Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Writing books on bipolar disorder has been my career for over ten years. I enjoy writing and plan to do a lot more. (It can be a challenge when the mood swings are paying a visit, that’s for sure.)

Over four years ago, I started coaching partners and family members of people with bipolar disorder as an addition to my writing career.

I never, ever thought I would find work that I enjoy as much as I enjoy coaching. I feel at home with the parents and partners as I have been where they are- and I remain calm during the crises that many of my clients are going through while we are working together. Bipolar disorder is like a puzzle. It’s not always easy to find the right pieces on your own. It helps to have a coach as a guide.

My coaching practice has room for new clients. I take new clients about once a month-and then help them create truly stable relationships with their children. It’s a partnership that saves relationships and often lives.

Coaching is not for everyone, but if you are concerned about your relationship with a person with bipolar disorder, it may be a good fit for you. The following link will tell you more. I look forward to talking.

Julie Fast Family and Partner Coaching

Julie

Yes, it’s soon to be summer and it’s mania season once again.

Summer mania is dangerous- it’s often missed-  and lives can be changed forever if a person’s mania spirals out of control.  I look at the dog in the picture and know that rush of speed and the wind in my hair! (Or fur!) That is mania for so many of us.

One strategy to prevent this mania is to know the signs of hypomania and start treatment at this level. Hypomania is subtle. It’s April. It’s a good time to have a plan ready for when the sun gets high in the sky.

Those of us with bipolar will NEVER want to tell someone we are hypomanic-  we know they will do something to make us get help.

Who wants help when it feels so good? Come on man! Let us have some fun!

I had to teach myself to accept the signs of mania and then accept help when it was offered.

Here’s what I experienced during a recent euphoric manic episode:

• Eveything looked good.
• I loved talking.
• I didn’t eat. (If only this would last forever!)
• I wanted to drink- but this time I didn’t!
• I was fine being alone.
• Men looked really ‘hot.’
• I felt totally confident about my looks.
• All of the magazines in the grocery store just looked so interesting! So I bought four of them.

My mom saw some of this behaivor and asked if I was manic- I lied and said no,  but she knew I was- and I knew I was!

But I didn’t want to tell her the truth.  For those of you who care about someone with mania,  it’s probably hard to understand how we could just bold face lie when confronted with our behavior. The truth is that it feels like the right thing to do. The mania lies to us and we lie to others in the same way!

It took me eight years to get good at catching my mania from the moment it starts. You can do it a lot sooner because you can learn from my mistakes! My strategies are in all of my bo0ks.

Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder is a good place for family, friends and partners to learn the very basics of mania.

If you go to the menu on the right and click on the mania tab- you can read all of my stories and tips. Don’t deny that you’re manic. Get help. It can spin out of control very quickly. And then it doesn’t feel as good.

Julie

PS: The best way to deal with mild mania is to make sure you go to sleep at the same time everynight- even when you don’t want to.  You will probably need a sleep aid- but sleep is sleep.  Take care of yourself!

I recently asked the mailing list for questions they would like my mom to answer on my blog and Facebook page.

I received 200+ questions in less than 24 hours.

I’m not kidding. Wow.

There are many parents of children with bipolar disorder who need help and advice.  I will go through all of the questions and answer them all!

julie