Lived Experience Forum

[SusanaBA]

I hear you, and I understand whee your husband comes from. The self-stigma is hard to conquer due to a miss-informed society, who judges without cause. A person avoiding judgment will not reach out, and sometimes the pain is kept so silent, that suicides aparently come from nowhere. It is not your case because he has you to communicate. I would suggest to him to visit a psychologist especiaised in bipolar, to help him to overcome the self-stigma. He will feel free of that wait he is carring.

Don't push. There is a path to go, and for long time I was on denial, then acceptance, and then helping others.

[greenpea]

what are your thoughts about these 6 points @SusanaBA has mentioned above, and have any of these played a role in your journey?

They are a work in progress. I have the basics and I am trying to build upon them with the help of my mental health worker but atm even holding a conversation for example in real life is a struggle.

[Daisydreamer]

Question 5 for you @SusanaBA: World Bipolar Day is on March 30 to bring awareness to the condition. How can we raise awareness for Bipolar within our communities? And what is Bipolar Australia doing to raise awareness this World Bipolar Day?

[davidharper_bal]

Agreed @SusanaBA (*) being kind to yourself is very important.

* do I get a pay rise each time I agree with you??

[TideisTurning]

Change can be so hard @Shaz51!

[eth]

@SusanaBA  I totally agree with all those points and it's reassuring to read them and realise I actually do all of them to some degree or another.

I have a "Wellness Recovery Action Plan" which has also been invaluable since I first made it in 2013.  It's helpful for me to identify signs and symptoms, have a well developed wellness toolbox, keep track of important info such as a contacts list including medical team but also informal supports like certain people who I am ok about being kept informed.  I update it whenever things change, and have added to it many times.  EDIT:  it includes lists of triggers to either depression or hypomania and also my PTSD triggers.  Which I add to as I come to understand and recognise them.

I make sure my trusted people and my support team all know where it is and what's in it.  Parts of it are equivalent to an "Advance Health Directive" so that if I'm too unwell to say, the important people know what my wishes are e.g. treatments I will and won't agree to, what to do if I have a crisis, etc.

I really recommend making a document like this while a person is relatively well as it saves a lot of problems when unwell.

I also use daily a "bipolar monitoring chart" so I can see at a glance when things are changing moodwise, sleep patterns, meds taken - that sort of thing.  My important people also know where to find that.  Even during my long years of total isolation I kept these documents current and made sure at least 1 or 2 people knew about them.  Which meant only my far away adult child and brother, but I was able to show it to any new doctors or therapists too.

[davidharper_bal]

Hi @greenpea great to hear you're investing time and energy in your wellbeing. From what I can tell, you've made a lot of progress, and I would encourage you to keep reminding yourself of all that you've achieved.

[TideisTurning]

Trying is a wonderful start @greenpea 😊

[davidharper_bal]

Hi @eth 

That's a lot of great work you've done, and I imagine the results you've achieved were very hard won.

[SusanaBA]

This WBD 2021  will be marked  series of six videos starting on Thursday 25,culminating in a Discation Panel on 30 March.

Visit www.bipolaraustralia.org.au  to register.