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]]>“I fight for my health every day in a way most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior.” – HealthyPlace.com
If you have bipolar disorder or any other affliction you can consider yourself a warrior. Type in the Comments section the diagnosis of an ailment, physical or mental affliction that you battle every day.
You might have a speech impediment, cancer, Tourettes Syndrome, anxiety, Lou Gehrig’s Disease or any of the numerous monsters I didn’t mention, you are a warrior. You become a force to be reckoned with the moment you say “(insert your illness)” will not get the best of me”! Of all the mental and physical ailments we have in this world, no matter your story, these monsters are extremely difficult to overcome. And just getting out of bed, taking one step at a time, breathing in and out, YOU ARE A WARRIOR.
Preparing for Battle
Speaking as one of the brave Bipolar Disorder Warriors, I know if I go into battle, I must be prepared. As a warrior, I need the right weapons in order to pull myself out of the pit of despair when I am depressed; keep the argument with my boss from growing into a full-blown manic episode; or letting my proper sleep hygiene disappear among the stars.
In this blog post, I am going to introduce the number one weapon I use as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior. That weapon is prayer.
Bipolar Disorder Warriors and Prayer
The Power of Prayer
“Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised.” – Joni Eareckson Tada
If you are a Christian, there are several weapons that you could use in the midst of the battle. Remember the Armor of God? My favorite weapon I like to go to, over and over and over again, is prayer. Some of my most challenging fights have been won with the battle implement prayer. Prayer taught me just how much I didn’t know about anything and especially just how much I am unfit for the battle. Prayer directs me to the Source of Power. That is why I pray to the One who knows everything and is Most Powerful, too.
I have been a Christian longer than I have had bipolar disorder. When I received the bipolar diagnosis 11 years after the symptoms surfaced, I had no idea how to respond as a Christian. Even though there is a history of mental illness on both sides of my family, that subject was never brought up at birthday parties or during the giving of gifts at Christmas. But that didn’t matter due to the fact the Christian exposure I received at church as a child, once maybe three times or more a week, actually helped me when I was in compromising situations or when I have suicidal ideations.
Bipolar Disorder Warriors who Pray
Believing I am a Mental Health Warrior
I do not always believe I measure up as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior. I bet some of you think that way, too.
In the midst of the roller coaster of moods, OCD, ADHD, and severe anxiety, I always expect for the warrior feeling to show up. And of course I should expect to feel like a warrior. God made me. He knitted me together in my mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on my head. And those statements above are facts from the Bible, let yourself believe.
Sometimes the belief in my prayers is likened to a direct line (without any busy signals) to the Creator of the Universe. Other times, because I am human, I feel all I will get are busy signals or the voicemail. I know from years of seeing God work that He will give me an answer in due time. Whether it is yes, no, maybe, wait awhile, God will answer us in His perfect timing.
When God turns me around to stand in front of His holy mirror, I see myself as He sees me. Standing in front of God’s mirror, I feel immersed in all of God’s power and strength. I also feel loved. There are no personal judgements glaring at me. I feel peace like none other before. When I see myself the way God sees me, I become that warrior, yes, even the warrior with bipolar 1 including psychotic features, one who will walk tall and shout loudly to share God’s love for a mentally ill middle-aged woman.
At that point is when I know I am ready to face any problem inside my head or out. The Bible says when I am weak, God is strong. He will fight for me. God will give me whatever signals I need to make prayer the first thing I reach for when the challenges begin!
What is the first thing you reach for when in the middle of a challenge mentally or physically? Write your answers in the Comments section below.
Warriors Praying
Call to Action
Share about a time when you felt like a Warrior. How does it feel to be a Warrior? How do you conjure up those warrior feelings when the going gets tough? Put your answers in the comment section below or email me at [email protected].
Going Furtherhttps://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-2/
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/faith-in-life/prayer/prayer
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/
Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)
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rare depression symptoms
Experiencing depression
From my wedding in 2006 to the following December 2007, I was in the biggest depression of my life. At that time, I was a completely different person. I am still battling depression but not like that year. Those months leading up to my first psychiatrist appointment were brutally painful. Here I had just spent a decade in mania that was so powerful that I do not remember suffering any depression.
