Revaluate old ideas and become aqcquainted to lead a new way of life

Learning to live a new way of life can be difficult. Sometimes, when the going gets especially hard, we're tempted to follow the path of least resistance and live by our old ideas again. We forget that our old ideas were killing us, to live a new way of life, we need to open our mind to new ideas.

J42day : I will open my mind to new ideas and lern to live my life a new way

Bipolar

Bipolar... what is it?

One of the most challenging aspects of bipolar disorder is that those who have it often lack insight, meaning that in the midst of a major mood episode, their mood radar stops working. they may not be able to recognise the signs.

Mental illness of course, a brain dysfunction - or chemical imbalance as they would describe it medically, some professionals would even say its manic depression or phsycotic episodes.

Some sufferers would explain it very differently.

It may not be the person you expect who is at home crying all day with tissues, or walking around with a blank expression on there face so miserable.

Did it ever cross your mind it could be the woman buying 4 pairs of shoes instead of 1, maxing up her credit card in each shop because she gets a high, or that it could be the excited person in your office who doesn't stop for breath while talking, or the person who trys so hard to explain themselves but can not put a proper sentence together and starts in the middle - tells the end then goes back to the start of there tale, did you ever wonder if its the analyzer's or accountants who obsess over details, it could be the investigators or the auditors, It could be the office worker who has so many projects and begins them all at once with very good intentions but can not seem to complete them.

What I'm trying to say it - you may not even know you are living or working next to someone with Bipolar, just because a person is bipolar or has been diagnosed with Bipolar - does not mean they are not capable to make decisions or show normal emotions it does not eliminate them from the world or living out good life's, it just means they need a little more care and attention given to them now and then :)

So lets look basically at some bipolar terms ( they may read a little scary, don't worry )

Bipolar Mania
The early warning signs of mania are typically labeled “hypomania” and often result in feelings of euphoria and power – not exactly the sorts of things people typically seek treatment for. However, this is exactly the phase of a manic episode that requires early intervention.
One of the most objective symptoms to monitor is sleep – needing less sleep is a huge red flag and often easier to see than the mood changes of mania. Routinely keeping track of how much sleep you are needing and getting can be valuable in tracking mood states – impending, existing, and receding.

Common warning signs of an impending manic episode include the following:

• 
  Increased energy or a sense of restlessness
  
• Decreased need for sleep
  
• Rapid, pressured speech (can’t stop talking)
  
• Inappropriate/impulsive speech or behaviors – like being overly honest and open
  
• Overspending on shopping sprees, vacations, and so on
  
• Taking on many new tasks and projects – thinking of and entering into lots of schemes and grand ideas
  
• Increased sexuality, possibly including inappropriate sexual behavior or promiscuity
  
• Impaired concentration
  
• Racing thoughts, typically jumping from idea to idea (flight of ideas)
  
• Excitability or irritability
  
• Anger or hostility
  
• Inflated self-esteem – feeling like one is special or better than others –

When mania begins to escalate, loved ones can lose their insight, as well, especially if they feel threatened or hurt. It’s important to keep in mind that this is the disorder saying or doing hurtful things and not the person who has bipolar. This can be extremely difficult, but do your best to get your loved one the medical help he or she needs.
Notice that irritability and anger come up in both poles – these are common signs of both mania and depression. Because these feelings are so generic, they can be hard to use as a marker of a specific type of mood episode, but they are markers of brewing mood changes. Similarly, impaired concentration is often part of both depression and mania; the difference typically centers on the quality of the thinking – slowed and dulled in depression versus racing and feeling exceptionally clear in mania.

Mixed Episode
A mixed episode is the worst of both worlds. It includes symptoms of both depression and mania occurring every day for at least one week. If you notice the early warning signs for depression and mania alternating or co-existing over the course of a typical day, it’s usually a sign that a mixed-mood episode has arrived or is fast approaching. One minute you feel as though you can conquer the world, and the next you feel as though the weight of the world is crushing you – or you feel both sensations at the same time – a horribly disorienting and painful experience.
Bipolar disorder presents itself differently depending on the type of mood episode and the individual.

Bipolar Depression
Major depression is usually easy to recognize. You’re exhausted. You feel a deep sense of despair. Perhaps you even feel achy. You’re dragging your body through this thing called “Life.” The early warning signs, however, can be difficult to detect:

• 
  Loss of interest in activities you generally find pleasurable
  
• Fatigue or decreased energy
  
• Doing any little thing feels unbearably difficult
  
• Diminished activity or social withdrawal
  
• Sleeping too much or not able to sleep
  
• Unexplained aches and pains
  
• Weight loss or gain or decreased or increase appetite
  
• Unexplained sadness that won’t go away
  
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or indifference
  
• Lowered self-esteem or heightened self-criticism
  
• A sense of hopelessness or despair
  
• Irritability, anxiety, or anger
  
• Slowed thinking, movement, or speech or inability to concentrate
  
• Disorganization or inability to make a decision
  
• Impaired memory
  
• Increased focus on death or mortality
  
• Suicidal thoughts or ideation – thinking about or planning how the suicide would be committed

What sorts of early warning signs do you typically experience? Which signs do you remain on the lookout for? If you have bipolar, do you have a friend or relative on call to help you keep watch? Whether you have bipolar or have a loved one with bipolar, please share your insights and experiences in dealing with the early warning signs.

The full fruit of Labour of love lives in the harvest, and that always comes in the right season.

I love this title - it screams out at me...
Apply a little effort and get results, work to obtain Goals, Achivements, targets... The Result that you set out to do... reach the the destination your travelling to. Work Hard even if it tasks a very long time to get there, dont give up and keep going!

I imagine; a farmer accessing his land, then begining the process of digging and turning over his earth, preparing the soil on his land to begin his harvest, all the hard work he will have ahead of him, the sleepless nights then i see him scatter his seeds and daily maintainence real hard work.

To Apply this process :
Take a day at a time - Just for today.

The results will come, maybe not all at once, your wildest dreams will not directly be anwsered, you will have to work for them, its a long process that is made very simple and easy to understand, but not always easy to put directly into action: by listening, sharing, writing, and of course understanding...
Honesty - Open minded-ness and Willingness will get you well on your way to the reach the harvest -

Freedom to Change seems to come after acceptence of ourselfs!

Fear and denial are the opposites of acceptance, none of us are perfect, even in our own eyes; all of us have certin traits that, given the chance, we would like to change.

We sometimes become overwhelmed that when contemplating how far short we fall of our ideals, so overwhelmed that we fear theres no chance of becoming the people we'd like to be.

Thats when our defence mechanism of denial kicks in, taking us to the opposite extream: nothing about ourselfs needs changing, we tell ourselfs, so why worry? Neither extream gives us the freedom to change.

J42day - I want to change ...............



Takes time, effort, hard work - you have to look deep into your thoughts and your actions