I don't remember much about that Christmas. My recall of the events of that season are sketchy at best. I do remember a phone call from my sons. Both wished me Merry Christmas and broke down crying , begging me to get better. It was heartbreaking and the pain I felt from that phone call is as raw today as it was back then.
I have rejoined my family. I survived the 9 month hospitalization and have slowly regained my life during the last 5 years. It has been a gritty, hard fight to get my life back. This holiday I will celebrate with loved ones and be truly present in the joys of the season. I am so grateful to be able to do so.
I know what it's like to be cheated by mental illness. It does not care what time or date or season it is when it strikes. Bipolar disorder does not take into account that it is the holidays. It is relentless in its affect on your life. It is a thief of time and will dominate your days if you do not manage it wisely.
So how do you manage mental illness during the holidays and beyond? Medication compliance , the care of a psychiatrist and a psychologist and a support system or team are critical to dealing with mental illness. If these foundations or pillars of wellness are in place, the chances of another episodes are greatly reduced. Wellness can happen and life can be restored. Recovery can happen regardless the date on the calendar.
This holiday season I am well. I can fully participate in the holiday season. I am not depressed and I am not manic, rather, I am stable and consistent in my moods. Bipolar disorder is under control in my life and I am able to experience the challenges of the holidays just like everyone else. Yes the holidays bring certain stress, but I am learning to handle them with the tools taught to me by the professionals in my life. My support team continues to provide me with solid advice on how to cope. Even though life doesn't stop for one day on a calendar, I am able to catch the joy of the season and hope for a healthy and happy New Year.
Hope is key in managing a mental illness. There is hope for recovery from bipolar disorders impact your life. Whether you live with a mental illness, or are impacted by a loved one's struggle, you can be assured that wellness is attainable if you put in the hard work and cling to hope. Hope , for me, is an exercise of the mind and spirit. I place my heart and mind in the hands of a higher power and wait expectantly for my life to unfold in positive ways. I put in the hard work of recovery because of the hope that resides in my heart. I believe that today and tomorrow can be free of the vicissitudes of mental illness when one actively manages the disease, armed with the power of hope.
There is no better time to hope than in the celebration of the arrival of a New Year. Looking forward to a year of new beginnings and a renewed hope in the possibilities of a symptom free life are part of the reason I welcome 2016. I know what its like to be removed from life and I refuse to enter another year overwhelmed by the power of mental illness.
I manage my illness on a practical level. I am under the care of a psychiatrist , I take my medications faithfully. I seek and accept the advice and counsel of a close support team who monitor how I am managing bipolar disorder. I have spent countless hours in therapy learning the tools that can pull me out of depression, protect me from mania, and insure my stability. However , I also practice hope. I am confident that with hard work and patience I can set my mind on the goal of wellness and become more tomorrow than I am today.
It is with great hope that I celebrate Christmas 2015 and welcome 2016. Recovery is possible. I know, I've lived it. I hope that if you are struggling with mental illness you will take the steps necessary to mange it. I hope that you approach 2016 with a fighting attitude, expecting wellness despite the power of these illnesses. Above all, I press on and hope!
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