I laid around the house during that year of depression, unable to do anything. My job as a middle school teacher wore me down something awful to the point that I was useless at home to my husband and my dogs. Cooking was like caring a small fire in your hand while climbing Mt. Everest. Laundry was akin to being swallowed whole by a big fish. The effort to bring work home from school was practically futile since nothing would get done.
Need to be willing to learn
In order for me to know that what I was undergoing was depression, I needed to learn. I spoke with professionals. Read a ton of books and on the internet. I wrote down what I was feeling every day and got feedback from family and friends.
depression symptoms
11 rare depression symptoms
- Anger and irritability
Many men will display their depression in crankiness, grouchiness or anger. So what? Everybody gets angry. True. The intensity the depressed person experiences and reacts to are far more intense and lasts longer than any person without a mental illness.
- Sleeping patterns change
Sleeping too little, too much. Broken sleep. Restless sleep. Difficulty sleeping. Going back to bed after a partner leaves for work.
depression symptoms
- Forgetfulness and trouble concentrating
I can completely relate! That is me all the time! If it is a thought and can be forgotten, it will be forgotten by the person who is depressed.
Likewise with concentration.
- Beating yourself up
Their defect self-talk is all negative. Doubt. Lack of self-confidence.
- Drinking and drugs
“Drowning your sorrows.” The drugs and drinking could become a habit that once was not there or an uptick in the regular abuse.
- Feeling numb
Inability to feel affectionate or grieve a loss. When my Granny passed away, I was numb and had no feeling at all. Ironically enough, I was unable to grieve because I was depressed.
- Trouble starting your internal engine and getting started
Difficulty getting out of bed, going to work, starting on projects, cleaning, exercising or getting the kids ready for going to church.
- Changes in eating
Eating too much or not at all. Bingeing and purging. Barely eating.
- Not showing up
Disappearance from people and regular hangouts, is a sign of problems.
- Anxiety
Unnecessary worrying.
- Passive thoughts of dying
There is a difference between regular thoughts on dying and abnormal thoughts. That difference is the abnormal thoughts are thought all the time. Like an obsession.
depression symptoms
Comments
If you have a comment to make or to add to this blog, write your comment in the section labeled as such below. You can also email me if you want to keep your comments private.
References
https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180219nchsdepression.html
Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)
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]]>Is it a mental illness?
Have you ever noticed strange mental health or even physical symptoms that begin without any reason? What do you do? Shrug it off and pretend it was never there or be proactive and do something about it? Below are suggestions as to what you should do if you think you might have a mental illness. The first thing is deciding between a therapist and a psychologist.
therapist and a psychologist
Do not be afraid of change
When I finally realized there was something wrong with me, I went straight to the people I knew I could trust. Over the nearly 11 years that I have been diagnosed having bipolar disorder, I am on my fifth psychiatrist. Now, I am seeing a psychologist after two therapists and a counselor.
Please be honest with yourself. Listen to what the provider has to say and then research, research, research. I was researching all the time and still are just to know my illness better and to see what needed to be done about it medically and therapeutically,
Now researching is not a way of elevating yourself over your doctor, therapist or psychologist. It is a tool for you to be more informed.
Preparing for the first visit
- I would write down a list of your strange symptoms, while they are fresh in your memory. Include dates as well as times, special events, life-altering situations (death, baby born, loss of job, divorce, going back to school, new house).
- Get as much information as you can about the mental health of family members. Go as far back as you can. I found out ta few years ago hat I have a family member on my dad’s side who had bipolar. He also committed suicide.
- If you have family and good friends or even close co-workers, ask them if they can shed light onto your situation. How are you different? Personality? Behavior?
-
therapist and a psychologist
- Time to make the appointment with a therapist or psychologist.
- If you are unsure of which provider to choose (therapist or psychologist), take a look at the link above titled, What is the difference between a therapist and a psychologist? That link will explain the difference between the two as well as the pros and cons of each.
