I wish you all a very merry bipolar Christmas this year! I hope this Christmas is even better for you than last year’s was. I know mine is. I had a good Christmas last year, but I’ve been feeling much more grateful this year and truly remembering what the holiday is about (and have been enjoying buying presents for my husband as well).
Too many people with bipolar disorder struggle at Christmastime. Unfortunately, it’s the nature of the dragon. If you let it, bipolar disorder can totally ruin your holiday (and the rest of the week/month as well). You need to fight it! Try to keep an attitude of gratitude, and remember what the holiday is really all about – Jesus, not presents or trees or decorations. It’s HIS birthday we’re celebrating, after all.
It helps if you take the emphasis off yourself and put it onto others, or doing good for others. Try volunteering at the food bank this year – there are so many people worse off than you.
Yet at the same time, I know how it feels to be depressed at Christmas. Remember a few years ago when I cancelled Christmas? What a mistake that turned out to be. But I was just too depressed to even put up a tree, much less buy any presents or deal with the holiday at all.
At least put forth some effort, and if you’re depressed, yes, it will take effort on your part. Even if you don’t go anywhere, have Christmas in some way at home. Watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” (my favorite movie) – it will help you to feel grateful about your life. Every time I watch it (I watch it every year, except for the year I cancelled Christmas), I am reminded that my life is a gift.
Try to do something that will help bring you out of the bipolar blues. Again, if you turn your attention toward someone else, it will help deter your own self-pity. And I don’t mean to be mean, but I’ve been there. I felt so sorry for myself that bad bipolar Christmas. Sometimes it’s hard to take the emphasis off yourself because, after all, you’re prejudiced and feel everything so subjectively. But at least try this year.
Try to make someone else’s holiday a little better, however you can. My son was at a restaurant with a few of his friends, and they were talking about their poor financial conditions, and were apparently overheard by the older couple at the next table, although they didn’t know it. When they went to pay their bill, they were told that it had already been paid by that older couple. Random acts of kindness are the most rewarding things.
Be grateful for what my mom calls “small favors.” If you are not in the hospital today, be grateful. If you are not in an episode today, be grateful. If you have a good supporter and friends and family who love you and care about you, be grateful. If you have your health today, be grateful. If you have hope today, be grateful, because there was probably a time when you didn’t even have hope.
That’s what I pray for each one of you today – that you don’t let go of your hope. It’s a blessed thing. And may you have a very Merry Christmas!
Wishing you peace and stability,
Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele
Merry Christmas to you too! Glad you had a good one, we tried to keep ours low key for me since I’m still off my meds. Just hanging out and ejoying our little ones.