Let`s talk about Bipolar

Hey @Doog I had a bit of a rough day but I will try and make sense. To me I can look back and see how differently I have experienced what is real. In bitter depression it seemed like everyone hated me, all the opportunities of life were shut off and everything was taken to the negative extreme. The way I would interpret things was absolutely wild. During the serious hypomanic periods I thought I was a genious, I had one last year where I was looking at all the things around my room and they were like in sharp focus, I thought I could see the connections between everything and understood all people and social interactions in full. When it was really bad back in the day I thought I had magic powers, so yeah it seems reality is pretty heavily tied into how you are feeling. This is without even going into what other people have felt with serious psychotic stuff.

So what does all that mean? It means I have gotten a lot better at seeing other peoples point of view. And it means that I have slowly accepted that I am not always right and my view on things can be pretty skewed. I think these are valuable things to learn. It is a pretty big red flag to me if anyone is completely certain about everything in life. There are some things I am very confident about but even then I still test what I know against new input, and try not to just reject it outright.

As for more general upsides of having a mental illness? As you said better insight into it and other peoples experiences. And I would say most likely more compassion in general but I could be wrong about that. Having bipolar to me has meant being much more in tune with my emotional state and thought processes, which is really a strength. I think quite a few people go through life without much thought or reflection and it turns out they are missing a lot, there is good along with the bad.

Oh yeah for me an interest in nature and art since it is such a big part of managing things. I'm sure other people have an interest like that which takes on special meaning when it is tied into helping your psyche so severely.

Alright enough is enough, I'd love to hear what you think Doog, and what other people think are upsides.

Thanks @Acanthiza. I liked your explanation of subjective reality, and how BP helped you get how we all see the world differently. And @MermaidHair I liked your contribution to my question before I even asked it!bipolar lens...getting to see and experience the world from very complicated and multifaced angles, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, the views are ever changing.

I am learning so much from my "bipolar buddies". Thank you. Live well and prosper.

@Captain24 @Shaz51 @Dimity @Shaz51

Morning my wonderful friends @Doog , @Acanthiza , @Dimity , @Captain24 , @MermaidHair 😊👋

good morning @Shaz51! How are things going?

Hi @Shaz51

hello @Captain24 , @Acanthiza , @Dimity

how are you going today

busy here

Hot here @Shaz51 . But I need to walk to the supermarket . I can put off getting some things, but not catlitter!

Hello @Dimity , no unless you have some sand around for the cat xx

How are you today

@Shaz51 I got the heart investigations out of the way earlier this week and I'm not too bad thanks. Will need to do more work on diet and exercise.

Hope Mr shaz is comfortable with his upcoming surgery and you're going OK?

Hey @Doog I'd be more than happy to expand on my perspective, the positives of having bipolar disorder. I don't want to be controversial or underestimate in anyway the seriousness of the disorder, I know it can be extremely devastating and painful at times. But changing the narrative is what has helped me cope and take my power back in living with bipolar disorder, and even using it to my advantage. I think there are many positives personally, I don't think I would be who I am without it and when I am not in deep depression, I like who I am.

@Acanthiza has raised a lot of fantastic points and are very similar to some of my realisations and positives!

People who think they have it all figured out, they don't, and even if they do they could lose it in an instant. Mental illness does not discriminate. It's made me humble, compassionate, understanding. It taught me to question things, to slow down, at times it made me. It made me take stock of what's truly important to me and in life. It allows me experience the full spectrum of human emotion, elation, euphoria, sadness, joy, anxiety, love, hopelessness... and everything beyond and in between, it's not always nice but not everybody gets to feel this.

It's made me a better person. Without my bipolar diagnosis I would probably live very carelessly as average folk appear to do. Bipolar makes me have to work harder to be well. Watch my sleep, my routines, diet, activity, manage stress etc, it has made me take better care of myself and clean my life up a lot.

It's made me a fighter because of all the deep lows and periods I thought I couldn't possibly make it through or do it again but I did! We all have. Beating bipolar is a marathon and we're all elite athletes 💪