[cashart10]

Well, my therapist has told me I have a learned helplessness. I don't deny it at all. Would any other bipolar folks identify as such? If so, how do you navigate? How do you practice holding strong instead of immediately going to, "I want to die" or "I need to end my life" when symptoms occur?

Yes, I had that about 10 years ago or so. I dealt with it by fighting it. Somehow the label, even the words themselves just pissed me off one day. There was a long time when I revelled in it. But gradually I got tired of living like that and just clawed my way up and out. With the help of meds, therapy, gin and a lot of time. And ending a toxic relationship with a married woman with 3 kids (I'm female). I moved, retrained, got a new career, basically reinvented myself. It took years and a lot of pain and misery and whatever else you can think of. It was not a fun experience but the end result was worth it. The journey was crap. I hope your path is smoother, shorter and a lot more interspersed with joy.

[tanto]

I haven't posted in a really long time but this particular post coincides with exactly what I'm going through right now. I don't see a T though, because I'm poor and don't have insurance. My psych operates through a free clinic. They don't think I should work but I've been looking for a job anyway because money is so tight. But I get really bad anxiety every time I try and revert to negative thoughts associated with learned helplessness. I almost feel my doctor and caseworker are reinforcing that. I'm waiting for a SSDI hearing. But I feel very capable to work, but once I start trying I go straight to "you aren't capable you are a sick person who cannot work" and it's very stressful. I wish I could see a T to work it out.