[Becoming]

Hi everyone,

I've just recently begun to use a book called "The Bipolar II Disorder Workbook." It's great so far. I highly recommend it.

The first chapter in the book is all about accepting your diagnosis as Bipolar (though it can be used for any mental illness or situation in life).

Here's some statements I wrote down in order to practice:
1. I have a psychical illness that exhibits itself in mental ways, but I can learn to manage it and have a successful life.

2. I may not like having Bipolar and I certainly did not ask for it, but I have the power to manage it.

3. My brain is only acting in the way it knows how. It is up to me to challenge my unhealthy thoughts.

4. I am not the only one with Bipolar. Many with the illness have learned how to manage it and live functional lives. I can too.

5. I control my thoughts and my illness. My thoughts and my illness do not control me.

My question to you all is: How do you accept your Bipolar? It doesn't mean liking it...more so acknowledging it's a reality of life. I encourage you to think on it and perhaps write a couple statements for yourself. I think this could be helpful for everyone.

-Rachael

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I'm bipolar affectd, have been all my life. I know no other way of living, so I guess you can say it's normal for me. What a concept, bipolar is normal.

[BipolaRNurse]

I still struggle with acceptance, although I'm no longer in denial. That went away when I went inpatient and my diagnosis changed to bipolar 1 with depression. Part of me doesn't want to accept that my brain is broken and that I'm going to fight this thing for the rest of my days. I just have to remember that I have bipolar disorder---it doesn't have me.

[onionknight]

I don't know (probably I'm still in the this is going to destroy my life phase)...but I kind of like what you posted

[furiousfever]

I don't think I do yet. 🙉

[Trippin2.0]

It's an intrinsic part of me, always has been, I know no different, no other kind of existence... Kind of like my eye colour, it just is, and always has been.

So yes, its my normal too.

[Blitter2014]

I try not to think about it. Dwelling on it and what could have been only makes me upset.

[Victoria'smom]

Bipolar to me just means at times my reactions are overboard to the stimulus but it doesn't mean I don't feel that way but it's to much for what's going on.

[Gray Rider]

It seems to help not to think about it constantly.
Who knows, maybe one day we won't fit the criteria any longer or have milder symptoms.

[bluemountains]

It depends on the day and my mood. Sometimes I don't acknowledge it and I believe that the doctors have it wrong. Sometimes I am very angry with the constant changes in moods. Most of the time, though, I try not to let it be a part of my thoughts. This is much easier when my meds are in order.
Bluemountains

[Homeira]

I actually just posted a new thread very similar to this one, but my question was about how long it has taken to accept having BP. I think when BP debuts later in life the whole acceptance-issue is different. Because the contrast to what one considered "normal" can be really big, since one has experienced living without any illness. When I came out of my year-long depression, I went into denial. Spent about four years in that state of mind...
That book sounds interesting by the way. Who wrote it? The statements you wrote down very interesting as well.

[bunnifoo]

I was diagonosed with BP about 15 years go wehn I was in my late 20s. When I was 14 or so I had been diagonosed with depression and then "atypical depression" and before that from the time I was 6 or 7 years old there was big conflict of what's going on and why does bunnifoo act this way.

So at first I had a hard time accepting that BP was the right diagnosis and I didn't wan to put any work into my health because what if that doesn't work.

Then I figured out I could try and maybe get my life back or keep being miserable.

At this point, it's so ingrained as to who I am I don't know what I'd be without it. I literally don't remember a time when I wasn't dealing with some symptom or aspect or challenge from anxiety and bipolar disorder. And I dealt with a lot of feelings of shame and also comparing myself to others. I don't have a college degree, other people with BP "worse" than mine do that. So what's wrong with me.

So now I'm at the "f*** it" stage of my life (sorry for the language). I'm working on improving my life so I'm happy, I'm working on not comparing myself to others and I'm also working on not being ashamed and embarassed about having mental illness(es).

Last night at work some coworkers and I were joking around I don't remember the joke made but it referenced medication and out popped "Lithium and Klonopin." Just reflex more than anything. And it made someone uncomfortable but I explained, I was making a joke about my illness, like our co worker who has a chronic condition he always jokes about.

That's my level of acceptance. This is part of who I am and it's not something I'm goign to be ashamed about. I know there's a stigma about mental illness and people have ideas and notions and not everyone can be open or feels comfortable talkign about it. But I am and so that's part of my acceptance and dealing with it.

I feel like I lost a lot of my life and a lot of opporunities because of this life so this is how I try to feel like my life isn't wasted.

[LastQuestion]

Bipolar is a label for a diagnosis which consists of nothing more than piling together a conglomeration of symptoms believed to be indicative of a biological disorder - and lo the clinician did say unto the disciple, have faith, for I shall, in my wisdom, consult the great DSM and thereafter pronounce upon thee the nature of thy being so that thou may knowest how to live amongst thy fellow men. Recognizing one has problems which need to be addressed in order to function is separate from accepting the validity of a diagnosis founded upon almost arbitrary criteria.

[Justugh]

embrace it

if u run and hide it comes back as a big monster .......no amount of wishing praying or anything will ever make u "normal" no matter how much u want it nor how good u are

this leaves the only logical choice to embrace it and make it your own
u can not hide it .........it always pops out at the wrong times

everyone knows i am nutz but i am the good kind that makes ppl laugh with a touch of crazy wacked out ideas

like building the wheel chair from silver bullet that can do 60 miles a hour on the road with duelly tires then making a bike club were we all ride those ........then do burn outs in the middle of a walmart see if we can smoke out the whole store (just because it would be fun)

my wackiness makes me a great kid sitter ......the little rug rats love me because i am fun ...make sound effects funny voices ....i even know how to do some of the 3 stooges jokes the prat falls walking into walls (it looks like it hurts but really does not )

just be yourself if u are worried u are doing wrong just ask ppl that know u .........u mean well be your judgement is not the greatest

[Love&Toil]

Subbing to come back and read. Last Question your post made me laugh!

