[Icare dixit]

How do you keep it? What are the reasons behind it? Do you think you can/should find better reasons, stronger beliefs?

For me, hope is derived from an assumption (mostly religious) and a reasoning based on it. The assumption is that there is a reason to this, the suffering and (as part of my reasoning) the intricacy, complex problem that needs to, and can, be solved (together). It makes us creative and thus progress (as living beings and some singular, all-encompassing Mind, both God's parameters and God (extensionally, cf. intensionally), for God isn't bound by parameters).

What progresses besides human beings matters not in essence, but a form self-transcendence is required, for me, because I can see myself end up failing, but I hope to at least somewhat, have helped others to succeed. To solve life's problems.

We are, in a way, as those with psychotic disorders, (among the) weakest in society, as a group. I believe that makes it our responsibility to inform others how to make society better, more (broadly, flexibly, caringly) accommodating, and maybe (maybe just for some of us, for all of us), to lead by example.

But no reason is too "mundane", I'd say. Anything to keep (some) hope, always. Maybe we can find an arsenal of reasons and beliefs, to keep us afloat.

[Icare dixit]

No hope?

Seriously, what gives you hope? What remains last?

[MusicLover82]

I could write something lengthy about this, but I don't want to get religious. Mainly, I remind myself that things have a way of working out. I believe that when things get rough, they can and will get better. I trust my husband, family and Pdoc to take care of me if I get too far off balance. I have a great support system.

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My family and my own abilities keep me hopeful. Knowing that someday I will be able to "pay forward" what has been given to me in terms of help along the way. But hope is hard to hold onto in depression or when I'm in a lot of physical pain. Impossible even. I need to write letters to myself while I'm feeling more positive. Remind myself of all I know and see in this moment.

I think "reasons" for hopefulness will be varied. As much as we are all the same, we are also all very different. (((Hugs)))

[smallwonderer]

Originally Posted by Icare dixit

How do you keep it? What are the reasons behind it? Do you think you can/should find better reasons, stronger beliefs?

I was a fervent atheist before my diagnosis. During my first euphoric mania, I started to think I believed in God and that transitioned way too fast to thinking I was God (come on, some of you have been there ). I keep atheism because religiosity is a good symptom to watch for.That being said, before I knew I was sick, when I had hard times, I'd tell myself "It's going to get better tomorrow/in the future. And I want to be that better person for me tomorrow." So I would invest in doing things in the hopes that it'd work out. Diagnosis was a huge slap in the face to that philosophy on its face - with bipolar, how can things get anything but worse? But I realize now that that coping mechanism for me was how I was managing bipolar symptoms first of all of depression/anhedonia. Second of all, in managing my illness better, I start to see hope again. Lots of scary things loom on the horizon, but having thought that a diagnosis meant I was making a beeline for my mom's couch, anything above that level of success feels great.

I read a research article that said the very obvious thing - our feeling 'good' when something happens is two feedback mechanisms in opposing directions: "Are expectations met?" and "Did a good thing happen?" I.e. keep your expectations low and the dopamine will keep flowing...hopefully . Wow, this wall of text is almost hypo levels...

[Icare dixit]

It's a great, interesting read. Thanks!

My dopamine levels should be lower though, always. Serotonin without the dopamine for me.

[raspberrytorte]

I don't know. I just keep on going. Hopefully someday all this hard work will pay off!

[Standup2me]

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

I don't know. I just keep on going. Hopefully someday all this hard work will pay off!

I understand this. I understand what you are saying.

Originally Posted by Icare dixit

How do you keep it? What are the reasons behind it? Do you think you can/should find better reasons, stronger beliefs?.

Have?
I don't. But I keep going anyway.

Can/should?
I honestly can't imagine any scenerio in which it would materialize. Reasons -- those I can usually manage to come up with. But they're not the same as hope.

[pirilin]

Hope is the next thing to lose after virginity.

for me, it's like..

if you don't have hope, what do you have left.

it's as simple as that. hope is the 1 thing that keeps you living, because you hope that tomorrow will be better and things will go your way.

it's really hard, but you do still need to think about tomorrow.. and the fact it is a diffrent (hopefully better) day

and when it's not, it really knocks your confidence

but what else can you do

[raspberrytorte]

I really like that, shattered.