I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in my twenties I had the realization that a cruel part of my brain had taken far too much of a toll on my mind.   My brain had ravished my mind and I was truly clueless until I heard the diagnosis helped me understand.  I understand it this way; the brain is an organ of thought and nervous coordination.  The mind is the part that perceives feels and reasons.  

My nervous system misfires at will as it attempts to coordinate my body. It is as if faulty wiring services my body. The wiring seems frayed and exposed. Everyday life events impact these defective wires and I experience jolts of electrical firing at unforgiving times. The response is like strobe lights in my eyes, racing thoughts and my speech is like a steamroller.

For me, medication has made the difference in how my brain operates. I know that some of you would disagree. I am blessed to have an excellent psychiatrist. I tell her how I am doing and together we discuss the medication part of it. Today I am stable. It’s the old; one day at a time that really works. This point of stability has taken over a year.

It has been within the last three years that major life events have taken an additional toll. My Mother died, my partner of 15 years was diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer, I broke my wrist and had surgery, and I broke my leg and ankle and had surgery. I was financially bankrupt and working non stop on remodeling an old house to sell for a profit.  It was almost two years ago that I had the most serious rapid cycling episode ever and lost my job as a therapist. Since then my partner has died, I am on disability and will never work again as a therapist. I moved from Minnesota back to Oklahoma, my homeland, to live with my sister. I hope you can see that wellness is possible.  What do you think? What experiences have you had with wellness, even if it is one day at a time