[loophole]

Embrace it. Ok ill brag a bit.. Bipolar isn't exactly the worst thing In the world.. In fact there's an equal and opposite reaction so take the goods when its there.... Im extremely introverted yet somehow oddly it works In my favor... Im no model by any means but im not bad looking either... I somehow possess the ability to get gals to do whAt I want. Yeah before marriage it would help with sex but these days im married.. Its still a bit nutty getting her friends and family that do things for me when I never even remotely push the issue... Maybe it all boils down to wanting me to feeling comfortable. Other day everyone complaining about it being cold in the house.. Lady never will raise the thermostat I out a sweatshirt on. She asks if im cold. Im like yeah a little bit. Goes right over and turns it up. Everyone sitting with their jaws opened like wtf. how much can I contribute to me having bipolar I don't know.. But I have a distinct personality and while most my family knows it comes with flaws they also respect me very much for being very involved in my treatment and always trying to get better... Wife and 3 kids.. I work my tail off and am just a quiet person overall.but im completely ok in my skin these days

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[sidney1771]

I accept that I am bipolar, but my therapist and I do not discuss me being bipolar. Instead, we focus on the things that I can control and manage, and how to best incorporate myself into every day life. The only time it becomes necessary to talk specifics about being bipolar is when I've lost the ability to process rational concepts and need to be reeled back in to understanding what is going on.

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by sidney1771

I accept that I am bipolar, but my therapist and I do not discuss me being bipolar. Instead, we focus on the things that I can control and manage, and how to best incorporate myself into every day life. The only time it becomes necessary to talk specifics about being bipolar is when I've lost the ability to process rational concepts and need to be reeled back in to understanding what is going on.

It's the same with my pdoc and me. We hardly ever talk about the bipolar itself---it's been well-established that I have it---but we do talk a lot about how to manage everyday life and the inevitable crises that arise in its course. It's when everything falls apart and I lose my s##t that we actually discuss the particulars of the disease. I forget sometimes that it doesn't always take a catalyst for it to flare up, and those episodes tend to take me by surprise. That's when my pdoc has to remind me that yes, I have an illness and it causes that to happen sometimes.

[Justugh]

Originally Posted by loophole

Embrace it. Ok ill brag a bit.. Bipolar isn't exactly the worst thing In the world.. In fact there's an equal and opposite reaction so take the goods when its there.... Im extremely introverted yet somehow oddly it works In my favor... Im no model by any means but im not bad looking either... I somehow possess the ability to get gals to do whAt I want. Yeah before marriage it would help with sex but these days im married.. Its still a bit nutty getting her friends and family that do things for me when I never even remotely push the issue... Maybe it all boils down to wanting me to feeling comfortable. Other day everyone complaining about it being cold in the house.. Lady never will raise the thermostat I out a sweatshirt on. She asks if im cold. Im like yeah a little bit. Goes right over and turns it up. Everyone sitting with their jaws opened like wtf. how much can I contribute to me having bipolar I don't know.. But I have a distinct personality and while most my family knows it comes with flaws they also respect me very much for being very involved in my treatment and always trying to get better... Wife and 3 kids.. I work my tail off and am just a quiet person overall.but im completely ok in my skin these days

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that is what i am talking it about.....mad respect

u can not change it only control it ........if u try to be "normal" u will drive yourself truly insane

[~Christina]

It's just part of my life , I have/had no problem "accepting it" 4 years ago when I was diagnosed at age 43.. I have traced back my BP to age of 6 so from age 6 til 43 I was busy going about my life , got married had a child , worked , I thought everyone had a racing mind like mine.. and had times of depression . I have never known any different way to be... I am just me.

[Crazy Hitch]

I'm sort of just used to it by now.

Been a few years since diagnosis.

So I'm over the drill with pdocs, meds, mood swings and everything else that comes with it inbetween.

[A Red Panda]

It's just who I am. It's a part of me. It's nice to know that I'm not just overly emotional - that there really ARE some mixed wires in my brain!

When I'm hypomanic I appreciate it because I feel like I'm my best self - the me I wish I was all the time (most people would never notice that I was hypomanic because my baseline is pretty low... so my "ups" don't really cause me many problems). When I'm depressed it can be different, but at least I can go "stupid brain!" and ignore the desires to make stupid choices.

[4ALittle]

I guess I still struggle some day to day. I know that I am classically Bipolar 1. I can read the literature and say "Oh, yeah, that's me."
But then, I struggle with the idea that everyone else isn't somehow just the same. My inner critic whispers "Everyone else is just better at hiding it."
I am trying to really get to know the person I am and to learn to love that person without judgement.

[wiretwister]

I have been so boringly stable for so long,,what bp...now anaxity that's a different kettle of fish..

[Curious651]

Acceptance is. It an option. I am who I am and that is not changing by a dx. I am still a person that has dreams, strengths, abilities, and desires that have not changed by my dx. Bi polar can stuck at times, but I am learning to work its it and make th best of it. Some days I am good and other days it just sucks. I don't think a bout it to much since it will ring me down and destroy me if I do that. I acknowledge my mood, adjust for it that day and make sure I remember it shall pass and in a pm hour or so I will feel another look that could be better. I used to take all those tests and question everything. It is to worth it and only drives negative thinking, Not sure this helps anyone, but that is what I think.