Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[Delicatessen]

Hi again @ShiningStar 

You also asked what I do to ensure my bipolar is just one dimension of me.  I thought I’d share some of my approach…

I don’t start conversations with friends with my bipolar stuff. This can come up, but other things about me must be raised first (this is near impossible sometimes).  

In the same vein, I ask my friends things I want to know about them first and stop myself from using any upsets they may have as an excuse to turn the conversation bipolar (a great deal of self-control is required at times).

I make the taking of my meds on time and quick. I manage my meds efficiently with a minimum of fuss.  So, for example there’s no chance of me needing to become hysterical when I run out (and make everyone turn themselves inside out to fix the problem). I don’t make the whole meds thing a production to be discussed at every interval (like I used to).

Theres more but there’s some that really help.

Delicatessen

[tyme]

As I read your post @Delicatessen , it made me consider that what you have posted really reminds us that you are not the sum of your bipolar label. That is, there is so much else of you that we can be drawn to and celebrate.

Thank you for posting!

tyme

[Delicatessen]

Exactly my point! Thanks @Thyme

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Qoup 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Thank you so much for your beautiful message 💜 It was my pleasure to reach out to you and I’m so pleased that I was able to offer you some support 💜

Wow! That’s wonderful that your Psychologist has scheduled an appointment to meet with you on Tuesday and just from what you described, she sounds like an incredibly compassionate soul 💜

I’m also so pleased to hear that she was able to provide you with some care and support prior to your appointment and that you’re slowly finding your way back to your ‘normal’ 💜

Sometimes just knowing that we have an upcoming appointment can be a relief and a comfort in itself, as it serves as a welcome and gentle reminder that we’ll soon be able to receive the care and support that we so desperately need 💜

I love how your daughter was able to share some of her relaxation strategies with you and in my experience, receiving support from loved ones who are perhaps a little further along in their recovery journey, can be invaluable 💜

However, although the support of my loved ones was incredibly comforting, there were still times when I found myself stumbling around in the dark and as such, I can still remember how completely out of my depth I felt, in relation to learning how to live with various mental health conditions 😊 As such, I just ever so gently wanted to reassure you that it can take time to begin to understand these and find the tools and strategies that we need to support our recovery 💜

With this in mind, I just ever so gently wondered if you may be interested in participating in one of our weekly online events aptly titled ‘Mindful Monday.’ 

Essentially, ‘Mindful Monday’ is an ‘activity to help increase our awareness of feelings and emotions, how these impact us, and build up our self-care resources.’

If this is something that appeals to you, you’re always more than welcome to come along or alternatively, you may like to read through some of the conversations associated with this particular online event 😊

I’ve included the link to this particular event below, just in case this is something that you would like to explore further:

https://saneforums.org/t5/Looking-after-ourselves/Mindful-Mondays-New-activity-every-Monday/m-p/1130...

Oh Qoup 💜 I’m so relieved to hear that you’re niece has a ‘mild case’ of covid19 😊 Hopefully she’ll be up and about and feeling like her old self again very soon 💜

As I sat here thinking about what’s been happening for you, I just ever so gently wondered if there’s anything else that would be helpful for you at this time?

Please don’t worry if nothing comes to mind, but if you would like some support to find (for example) conversations about particular topics or specific resources, you’re always welcome to reach out to me here and I’ll do my very best to guide you in the right direction - it’s never any trouble 💜

I would love to hear how you’re travelling whenever you feel ready and / or able to reach back 💜

In the meantime, please know that I’m thinking of you 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[Former-Member]

Hello,

I'm new here.

I like cats and walking bare feet.

[ssarzen]

Hi Everyone,

I’m Sam, now although I do have depression and PTSD, I am on here for BPD

support for my eldest to see and understand how others have dealt or are dealing with it. 

I was recommended by a mental health practitioner to check it out, so here I am.

[tyme]

Good Evening @ssarzen ,

Welcome to the forums. If you don't mind, I'll tag you by your username (as opposed to Sam) as this site preserves anonymity. You can read about these guidelines here: https://saneforums.org/t5/help/faqpage 

As for BPD support, have a browse through:

LIVE CHAT: BPD for Friends, Family and Carers - This Sunday 3rd October 7:00-8:30pm AEDT 

Raising Awareness of BPD - Flipping the Script 

Topic Tuesday // Supporting loved ones living with BPD // Tuesday 25th January, 7pm-8:30pm AEDT 

These links may give you a bit of insight into the BPD diagnosis, including what works and what doesn't work. I'll also tag a few members who have experience of BPD. @Determined @Judi9877 @BPDSurvivor 

If you have any questions, please ask away.

