We all know that Christmas (and winter in general) are a bad time to be bipolar, or suffer from depression of any kind. The dark mornings and nights drawing in so early, the pressure of conforming to Christmas joviality and consumerism. The aptly named SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is so-called because it hits during the winter season and effects so many of us. Churchill made the association of depression and black dogs famous and the phrase ‘black dog of depression’ is a long-standing metaphor that dates back to at least the eighteenth century, and the correspondence between Hester Thrale, Samuel Johnson, and James Boswell.
But just because a puppy bought at Christmas should be kept for life, the Black Dog that moved in during the season does not have to be a permanent house guest.
There may not be a cure for bipolar disorder, but that doesn’t mean there is no recovery.
The very nature of the condition – a cyclical shift between moods – is reason enough to hope that at least some of those moods will be good ones.
Not depressed.
Not manic.
Not that god-awful flatness that can come in the middle, when you’re either so exhausted from the highs and lows that you just don’t give a damn, or medicated into oblivion.
Just the normal, humdrum, everyday ups and downs that the majority of people so take for granted.
You know, life.
The right balance of medication can and does work. There will always be exceptions to this, but in my experience, people who persevere, are willing to engage in their treatment and keep going until they find the right balance of meds, will get there eventually. It may not be perfect – the strength of these medications is such that the side effects can be almost as bad as the disease – but they can enable you to live your life. To work, to have fun, to have healthy friendships and relationships.
Key to this also is therapy – real therapy, with a psychologist. Again, this isn’t a quick fix. It takes a long time, a hell of a lot of work, and I’ll be honest with you, it hurts like hell. The temptation to give up can be overwhelming. Just as you reach the point where it’s really helping, you also hit the point where it hurts almost as much as being ill did. You wonder, is it worth it? And the perception that there is no cure, and therefore there is nothing to do about bipolar but endure it, doesn’t help.
If you will never get better, what’s the point in taking meds? What’s the point in going through the agony of real psychotherapy?
What’s the point in doing the work?
Because we can get better!
Hope is always important, and to believe that, no matter how bad your illness gets, you can find a way back. You can recover. You can get to a point where your illness is manageable and you can live a full and happy life.
Bipolar Disorder is for life, but we can get better!
Proper diet, exercise, meditation, mindfulness and other methods of learning to understand and manage your condition can all help you recover.
Recovery does not mean you are cured. It doesn’t mean there is no possibility you will relapse. It doesn’t mean the bipolar has magically gone away and is never coming back. But the reality is that just because you have had episodes of severe bipolar depression, or severe mania, doesn’t mean you will have them again. You may never have another episode of either as long as you live. You may manage the shifts in your mood so that, while still present, they are not nearly so extreme.
And when they’re not so extreme, you can learn to cope with them. You can put things in place to ensure that any damage you do to your life if you do get ill again, is minimal. You can ensure you know what the signs are, and how to recognise them, that your friends and family know what the signs are, and have effective strategies for helping you.
There is no cure for bipolar disorder.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get better.
