People ask me about if being bipolar is hell. I respond, it's not hell, it's just my life.
OK. Stop laughing please. I didn't mean it that way.
But I really mean it. It's just my life. Being bipolar causes all sorts of nuisances, and embarrassments in my life and I am frequently frustrated and annoyed and I often think being bipolar is such a pain in the ass. But it's still MY life, and for all the nuisance value, I kinda like it.
To me being bipolar is just something I have, like graying hair or a left hand or being short. I certainly do something about mood swings, in much the same way as I dye my hair, or crank the seat in the car to it's highest position. But hell? It's like asking me if it's hell being short? No dear, it's just something that I have that I deal with.
And, importantly, that I stop being upset about. Life goes on. So when people talk about 'oh it's must be awful', I think to myself 'not really, being bipolar is just one of those things, but it not one of my goals. I pay attention to what I want to achieve.'
If I want to worry or feel sorry - I look around. There are lots of people who I can step up and offer a helping hand to. Then the world will be a better place. Wondering if my life is hell won't matter, because I 'll know it's not true.
inspired by the post Beyond One's Own Problems on the blog Raising 5 Kids With Disabilities and Remaining Sane. My blog may be good and useful. Hers is inspiring.