Each therapist and psychologist have their own methods as well as their obvious differences. You may be unsure of which provider to go to. Go to the link at the top of this page that will take you to a site to help you chose.
Going Further
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]]>At school, your palms sweated when the teacher called you to give an answer in front of the class; your heart was pounding like a drum in your chest as you were walking up to the girl you wanted to ask out; your throat choked up when you had a feeling the teacher might accuse you of cheating on the mid-term exam; or a stomach ache just before your first presentation at the science fare.
The Objective
To realize how anxiety will keep you from your prize if you do not stop it.
It does not matter how old you are; rich or poor; what color your skin is; or what language you speak. Good ‘ole anxiety does not discriminate. Think of it this way,
- You want to go to the dance Friday night.
- You have no date.
- What are you going to do?
- The girl and the dance are ultimately the prize you are seeking.
- Then anxiety kicks in and tries to steal away your prize.
- How?
- Simple, anxiety makes you so afraid that you can’t speak, you have a stomach ache, your face is flushed, your palms are sweaty, and you get “cold feet”.
- If you want to own that prize, you have to fight off negative self-talk, loneliness, uncertainty, fear of failure and the list goes on.
All the colors of anxiety
A problem with your hands
The bridge between marching season in high school and regular band during my freshman year of high school, was like nothing I had experienced. After marching band was over, I switched from percussion to clarinet. No big deal, right? Wrong.
There was only one senior in the entire band…and she played clarinet. This meant she automatically would be first chair clarinet until a challenge. This is where we choose a “seat” in our individual sections. The people challenging and being challenged would have the same music selected before hand to play for that seat.
We had a substitute band teacher at that time. She set up a chair challenge. The point of the challenge was to perform for the seat you wanted. Of course I went for it! I was never last chair, second during a concert maybe, but majority of the time, I was first. I found my prize! Now where is the anxiety?
Clarinet
On the day of the challenge, I tried not to think about it. I had practiced my fingers off and was ready.
The challenge was in front of the entire band. I played first since I was the challenger. A chance to sit in the most covetous sea in the clarinet section! I wiped my sweaty hands onto my jeans before picking up my instrument. It felt as if something supernatural happened after I began the music selection. I closed my eyes or was in a trance and let my fingers do the playing. I did not remember even one note I played.
When it was her turn, she simply choked. I did feel horrible for her. I knew then like I know now, she was an extremely talented clarinet player in high school. Anxiety must have made her fingers feel like lead weights. At the same time, anxiety propelled me forward.
Winning against anxiety
Your fight might be in the rugby team, track, football team, swim team, chess club, physics club, third period French or any myriad of opportunities to push against anxiety and win. If I flaked and did not challenge her, I would never known what I was capable of. Anxiety is tough, but focusing on the prize and not the fear, makes everything work out.
Claim your Prize
Going Further
Recommendations on Anxiety Books for Children whom have Anxiety Problems
Anxiety Fools Your Brain to Direct Your Actions and Thoughts
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1
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]]>You might not know that your mail carrier has PTSD; the barista at your favorite coffee shop has anxiety; the secretary where you work has depression; and the list goes on. You might not think this is possible, then you need to read these 17 facts.
Here are 17 facts that prove mental illnesses are more prevalent in out society then we might have thought. It is important for you to know and realize that mental illness is unfortunately growing. As the science behind mental illness recovery and the medicines that are prescribed, more of the mentally ill will have the confidence to hold down a job; worship outside of their home; travel; have children; in other words, have an actual life.
17 mental illness facts
1. 61,500,000
The number of Americans who will experience a mental illness during any given year.
2. $100,000,000,000
The economic strain on our country due to the untreated individuals with a mental illness.
untreated mental health
3. 70 – 90%
This is the percentage of individuals who are mentally ill who improved with some sort of therapy.
4. 800,000
The number of individuals who die by suicide globally.
5. 25%
This is the percentage of mentally ill individuals who feel that others are compassionate or understanding to the mentally ill.
compassion and understanding
6. 350,000,000
The amount of people worldwide affected by depression.
