BP Blog: When the Rush Is Gone
Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 1:00AM
In this week's post for BP Magazine's Bipolar Blog, I write about how hard it was for me to learn how to do things without waiting for my hypomania to return. Workouts became burdensome slogs. Household chores went undone. Without that little boost, everything became drudgery: "For years, I have to admit, I threw a bit of a tantrum. I found I couldn't write. I couldn't take care of myself. I couldn't clean. I couldn't exercise. Everything seemed so hard without that little extra "oomph." That little reward of a rush for finally getting a job done. I had to learn how to make schedules and follow-through and not wait for the "urge" to take over. A muse was great for writing. It didn't make much sense to wait for a "muse" to make me clean my room or balance my checkbook."
Reader Comments (2)
You're a brave woman to share your journey of living with Bipolar Disorder. I work as a psychotherapist in community mental health and it surprises me how much stigma still exists against mental illness and treatment. What surprises me more is not the discomfort individuals with mental illness feel sharing their story, but the ignorance from people I'd consider educated, sensible folks who should know better. But every time someone like you speaks up, it goes a long way to break down that barrier. I'll be talking about you with some of my clients for sure. Thanks!
If you only knew how much I can relate to this post. Thank you.
Sincerely, a social worker who understands on both a professional & personal level.