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"What's Good About Bipolar?"

by Michele Soloway

Okay, calm down! Just like the rest of you, my first instinct was to scream at David, "There's absolutely nothing good about having bipolar disorder (BP);" and, of course, to tell him he was crazy to even think there is! However, in reading your posts, and considering my own experiences growing up with a mom who had BP, having BP myself, and being mom to a teen with BP, I believe there is something good to be said about it, after all.

First of all, let me tell you, if my doctor were to take me into a room, place me before a row of diagnoses, and ask me to choose one for myself, I definitely would not choose bipolar disorder. Would you? But no one gave us a choice, did they? And no one gave our children or family member a choice, either.

Heredity issue aside, we need to establish that we did not bring this upon ourselves. It is not our "fault." However, neither are we "victims," any more than a person with diabetes or high blood pressure is a victim, and thinking of ourselves with a "victim mentality" is neither healthy nor productive. If we are to find anything good at all in having BP, we first have to have a positive attitude, which I will talk about more in a little while.

All that having been said, let's go on to the "good" stuff.

How about doing a Letterman's Top 10 List?

THE TOP TEN GOOD THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT BIPOLAR DISORDER:

Number 10… (drum roll)…
IT IS NOT TRI-POLAR DISORDER.

Number 9… (drum roll)…
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BEARS ON THE NORTH POLE.

Number 8… (drum roll)…
YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP YOUR POLES CLEAN (IN ORDER) FOR COMPANY.

Number 7… (drum roll)…
YOU CAN DO DESE TINGS IN DIS ORDER.

Number 6… (drum roll)…
HAVING BIPOLAR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SEXUALITY.

Number 5… (drum roll)…
IT IS NOT CONTAGIOUS (WELL, AT LEAST NOT BY SNEEZING ON SOMEONE, ANYWAY - BUT YOU COULD ALWAYS MIND-MELD THEM LIKE SPOCK).

Number 4… (drum roll)…
YOU GET THE PART OF BOTH DR. JECKYL AND MR. HYDE IN EVERY SCHOOL PLAY.

Number 3… (drum roll)… (aren't you getting sick of these drum rolls? How about a drum biscuit for a change?)

YOU GET TO GO SHOPPING! A LOT. A REAL LOT. A REAL, REAL LOT.

Number 2… (drum roll)…

SOMETIMES YOU GET TO GO UP AND DOWN (AND UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN) SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, WEEK, MONTH, OR YEAR (take your pick) LIKE RIDING ON THE FERRIS WHEEL AT THE PARK, ONLY FREE!

And… Numero Uno… (drum roll)…

ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS YOU EVEN GET TO VISIT THE SANITY HOTEL, ALL EXPENSES PAID!

Well, hopefully, you at least have a smile on your face by now. Either that, or you are steaming mad at me for making light of a very serious subject. Which is exactly my point. I do have BP, and I very well know how serious it is. But one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that I must keep things in perspective, take everything with a grain of salt, and have a sense of humor. Because many times, if we don't laugh, we will cry.

Even the Bible says, "Laughter does good like a medicine." I know that in my worst depressive cycles, when someone made me laugh, it was like a ray of sunshine sneaking in, however brief. I'm not saying to laugh all the time, or pretend that things are peachy keen, when they aren't. We do have to be honest about how we are feeling in order to self-regulate our moods (inasmuch as we are able), but we can learn to be a little more light-hearted; not to take everything so seriously. Since adopting a more positive attitude, I was episode-free for two whole years, and I even became healthier physically, all because my stress level was reduced.

So the best thing to be said about having BP is this: BP it is not curable, but it is controllable; and although medication and cognitive therapy are considered essential for ongoing management of the disorder, a positive attitude is just as essential.

About the Author

Michele Soloway has dealt with bipolar disorder from a very young age. Her grandmother, mother, brother, herself, and her teenage son all have the disorder. She also lost her sister to suicide because of bipolar disorder. Michele has a blog for bipolar survivors at http://bipolarsurvivor.blogspot.com, and is also a contributing writer to www.bipolarcentral.com.

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