which direction it's coming from....

It was in my back pocket the whole time....

lol. This reminds me of times when i would frantically search for my glasses when it was on my face the entire time.

Originally Posted by PlatinumHeart

I laugh at the way I dance around when I'm watching commercials. Something catchy would come on and I would get up and do a silly dance. Thank god no one is watching! LOL. Laughing at oneself is so essential. Good idea for a thread! Thank you

Lol, PlatinumHeart, I dont really do this too often but my husband does ALL the time and I am the one with bp. He doesn't mind acting goofy in front of me. It helps me not to take myself so seriously when he doesn't mind acting goofy in front of me.