A Wonderful Weekend Retreat

Well, isn’t it nice to read that I had a great weekend! It was great to experience it, believe me. This past few months have been such a challenge (euphemism!), so feeling better is wonderful. And no, I’m not manic. (Thank goodness.)

I went to an interfaith retreat for people with disabilities who work with people who have disabilities! – brain disorders and physical disabilities. Yes, some people have trouble with the word disability, but I believe it’s an honest word that honors the struggles those of us who are not able to work, run, talk, etc go through. Does that make sense? It was a joyful experience of shared stories and a lot of learning.

I will post some pictures because it was a happy time. So yes, even if you have chronic, relentless and debhiliting depression, the episode can end and things can get better.

And now I have to write what I always write in the summer-

– Is your mood going up?

– Is there a significant difference between your mood in in the winter and your mood now?

– How are your bipolar meds? Have you thought about stopping them because you feel so good?

– Are you sleeping less than normally? Do you have throughts such as – it sure would be fun to stay up all night and get a lot done!

We all know what the above means- the beginning signs of mania. If you’re experiencing these things and they are not the norm for you, there is a lot of information on this blog about the signs of mania and how to manage this very dangerous mood swing.

Julie