7. 79%
The percentage of all U.S. suicides carried out by men.
8. 40,000,000
The adults in America who suffer from anxiety disorders.
anxiety
9. 7.5%
The amount of college students who reported feeling depressed to the point where it negatively impacted their ability to function.
10. 22
According to a 2013 report by the DVA, this is the underestimated number of veterans who died by suicide each day.
veteran suicides
11. 10%
The percentage of children and adolescents who were disrupted in their day-to-day lives by a mental and emotional disorder.
12. 3,500,000
The figure of Americans who suffer from schizophrenia.
schizophrenia
13. 60%
The percentage of adults who didn’t receive mental health assistance in 2012.
14. 6,100,000
This is the number of bipolars who live in the U.S.
bipolar
15. 21%
“The percentage of mothers polled in a recent Baby Center survey who stated they have been diagnosed with postpartum depression. Approximately 40 percent of them did not seek medical treatment.”
16. 5,200,000
The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) adults who suffer with this disorder in a given year.
PTSD
17. 7
“The number of people who die by suicide per hour in the Americas.”
References
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/01/mental-illness-statistics_n_6193660.html
http://www.worldbipolarday.org/
If you are contemplating hurting yourself, click on this.
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]]>Step out when you are ready to encourage others with your story. Reach out to safe places such as the local chapter of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in your hometown or state. There you can share your journey with mental illness.
12 Bipolar GIF’s
- My moods cannot be controlled as if scheduling them on a calendar.
Oh, how I wish I could control my moods that way! I will never be depressed in the morning or the afternoon or evening. Or when it is raining. Or when my husband goes to work. My racing thoughts would shut up when I go to bed, get a massage or get a shower or bubble bath. I will have just the right amount of mania to help me tackle the cleaning. Or to have it when I am at the grocery store so I can get out of there fast.
You get what you get. Manic, hypomanic or depressed.
Bipolar is a brain disorder, too. I am incapable of stopping or starting the bipolar roller coaster that is going on inside my head. The chemicals in my brain fire or do not fire due to bipolar. I take medicine to help push or pull my brain in the right direction so I can function.
2. This is a pretty good illustration of my bipolar moods every day. 
It is rare that I would go a day without my moods shifting in any direction. As you see in the cell phone GIF, this represents just how quickly my moods can change.
Just recently, I spoke with a woman who has bipolar, too. She was explaining how long she goes between episodes. “Wow! Good for her!” I thought. For me,I have ultradian cycling most of the day or mixed episodes. This basically means my moods change a bunch.
3. This is what it looks like in my mind during a manic episode. I am 
constantly thinking and talking to myself. The ideas are coming in like a meteor shower. I feel alive. Excited. I can climb Mt. Everest by myself. I am signing up for all kinds of opportunities without any time to dedicate to them. Buying all kinds of shoes and purses. And talking to people who I have been avoiding for months.
4. Sometimes, I act out at the grocery store when I am manic-y with rage. It does’t take much. I may be standing in a mile-long line, the person in front of me is not going fast enough, the item I want to purchase is not available or the aisle I want to enter has a shopping cart jam. Sometimes words actually come out. In the state of mood I am in, I do not care it I am heard. And sometimes they are all trapped in my mind, unable to scream out due to prayer. Yes! Prayer. Needless to say, I do a lot of praying while at the grocery. .
5. This is me when my thoughts flow easily and are also coherent and organized when I am writing. They basically make sense, I am creative with boundless energy. I can stay up all night writing. I feel young again. I am a writing scholar. Dreams and delusions flood my mind about the present and the future. 
6. This describes the sum of the various parts of my mind and body when I am in an ultradian cycle. I tend to flip-flop between each pole. The frequency of which the moods change could happen in months, years, weeks, days or hours. I have managed to switch from depression to mania in mere seconds multiple times. Tears falling from my eyes,staining my cheeks. At the same time, I am laughing like I’m mad. It scared the shit out of my husband. Now that says a lot, because he is a real tough guy.
