As 2012 draws to a close, I hope you can all look back on the year and see how far you've come. Certainly, at times, there have been road blocks, detours, and dead ends, supposed failures and backward steps. But there have been victories as well, and I want you to focus on those for a moment, however small those victories may seem to you. Think about what aided you in your success. Was it persistence? Clarity of mind? Utilizing your strengths instead of your limitations? Whatever most attributed to your well being in the past year, make sure to carry it over to 2013. Leave behind the self-loathing and criticism. Plan to spend more time with those who lift you up, and less time (or no time, if possible) with those who trample on your self-esteem and emotions. Figure out the top 3-5 priorities you want to set for the new year, and make sure your own mental health is at the top. You owe it to yourself to take care of your emotional needs, so that you can more successfully tackle everything else in your life. It is not selfish. It is vital! Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
Happy New Year! I hope it's the best one yet!
10 comments:
I do not have bipolar, but my husband does. He was diagnosed in March 2012. What a year this has been! We have found that making mental health a top priority has made an incredible difference in our lives. Our friends don't always understand, and my husband's parents have pretty much disowned him. Together, though, we have learned how to put my husband's needs above those of others. As 2012 has become all about stability and learning about bipolar, I hope 2013 can be about making the best life for us and our children. Thank you for having a blog like this one so I can try to understand what it is my husband faces each day.
Happy New Year, Karen! I recall how very difficult the first year after my diagnosis was for me (lots of denial, trial-and-error with medications, etc.) and I commend you and your husband for making a diligent effort to work together toward a goal of stability. On behalf of your husband, thank you so much for taking an active, supportive role in his treatment. There is really nothing more imperative to a good outcome with mental illness than to have a partner who is willing to go through the worst of times and the best of times with you, who loves you unconditionally and vows to stick by you through it all. He is very fortunate to have you in his life. I wish you both the best!
Thank you Amy. This has been a hard year with the trial and error part, but my husband is working very hard and wants nothing more than to be stable. I figure I've been through the worst of times for the twelve years we've been together, and I didn't know why he would sometimes be such a different man than the caring, selfless person I knew. I "did my time" handling that. There is no way I would walk away now that the best parts of him are coming to the surface! It's been a rough road, but I think I'M the fortunate one to have found a new hope for our future.
That is great to hear. I hope his progress continues and that you two are always as dedicated to each other as you are now. I think if a relationship can survive mental illness it can survive just about anything!
This is a wonderful blog where people can be understood and supported. Loads of luck and may the new year bring only health and happiness to all.
Thank you so much, and the same to you!
your blog is a lovely resource and support blog for those suffering from bipolar disorder. Hugs
Good luck in 2013!
I do think choosing to like yourself, is the key to life. When you like yourself, things fall into place more easily. I'm sure this is much tougher with mental illness, but I hope still possible:)
Amy, I think you are right. We have been through so much together that I can't see anything else tearing us apart. We've definitely learned a lot about giving each other the room we need to feel and experience life and about supporting each other. We made it through me almost dying after an illness in 2011 and my husband having to literally take care of everything for me, the kids, our house, and our kids for four months while I recovered. I do believe we can make it through anything!
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