What gifts has bipolar given you?

Hello All,
I love this community, and often feel that I take more than I give. I just wanted to start a thread where we could all share the gifts that we often have as part of our disorder. For some it is drawing, art, creativeness, music....for me I dabble in Poetry. Please share what your gift is, and together we can not only see our affliction, but some of the richness it brings into our lives

I have bipolar, to me it's a curse
But then I found others that do have it worse.
The road I walk slowly, is lonely, its cold and its stark,
Crashing and Colliding, my thoughts after dark.
My moods can be low, like in the depths of hell,
and if there's a bottom, I honestly cannot tell.

Yet manic I can be, so wonderfully high
Like climbing a cloud, on wings I do fly.
My thoughts are all mine, so crystallized and clear,
When I am like this, I love life, to me it's so dear.

So depressed and then manic I do venture to go
Where I will be, no one could possibly know.
But on this long journey to not be alone
Are some of my friends, to me they have grown.

So please take this journey, this path stick by thee
Together we sojourn, then soon you will see.
This contrast it leads me, I'm slaved by it -not free
I'm just a little crazy, this person, this me

Blitter 8/03/15

My Bipolar Mania is my blessing that cures my BPD. Temporarily

Hahaha no it just makes my extemist Black and White Thinking more radical but it can feel positive so oh well.



(Did I say I am awesome? Oh. No. Mania said this.)

Oh...what a wonderful idea Blitter. Thank you! I am able to paint and draw when manic:

I am really creative. Not sure if I have bipolar to thank for it but when hypo/manic I am a lot more prolific. Currently I am at university studying photography and writing. Here is a shot I took the other night.

Moon_61.jpg

I'm still working on what it has given me. I'm sure something. Oh, I know what it has given me. It's given me:

Ruftin
KaraD
Kat20
FuzzyBear
Connect the stars
Hamiomi
Smilesandcries
tim1296
metamophosis
lilodian4ever
shattered sanity
Lady Courtesan
High Etiquette 009
sadp8r
and
many, many more!

It's given me friends to all of you
You all have enriched my life.

Absolutely brilliant!

Awwwe!!!! Thanks ((((((((((((((((Olanza-what)))))))))))))))))!!!!

Love the poem.

As an answer to your question though, Bipolar Disorder has given me the gift of true understanding of one's emotions. I've suffered some deep depressions, which has provided me with a never-ending amount of empathy and sympathy for others in the same situation. I've met a hugely varied amount of different people in psych wards and I've been discriminated against, faced stigma and been bullied for my condition, so I'm understanding, I don't discriminate and I completely disregard stigma due to my experience with the disorder.

As for mania. Well, it's given me a heck of enjoyment in the past. Not so much now, but I've been on an amazing rollercoaster with those episodes!

Love the poem!

Bipolar has given me not only creativity but enabled me to taste and experience life in greater dimension than so-called normal people. I feel more deeply, love more intensely, live more passionately. Meds have taken the edge off, and sometimes I miss it. But there are too many disadvantages to let the illness take over, so I take my meds faithfully and accept the fact that I need to rein in that wilder side of me

A poem about my mania.

Emotional Minefield:

The anger, it comes. It comes with fierce passion. It's hidden behind perfumed sweaters and manic smiles. It's hidden in this glass house with steal basement walls. The intensity nears rage, and I spit clouds of fire. But it just comes.

The arrogance, it comes. It comes with fleeting measure. It's hidden behind polished humility and painful composure. It's hidden well in meek little words. It's hidden in magnetic walls that contort reality into shame. Pride pulses through me, to my core. But it just comes.

I'm furiously dancing though past memories and my heart pounds intensely. How will I survive this emotional minefield? I am seething. I am writhing. I am screaming. Such elusive delusions bring only confusion. Caution averted; sanity defiled. I am torn to pieces by merciless explosives. I will never overcome this minefield. It just comes.

This is skillfully and beautifully written. I love it. Thanks for sharing

Ahhh What has Bipolar given to me...

I have worked medical my whole life and I always offered people hope , a shoulder to lean on or cry on it's second nature for me. I don't think " Should I offer to help someone? " it just happens.

I have learned how to put aside my struggles or hardships at times because I knew someone really needed to hear something positive... right . then. Maybe I filled a void? maybe I was just convienant at the times, who really wants to wake up there spouse at 3:23 am because Bipolar is just slapping them so hard there eyes want to fall out ?

Bipolar has taught me many things, Altho I have the creativity of a stump. But, I know how to listen really well and I can come up with some useable advice if needed at times.

Blitter.... Great thread and outstanding poem

I'm not sure that being bipolar is the reason but I am more creative when I'm manic. I also think that it has given me an understanding of the pain that everyone goes through at times. It makes me more compassionate.

Yes gayleggg , you have always been there for me when I wrote my so called poetry, and have always given a honest opinion and words of encouragement. I appreciate you so much. Knowing what my poems would be like after reading a few, I guess recognizing that I can't help myself, you and very few others still read them and was there for me.

I would also have to say, that I too am a bit more compassionate and a bit more less angry. I have learned this from some of the folks here at PC.