Mental Health: How To Live Well With Bipolar Disorder

Approximately 5.7 million adults in the United States have bipolar disorder, yet it's still commonly misunderstood. In this video series, three people with bipolar and two mental health experts offer their perspectives on the condition.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/bipolar-depression.aspx

 

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

• Is There a Bright Side to Bipolar?

  During periods of hypomania, people with bipolar disorder can be confident, charming, and productive, but it's not a permanent state. Learn more about bipolar mood swings.
• 4 Surprising Signs of Bipolar Disorder

  While many people associate mania with high energy and an exaggerated good mood, other key symptoms are more subtle. Find out about the not-so-obvious warning signs of bipolar.
• 9 Biggest Triggers of Bipolar Mood Swings

  Understanding what causes mood swings and planning ahead to deal with them can help you avoid a damaging episode of mania or depression. Watch for these common bipolar triggers.
• Bipolar Disorder: Questions to Ask Your Doctor

  Asking the right questions about your bipolar symptoms, treatment, and lifestyle concerns can help you better manage the condition. Here's what to discuss with your doctor.
• Bipolar Treatment and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

  Bipolar disorder often requires continual treatment that is carried out alongside your doctor, so it's important to work with someone you trust. Find out what you should expect from your bipolar disorder doctor.
• The Right Way to Talk About Bipolar Disorder

  Telling friends, family, co-workers, and potential love interests about your condition can be daunting. Here's how to decide whom to tell and how to break the news about bipolar.
• 8 Career Success Strategies for Bipolar Disorder

  Bipolar mood fluctuations can make it challenging to complete tasks and build work relationships, but a successful career is still possible. Learn how to take charge of your job and your health.
• Social Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder

  People with bipolar may also experience social anxiety, which includes being afraid of criticism and embarrassment in social situations. Learn how to address and treat both social anxiety and bipolar.
• Staying Healthy With Bipolar Disorder

  Along with your regular treatment schedule, healthy habits and a structured routine can keep you feeling well with bipolar disorder. Try these tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle and manage your bipolar symptoms.
• Sugar and Bipolar Disorder

  Ice cream and cookies might be tempting, but sugar and other simple carbohydrates can lead to mood swings and energy crashes. Use these guidelines to manage the sugar in your diet.

 

God is God and We are Not

 

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God!  I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.” Psalm 73:26-28 NLT

Last month I wrote a devotion on this same verse but my message was, “God Remains”.  Today I want to focus on the attitudes or feelings the psalmist experienced in this Psalm. 

Many times I have cried out to the Lord as Asaph did in this Psalm.  It may not have been word for word, but his words have expressed how I have felt:  “Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing.  My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.  For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else….”  (Psalm 73:1-5 NLT)  

Update on My Journey to a Healthier Me

It’s been a while since I wrote an update on Becoming a Healthier Me.  This past month has been a whirlwind with various medical appointments, tests etc….  My journey towards gastric bypass began July 2012 then a little “hiccup” with my insurance stopped the process for a short time.  After my insurance “hiccup” was solved I was able to get back on track in January 2013 to continue with the six months process towards gastric bypass surgery.  

To continue please click here:  http://beelieve-ahealthierme.blogspot.com/2013/05/update-on-my-journey-to-become.html

Fear Not

 “So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.” Genesis 46:1-7   NKJV

Have you ever been so paralyzed by fear that you could not move or even speak?

I'm Doing The Happy Dance!

 So many exciting blessings - read about them on my Healthier Me post. http://beelieve-ahealthierme.blogspot.com/2013/04/so-many-blessings-im-doing-happy-dance.html

Are You In Need Of Resurrection?

I'm at a loss for words, there's nothing to say
I sit in silence wondering what led me to this place
How did my heart become so lifeless and cold
Where did the passion go?

When all my efforts seem like chasing wind
I've used up all my strength and there's nothing left to give
I've lost the feeling and I'm down to the core
I can't fake it anymore.

chorus:
Here I am at the end I'm in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I've lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces in Your hand and make me whole again, again

You speak and all creation falls to its knees
You raise Your hand and calm the waves of the raging sea
You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering

chorus 2:
Here I am once again I'm in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I've lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces in Your hand and make me whole again, again

You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering

chorus

Lyrics & sung by Nicol Sponberg