7. This is when I cannot write PERIOD. I cannot form sentences, paragraphs – not to mention thoughts or ideas! This is happening a great deal lately. I started drafts of about six or more blog posts from the beginning of February up until now. NONE of the drafts have been completed and published. Today, I was depressed most of the day and it has taken me all day long to work on a post. It still will not be finished in time to publish. The depression always stunts the growth of the creativity. 
8. When I have a bipolar road rage moment, I sound my horn, loudly and proudly. That is really as far as it goes in the real world. Now I might drive more aggressively to my destination, let the incident stew in my head and even tell my husband with grandeur what happened once he gets home from work. I’m so glad brains are private and horns are loud. 
9. This is me when I am in a mixed episode. During a mixed episode, you experience both mania and depression at the same time. Whenever I am mixed, I cannot make up my mind what I want to do because both poles are tugging at me What I usually do in a mixed state is just sit there and stare into nothing. 
10. This is my psychotic brain everyday. Hallucinations in all five senses. 
Delusions that never go away. Paranoid in my own house and outside my house. I do not like going to bed for fear of what will be done to me. And I had a psychotic break.
11. GIF’s of people who have bipolar. They look just like all the other people around them. They are moms, dads, brothers, sisters, painters, teachers, doctors, chefs, actresses, pastors, secretaries, judges, counselors, you name it.
Carrie Fisher
Bradley Cooper
Delonte West
Ernest Hemmingway
Amy Winehouse
Catherine Zeta-Jones
References
https://giphy.com/explore/bipolar-happiness
https://giphy.com/search/bipolar-road-rage
https://giphy.com/search/bipolar-laptop-rage
https://giphy.com/search/bipolar-psychotic
https://giphy.com/explore/carrie-fisher
https://giphy.com/search/bipolar
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The post Depression for the Holidays appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Depression wears many hats
Putting up ornaments, tinsel and poinsettias, placing them in their red and green storage bins can be overwhelming. All I decided to decorate this past Christmas was a mantel. I used six individual decorations from my Christmas decor collection. It was still exhausting to pack it all up in a boot box. Even more tiring was the trip up one flight of stairs and into a closet. Depression. Leaves you drained of motivation.
I have spent many Christmases and New Years flooded with memories which spark depression. I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge sorting through his past with one of the Christmas spirits. The older I get, the more bad memories seem to pile up. Depression. Pushes your head into the slop of self-pity.
Another Christmas and New Years comes and goes with a flood of depression. The scale is screaming. My pants are splitting. I loathe how I look and wish for a new body for next Christmas. Depression. Turns me against myself to a distorted image in the mind of someone with an eating disorder. Instead of being proactive, I am reactive.
Do I wallow in depression or pick myself up again and again and again and again
- The good thing is that Christmas is over, now. The party dress and hats have been put away until next year. You can breathe a sigh of relief. No more family obligations. No more tempting food to fight against. No more embarrassing work place parties.
- As we turn the calendar to a new month and a new year, we can put those painful memories of Christmas’s past in a crackling fire where they will turn to ash. The important thing about what is next, is a clear head from all the bad junk and baggage from the holiday and the year that is just retiring.
- A new year is here. What is next? Open up your mind to the infinite possibilites that lie ahead. So many exciting adventures yet to be experienced. We get to start over afresh at the beginning of each year.
- I encourage you to try setting a few goals for yourself. Goal setting is a great way to focus your energies on the things you feel are important. Start small with two or three at the most so you have a greater chance to succeed. You can always add more goals later.
- Do your best to look forward to a new year. There may be some uncertainties in the upcoming year. But, you have a blank canvas- ready to fill with your own brush strokes. You have a say in where your life goes. What is next? Do you want to sign up for an adult ed class? Do you want to learn how to ski? Do you want to learn how to bake? Do you want to start a savings account or an investment fund? Do you want to rebuild a car? It is up to you whether your dreams will come true or turn to ash.
Stay Strong
So what is next, you say? To stay strong. Be ready to fight the depression anytime or anywhere. Leave the past in the past even if it was just two hours ago. Get help when you need it. Stay connected with friends and family. I pray that you will not let the depression from the holiday shadows get the best of you.
