Friends: How Do You Cope When Your Friend Has Bipolar
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We all have choices in life, we all make our own lives. When we are on the right path, life can be easy, when we are off the path we are meant to travel, life is usually a struggle or very tough. I am by no means a psychologist or psychiatrist, so text book experience is not my forte, only life. What I have noticed is that we can be constructive or destructive in life, no matter what. When you channel your thoughts you can be very constructive. When your thoughts are scrambled you can head down the path of destruction. When you suffer a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, these choices are heightened I have found. The choices are more intense, more emotional and more dramatic. If you don't control them, they can control you. When you are left to your own devices there can be some serious consequences. For the lucky ones that are tamed by partners or their passions, this book probably wouldn't be applicable to you. For those that aren't, like me, a free spirit and do things how I want to do things, regardless of others, then read on. This book is designed for those who choose to take the destructive road, for those that choose to not manage their illness and be blaze about it. I was and this is how my journey has evolved. Good and not so good. It is not meant to tell you what to do, it is merely a guide to say, I have tried most things and failed many times. I am not dumb but I am slow. I have finally figured out that taking the destructive road is not the path I want to be on. I hope that through my experiences and failures you may decide that if you are slightly venturing down this path, then STOP, take heed of me and turn around and be constructive will your illness.
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About the Book
The book is all about helping those who are friends with someone living with bipolar disorder. Friendships are quite difficult to maintain when you have bipolar disorder, so it is very special when you find people willing to go through the highs and the lows with you. My friends have given their views on how they deal with me and what they do when the chaos and intensity become too much for them. The one thing they all say is, even when it becomes too much, they would never walk away.
About the Author
I grew up on a property in Orange, Central West. I was privately school educated and, on leaving, went to live in Canberra and started working for Ansett Airlines. Shortly after obtaining this job, I went to work for Ansett in London, where I lived for four years, travelling Europe and the UK. On my return home, I met my ex-husband in the transit lounge at Hong Kong airport. We married six months later. After the marriage broke down, I embarked on obtaining a bachelor of nursing at the University of New England, completing with high distinctions. Although I was offered to do honours, I decided to head straight to Sydney and worked at St. Vincent’s Public Hospital. With my family moving to Newcastle, I left Sydney and went to live in Newcastle. Once settling in Newcastle, I embarked on obtaining a bachelor of law/diploma of legal practice. It was in my first year that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type I. The year 2007 was an interesting year, and following that year, I struggled to come to terms with my illness and, for majority of the time, have been in denial. After eight years of battling to overcome the stigma and behaviours that creeped up, I came to a point of acceptance and now want to help people on their own journey of living with bipolar disorder. My saving grace is the people who have surrounded me and protected me from judgment, criticism, and stigma.