A Bipolar Secret I Never Revealed

Hi,

How's it going today? I must say I have been having
a very hard time with a number of the people
and vendors that make this entire Organization
that helps supporters and those with bipolar disorder
a success.

Last night I was up at like 2:00am working on a
plan to correct all these problems.

Then I got to thinking how this relates to you
and a secret you can learn based on how I am
going to deal with the problems I have been facing.

Today I am going to make a complete plan of attack.
I will be making a list of all my problems, who
is a problem, what is a problem, and then
listing which problems are the highest priority.

I will number them in priority order using 1, 2, 3,
etc.

Then I will start to brainstorm solutions to these
problems. I will take each problem, put it on a
sheet of paper and then brainstorm solutions.

Now for the problems I can't come up with solutions
to, I will start to research if there are any books,
tapes, manuals, consultants, seminars, etc. that
can help me.

Here is the biggest secret that I learned to using
this method.

It's to go to a quiet place to do it. I prefer the
library. Virtually all of my strategic planning
with my mom when I was helping her through bipolar
disorder was done in the library.

Why? Because it was quiet, it was a different location
and the library is conducive to thinking, planning,
researching, etc.

So many people who are supporting loved one's with
bipolar disorder first, don't ever make any plans
at all, secondly if they try to make plans do
it while they are being screamed and yelled at
by the person they are caring for.

Is this you? Are you trying to help your loved one
but you can't even think because there is so much
going on and/or you are getting yelled and screamed
at daily?

Now if you are in a situation where you are the sole
caretaker for this loved one, see if you can get someone
to fill in for you for a while, or some local organization
that does this (in some states they offer this service).

Do something to get to a quiet area to start listing your
problems and then solutions to them or who or
what can help you.

I speak to so many people that have no idea what Bipolar
problems they really have or what are the most important to solve.

I ask, "what's your top three problems with supporting your
loved one?" They say "Everything." I say focus on the three
and they can't. They haven't thought about what are all the
problems or which ones are the most pressing.

They get annoyed at me and say things like "Dave, I am too
busy to stop and write stuff down or think about those things."

How can you solve a problem if you haven't defined it?

If you got my course at

http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

You've probably heard the interview with the woman who's
job it is to deal with the worst of the worst situations
of families supporting loved one's with bipolar disorder.

She advocates the same type of strategy. In addition to a
number of different techniques and strategies someone can
use to deal with a loved one who is in an episode.

Actually as a side note, I accidentally discovered this
woman through someone who had to get coaching from her.
Every day, she has to go into homes with people who are
in episodes and deal with them when family members can't.

The amazing thing is, she can do it and most of what she
does can be learned.

Anyway, I have to take off now for the day. I hope
you enjoyed this email today.

Your Friend,


Dave