I remember when I first got new glasses, and it was like I could see things clearly for the very first time! I had had glasses once a long time ago, but I had gone without them for many years at that point (due to my own vanity) and had just been using reading glasses […]

You know those warnings that used to interrupt your TV shows that said, “This is a test. This is only a test…” Well, I’ve heard it in a different, more humorous way: “Life is a test. It is only a test. If it were real, we would have been given better directions.” “Given better directions…” […]

When I was first diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, I was 45-years-old, and my reaction went from one extreme to the other – for one thing, I was just happy that they had a name for what I’d been through for so long; but, at the other extreme, I was petrified. I had so many questions, […]

I am the ultimate perfectionist. Yes, me. I even got a fortune cookie one time that said, “You have a yearning for perfection,” do you believe that?” Even Confucius knows it! But it’s a real battle for me. I expect things from myself that I would never expect from anyone else, and it really messes […]

I wish I had my dog’s life… Sunshine is a Doberman/hound mix. She takes a lot of naps. But I do take her out for her customary walks, too. She loves those! I’m just not sure who’s walking who when we take them. But she eats, sleeps, plays, goes outside when needed… I mean, her […]

I was thinking the other day about how grateful I am for my husband, who is my #1 supporter. I just don’t think I could do this thing without him. He doesn’t just love me as his wife, but he cares for me as a bipolar supporter should, and that really helps me. But there […]

One of the hardest things I have to deal with as a bipolar survivor is the fear that when I get depressed, or even just in a bad mood, that it is signaling the beginning of an episode. It’s not even the issue of actually having the episode that is so hard for me, because […]

I wasn’t always the positive, optimistic person I am today. In fact, learning how to cope and deal with the reality of having bipolar disorder was a hard-fought lesson for me. I was stubborn at first, and I wanted to “do it” MY way. It took a while before I admitted that my way wouldn’t […]

How has your outlook been lately? If it has been trending toward the negative, perhaps it’s time for an attitude check. That’s what I’ve found in my own case, anyway. I believe that outlook and attitude go hand in hand. This is what I mean, and you may have experienced this yourself: If you have […]

Life is all about change. There was a time in my life when change itself was enough to throw me into manic episode after manic episode because I was so ill-prepared to cope with those changes. However, with time and therapy, and learning how to manage my bipolar disorder, I have been able to deal […]