Going Further
References
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/depression/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/basics/definition/con-20032977
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The post How do you deal with a bipolar brain that is made of Laffy Taffy? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Well, this morning has been successful in one way and a total failure in another in bipolar land. I was able to type a draft last night for Blasting News where I am a contributing author. I just got an email indicating that my article I submitted is being published. Ya-hooo!
On the flip side I just tried to edit a blog I also drafted last night and get it read for publishing today. I can’t tell if I have two different topics or just one or five. It feels as if I am walking through a corridor of Laffy Taffy. I just feel like this blog is all sticky and I am unable to fight through the bands of taffy in order to see clearly.
A day I didn’t see coming
Have you ever had a day like that? Hmmm. It happens to all of us. We feel inadequate at our job because we feel like we have just forgotten the entire manual on their job. While waiting tables you break almost every coffee cup you touch. The copier is jammed every time you go to use it. You just now noticed you have a coffee stain in a very prominent place on your suit. And the meeting you are chairing is set for five minutes from now.
Life happens, doesn’t it? On these days I usually can’t get a topic to write about. My words do not flow. And if I were to look at the main ideas coming from my head down my arms to my fingers to type onto the laptop, it would look like a game of Pick-up Sticks. Just ideas going all over the place, intersecting in bizzare places.
On these days, I want to give up. At least that is what I used to do. I gave up. I too a nap. I chatted on social media. I did everything except address the problem. Now I want to F.I.G.H.T.! No more wimping out. I am resolved not to let this mental illness get the best of me.
Just now as I write this blog about fighting against the battles of life, I am sleepy from staying up later than usual. I would like to take a nap. However, I know all the work that needs to be done will swirl around in my brain, keeping me from sleep.
Stay in the game
As you go about your day, whether you have a mental illness or have a flat tire on the side of the road, FIGHT to stay in the game. Don’t check out! You have a lot to learn from yourself today. But if you you don’t fight, that is okay too. There is always tomorrow.
A Call To Action
If you have a success story or a failure story where you learned to FIGHT and as a result learned something from it, please email. I would love to read the story as well as the lesson learned. [email protected]
Going Further
http://www.pendulum.org/bpcoping.htm
22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities For Adults (+ PDF’s)
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]]>This constant back and forth on the mood spectrum is where you get the rollercoaster ride. I hate it. With my flavor of bipolar, I am prone to the ups and downs of the disorder more frequently than some. That is where ultra-rapid cycling comes in.
Ultra-rapid cycling – depression
For instance a typical day might look like me struggling to get out of bed. Trying to decide if I am going to exercise. If I can just work out for at least 10 minutes, I will count it as a victory. Although, the other day I spent only 5 minutes exercising. Although the time was short, it was much better than going back to sleep on the couch.
Continuing in the depressed side of the bipolar, I will struggle through writing projects during that morning. It is as if my brain is set in concrete. I stare into space. I stare at the computer screen. I cannot focus on any one task. Sometimes I give in and go to sleep.
ultra-rapid cycling bipolar
I look at my calendar and see that I have an appointment that afternoon. Nope. That is getting canceled. It does not matter if it is a therapy session, doctor’s appointment or coffee with a friend, if I am feeling afraid to go out of the house, I won’t. Some days, since I work from home, I never leave the house.
Ultra-rapid cycling – mania
Then in the middle of the afternoon, I will feel like “Wonder Writer” with the advent of a manic high. Ideas will piece together and not be discombobulated. I will be able to edit previous works. And that conclusion on the article I have been working on the last two days finally gets wrapped up.
ultra-rapid cycling bipolar
As the night wears on, I will get spikes in the mania and dips of hypermania. I spend the evening chatting away at 90 mph or I write like there’s no tomorrow.