All the best, 

tyme

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Delicatessen 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

You’re welcome! It was my pleasure to share some of these resources with you and I’m so pleased that you found them helpful 😊

Absolutely 💜 In my experience, the opportunity to be able to connect with other people who share similar experiences to our own can be invaluable 💜

As I listened to your experiences of connecting with this space, I could hear such a wonderful sense of enthusiasm and passion and as such, I have no doubt that you’ll make some amazing contributions 💜

Thank you so much for sharing this part of your story with me 😊 The treks that you described sound absolutely amazing and I sat here captivated and in awe of your achievements - especially when you shared that you continued trekking with a significant injury to seven of your toes!

As I listened to this part of your story, so many images came to mind and I was intrigued to hear that you trekked through an ‘enchanted forest.’ I would love to hear a little bit more about this - if this is something that feels comfortable for you to share 💜

Listening to your adventures also bought back some wonderful childhood memories for me, as I spent a large part of my childhood growing up in England. As such, I can still remember wading through blankets of snow and building snowmen 💜 There was even one winter when I attempted to build an igloo! Unfortunately, the end result looked absolutely nothing like my vision and I can still remember how disappointed I felt as I headed back inside to defrost!

Just from what you described, I got the overwhelming sense that the way in which you connect with nature, provides you with a wonderful opportunity to further develop the relationship that you have with yourself 💜

With this in mind, I felt really curious when you shared ‘I change and grow every time I walk or hike’ and as such, I just ever so gently wondered what you notice during these times?  

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an affinity with the ocean and during times of emotional distress and upheaval, I would spend hours sitting on the rocks or a park bench, staring at the body of water stretched out before me 💜

In my experience, listening to the rhythmic patterns of the waves is incredibly soothing and as such, I always left this part of the world feeling a sense of calm and inner peace.  

In addition to spending time near the ocean, I also take any opportunity that I can to enjoy the stars 💜 It’s during these moments that I find myself reflecting on a movie that I watched a few years ago, titled ‘Aloha.’

As such, there was a particular scene, when one of the main characters gazed into the night sky and as he stood there admiring the stars, he said, ‘the sky has a lot to say tonight.’ There’s something so hauntingly beautiful about this particular phrase and in my experience, it feels as though the stars provide some sort of silent reassurance that I’m not alone in the world 💜

Similarly, I also find that there’s something incredibly inspiring about rainbows and as such, it never ceases to amaze me how two simple ingredients (rain and sunshine) can create something so spectacular 💜 Therefore, whenever I see a rainbow, my mood automatically changes and I feel a sense of hope, comfort and reassurance that everything will be ok 💜

Thank you so much for sharing with me that you identify as First Nation 😊 I thought what the Indigenous Elder shared with you was incredibly interesting and as such, I just ever so gently wondered if this is something that resonated with you?

Thank you so much again for sharing some of your experiences with me 💜 I really enjoyed listening to this part of your story and I look forward to talking with you again 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Delicatessen 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing some of the ways that you separate who you are as a person from the mental health conditions that you’re currently living with 💜

Although I don’t live with bipolar disorder, I’ve lost count of the number of times when the mental health conditions that I’m living with automatically took centre stage during my conversations with my family and friends!

As such, I can really relate to how incredibly challenging it can be to steer these conversations in a different direction and carefully hold the parts of ourselves that are so desperate to talk about the mental health conditions that we’re living with 💜

With this in mind, I just ever so gently wanted to say that finding a way to initiate other topics of conversation and focus on what’s happening for your friends without guiding the conversation back to the things that are happening for you is absolutely amazing 💜

Not only does your approach subtly challenge some of the myths and stereotypes associated with mental health conditions, but it also showcases some of your attributes and aspects of your personality. As such, I think that this aspect of your approach beautifully draws a further distinction between who you are as a person and the mental health conditions that you’re living with 💜

In my experience, changing our behaviour often takes an incredible amount of stamina, perseverance and hard work 💜 As such, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the changes that you’ve made in relation to how you currently manage your medication regime and congratulate you on just how far you’ve come!

Thank you so much again for sharing these parts of your story with me - I really enjoyed listening to some of your insights 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[toodles]

Hi all