Our positive stories of living with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder made my life very crappy from 2007 to 2010 - I have to say that recovery has left me with at least as much ability as I ever had during those years, but I've felt a hell of a lot better. Fixing my problems was they key (very long story), followed by disconinuing meds which were really messing up my mind.

So to address the topic of this post, "living with bipolar disorder", I'm not even sure I'm bipolar anymore. I suppose if I stop doing the things that keep me stable for a month or two, I'd probably relapse, but I sure don't see how that's going to happen becuase I'm serious about staying recovered. I'm not sure how much more "positive" of a story I could tell.

The confidence to be different and not be ashamed of it. The unlimited energy reserves I sometimes get. Being able to think so far outside the box that people think I'm a innovator at my job. My writing.

One way or another these tend to wear off and thing go bad but it's nice to remember these things.

Reading stories like the ones you have all shared is truly a breath of fresh air. In the past, when my illness and my life seemed out of control, I often looked for just these sort of stories, in books or on forums to help me find some hope and strength for the future. I learned much from others experience and sharing, and began to believe that perhaps I could change aspects of my thinking and life that were triggering my symptoms to such an extreme that I was completely non-functional in nearly every aspect of my life.

Over time and through repeated efforts, I was able to change my lifestyle (minimizing large and small stressors that were within my control), personal relations ( removing toxic/triggering people from my life), change most of my negative/fearful thoughts, accept my illness as simply a part of me that requires some managing and does not have any impact on my value and worth as a person, and set and achieve some manageable life goals. In doing so, over time my symptoms have become less and less, to the point where most days the thought of bipolar and it's associated issues never even cross my mind. The positive changes I have made are no longer work nor conscious effort, they have become part of the fabric of my daily life. And it has given me the ability to successfully live without medication for several years. I feel very fortunate. I can remember back to a time when I never dreamed that it might be possible for me to live without being a prisoner to my rapid mood cycles or to medication ( which historically I have had extremely negative reactions too.)

The hope that you all give when you share as you have, is healing far beyond you can imagine! Thank you

I can't say I have much positive stories that happened during mood episodes, as I never really enjoyed them. Even the hypomanias are tainted since they always seemed to turn out badly. But I can say that having the disorder has had a positive impact on me because it has forced me to re-evaluate life and what I find important. My perspective on things is different than what it used to be, it's different from the norm of what people usually think. Only experiencing what I have (bad mood episodes and hospitalizations) have "woken me up" and taught me what is important. I've experienced things that changed my life, I've met people that had an impact on me. Existential depression has really shaped my perspective when I came out of the depression.

Also, it's caused me to appreciate health where I didn't before. I appreciate being able to live in peace without constant chaos in my head. "Normal" non-mood disordered people don't appreciate what it's like to be able to live without being constantly suicidal like I was, without their mind flipping around between disastrous highs and horrible lows. So now I appreciate every day that I'm without depression.

So, that's my positivity. No positive BP stories, but a positive "after-effect" of the BP.

- EGD.

There truly are no right or wrong answers to my original post/question. Each persons experience is their own. And I for one have taken away positive things from each and every response. I believe it's a healthy thing to take a bit of time to recognise some of the positives ( in whatever form they take) in our lives, something it can be easy to forget to do.