Comfortable in Suffering?

Are you comfortable in your suffering?? About 3 months ago I had to ask myself this very question. The last time I talked to my psychiatrist I shared with him how strange I felt that I was no longer having Bipolar symptoms. That my life seemed to be on the mend…

As many of you know I’ve been mentally struggling since I was 9 years old. I am now 45 and can finally see some light as the end of the tunnel. I think as humans sometimes we don’t realize how many “norms” we create for ourselves. I’ve heard people ask, “Is it just my personality or is it because I’m Bipolar??” Some people get so comfortable in the illness they can no longer distinguish between the two.

I thank God everyday for his grace and mercy and that I am finally feeling mentally stable consistently. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive. I know there is no cure for mental illness. I’m just saying with each day my faith is increasing and my life is not the same. Something miraculous is gradually happening to me and I give God the glory. We may not understand the reasons why we mentally suffer. But, I am reminded of a few scriptures:

Jeremiah 29: 11 – 13 / For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 8:28 / And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

So just remember your suffering is not in vain and all storm clouds eventually run out of rain.

God Bless✝️

Don’t Fight It

You know life is more than stress and anxiety. So many people worry over the littlest things. While one person may see struggle as inevitable, another may see it as avoidable. It’s all about individual  perspective.

When I first entered recovery for mental health, they taught us The Serenity Prayer. It took awhile, but I memorized that thing and held on to it for dear life. It really got me through the toughest years of my life and I still depend on it daily.

But, what happens when we fight against the things we cannot change? We literally send ourselves to an early grave. We indulge in things we know we shouldn’t. We react to situations from a place of emotion instead of rationale. We project our negative feelings unto others. We become stagnate, unable to move forward in life.

It took me awhile to accept my mental health for what it is. I had to realize that a bad day does not equal a bad life. I’ve been stable for the last six months, and though it feels strange not to experience mania or depression I have decided not to fight against my stability. To take each day as it comes. It will last however long it lasts. I am not nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop or the inevitable crash that depression can bring.

It’s strange. But, it’s the new me. Past mental health experiences do not define who I am today. I will not fight against whatever God is doing in my life. I thank him for my stability and I encourage my readers to do the same. Don’t fight against the things you cannot change.

Thank you for listening!!

Bipolar Gratitude

Hello readers. I pray you all are well and blessed! I’ve been taking it one day at a time. But, I’ve been experiencing a lot of unnecessary anxiety over minor things. My online church gave me the idea to create a daily focus word to keep us more grounded and I’ve been hearing the word: gratitude.

So what is gratitude? Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. I think sometimes we are so focused on how big our problem is and we often feel like we are alone in the fight. Especially, mentally.

Gratitude can take us a long way. If we didn’t have the bad times how would we know how to appreciate the good? We should be grateful to God that we get to experience life on his terms no matter how painful. Gratitude helps us grow. It helps us to stay grounded and be thankful for everything we have. If we make a gratitude list, I wonder how long it would be? I bet we would discover things about our life we never knew we took for granted. We would discover that God is always in the midst of our situation and in the little things.

There is always something to be thankful for. Anyway, just sharing some late night thoughts! Have a blessed weekend.

May = Mental Health Month

New month. New beginnings. May is our month dedicated to breaking the stigma and raising awareness about mental illness. People all over the world create new ways to reach others and have impact.

This coming Saturday, I will be going to my 1st NAMI meeting. I’ve been putting it off for some years now. But, I realize I need community outside of my immediate family. There is also DBSA, which stands for Depression Bipolar Support Alliance.

So, this month, make sure you reach out if/when you are struggling. These organizations provide online and in person support groups as well as tons of education on the subject. Remember you are not alone!