What will tomorrow bring
I can never really plan for sure what my mood is going to be the next day. What I have realized over the years, is that individual moods do not stay around for very long. One of the reasons I started this Life Conquering ministry to mentally ill individuals is that I want them to know there is someone like me out there who understands what they are going through. My support group is very small and is mainly friends. Friends who know what I am going through from their own experiences. Or friends who are really good at being empathetic and not try to give me prefabricated advice. On some days, it is just me and God.
I also have mixed episodes where you experience both mania and depression at the same time. It is a horrible sensation. Almost as if you are the tug-of-war rope and you are being split in half. I remember when I first realized I was having a mixed episode. It was creepy. Whenever I cannot make up my mind, I know I am probably in a mixed episode. For instance, I need to work on an article for Blasting News. At the same time, I need to write a blog and do some research. I glance at all three and I have no idea which to start with. It takes me some time to figure it out and when I do, I might change it.
I can imagine you guessed the next wonderful mood experience that I have quite often. Yep. I have ultra-rapid cycling episodes occurring at the same time as a mixed episodes. Can you image how that might feel?
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is an United States-based suicide prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.Wikipedia
Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours everyday
References
I have shared with you some websites that might be of interest to you on this subject.
https://natashatracy.com/bipolar-disorder/dealing-rapid-cycling-bipolar-moods-everyday-life/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8833685
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms – Are You Missing the Subtle Signs?
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The post Depression Valleys Light Up with Faith appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>The depression statistics I have for 2017 shows the seriousness of the illness. Depression is underdiagnosed. Often times, the mental illness is not treated at all. There are over 300 million depressed people in the world. The number of people with common mental disorders globally like depression is rising.
Depression
Alternative to depression
I believe that in many ways, we have so much more to learn about depression. Depression just happens to be the number one cause of death by a mental illness. In this post, I want to offer you an alternative to depression and give you hope. Now, I am not saying you will be free and clear of your depression. You will be better able to cope.
Paralyzing, bondage
When I have been in the valley of bipolar depression and surrounded on all sides by hills of anxiety and fear, I become practically paralyzed. I do not know what to do or to say to free myself from this bondage. My default is to stare out the window for an indefinite amount of time, lose all sense of time and reality, unaware of the things around me.
Help
The valleys are as deep as they are wide and the hills are as tall as they are long. In the valley of depression, under the shadow of the hills of anxiety and fear, I must look for help, in order to survive. I must remember that the God of the universe is my help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). I tell you today, I can call out to Him and He will help me. Honestly, He will not leave me alone in the valley of depression.
Depression
I have learned many lessons through my experiences with bipolar depression. One lesson is that my faith in God goes a long way in getting me through the valleys and seeing past the mountains. In Matthew 17:20, we read Jesus saying to his disciples “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I know I could do that, if I just had enough faith that God will move the mountain. However, that is okay. He knows and understands. So, I lean on my Savior. I lean on Jesus like I do for every other thing in my life. Paying the bills. Finding a job. A sick child. An overworked father. The threat to turn off the heat.
The weight and power of depression
When bipolar depression hits me like a ton of bricks and it feels like I am moving through mud, it is difficult to do this thing called life on my own. It takes an enormous amount of faith on my part to be able to trust Him to carry me through every minute of every day. And not to take back the control.
There is no way without the help of the Almighty God that I can be a wife, go to work, take care of my dogs, let alone take care of myself. Some days I cannot even get out of bed or take a shower. Those things are sometimes my mountains that tower over me. Life gets that hard. However, over time I have grown in my faith in God and those mountains quake and move during those dark hours.
Faith
Move
Our Savior says to tell that mountain “move” and it will move. When was the last time you mustered up a little bit of faith of your own? All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed and you can make your mountains move.
Realize this, you are not moving the mountain by yourself, God is moving the mountain. Just the same, you are not curing your depression, God is walking you through your mental illness. Having a mustard-size faith in God, the Maker of heaven and earth can cause your mountains to move and fall at your feet.
References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
Call to action
Do you have depression? You may not believe in the God that I have been talking about. He actually may sound different than the One you have heard of. Find some quiet time and spend it talking, yes just talking, regular language. Listen with your heart. If you would like to share, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].
Going Further
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