Posted by ginger C on October 28, 2003, at 15:28:58
In reply to Bipolar, posted by Missme on October 28, 2003, at 10:48:29
Missme, I know that the most confusing time of an illness is just after you have been diagnosed. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions most of them are glad you are interested enough to ask. Read any available material you can find on it. I found a book called "The Bipolar Survival Guide" and it has been really helpful to me in that it enables me to understand the difference between a minor bad mood and a depressive episode that is comming on. I still struggle with my illness every day but learning about it has seemed to put to rest the frightening aspects of dealing with it. There is also a way for your family members to learn about your illness so that they can support you in your struggle. There is an organization called NAMI National Alliance For The Mentally Ill and they provide a free course for family members who want to learn about their loved one's illness and learn to help them cope with it. The class is called Family to Family and if you are interested you can go to www.nami.org and they can put you in touch with a chapter near you. My husband and I both benefited from him taking the class. Just hang in there and if you need a shoulder to lean on just let me know.
poster:ginger C
thread:274275
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031025/msgs/274367.html