How do I accept my mental illness?

[thefriendlygh0st]

I have bipolar disorder. I struggle to accept the fact that I'm going to have this illness for the rest of my life because there isn't a cure and you can only manage your symptoms. It makes me feel permanently broken. How do you make peace with the fact that you will always be on medication and your brain will never work quite right?

 

[WolfGoddess]

I'm sorry you're experiencing this 😔

I don't know how much help this is but there are things in my life I desperately wish weren't true, the only thing i founds remotely helpful is letting myself feel whatever it is i'm feeling. Sometimes we feel bad and then feel bad about feeling bad, which makes it worse.

Are you getting any professional support?

 

[may71]

I guess one way to look at it is that if medication is successful, you can pretty much have a normal life.

 

[Organicmaplesyurp]

Remember that it's just a label given to something that was always there. Everyone has something that can be given a label, and in a moment, researchers will give something else a label. Don't take it to heart, you are not broken. Try to think of it as a way you might be able to get more help, since it is now known what you have.

 

[thefriendlygh0st]

I'm sorry you're experiencing this 😔

I don't know how much help this is but there are things in my life I desperately wish weren't true, the only thing i founds remotely helpful is letting myself feel whatever it is i'm feeling. Sometimes we feel bad and then feel bad about feeling bad, which makes it worse.

Are you getting any professional support?

Thank you, that makes me feel a bit better. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. I tend to be hard on myself for not feeling “the right things” and it might be helpful for me to loosen up a little and just let myself feel whatever I need to feel.

I am getting professional support. I have a therapist who I see weekly and an appointment with my psychiatrist is coming up. I think I’m going to talk to both about all this because I feel like I’m stuck in a rut and maybe advice or different meds is the solution. But I won’t know until I ask. Then maybe my brain can function closer to normal and I won’t feel so bad about being bipolar for the rest of my life.

 

[sinking_ship]

I think pretty much everyone has things they struggle with, mental or physical, that they have to learn to deal with in life. Having the label of a MH diagnosis maybe feels harder, because it's our minds and we want to be able to trust that our mind will do us right. But it's really just one small part of us. You're still the same person, but you can be a better version of you once you get a good handle on this. Sounds like you're on the right path already.

 

[Ananda]

I have bipolar disorder. I struggle to accept the fact that I'm going to have this illness for the rest of my life because there isn't a cure and you can only manage your symptoms. It makes me feel permanently broken. How do you make peace with the fact that you will always be on medication and your brain will never work quite right?

I'm sorry that you're going through this...take me for an example I'm a schizophrenic...I quit school and stay at home..and thinking to do sales job..my brain will never be correct....and my cognitive ability will never be normal...but that's life bro....sometimes life throws shit at us...but we've gotta move on..and bring out the best output with what we have....

 

[gypsylee]

I have bipolar disorder. I struggle to accept the fact that I'm going to have this illness for the rest of my life because there isn't a cure and you can only manage your symptoms. It makes me feel permanently broken. How do you make peace with the fact that you will always be on medication and your brain will never work quite right?

Hey there,

You might be interested in Stephen Fry and what he has to say about Bipolar. He made a documentary (it’s on YouTube).. Here’s an interview:

 

[dandelions]

I have bipolar disorder. I struggle to accept the fact that I'm going to have this illness for the rest of my life because there isn't a cure and you can only manage your symptoms. It makes me feel permanently broken. How do you make peace with the fact that you will always be on medication and your brain will never work quite right?

i have another disorder/illness. consensus is that it doesn’t matter what i/you/we/they call it, which is great since i have about 8 diagnoses and could easily become confused or distraught by some of them. but what is most evident to me is that my brain is broken and can’t be fixed. i’ve struggled without medication (except 2x very briefly) . today i began medication with something new and a sincere effort on my part to give it a chance. And i do feel the same way as you, only managing, no cure.

i have always been afraid of medication. i really have no idea how i will handle it. i do have a theory though about making peace. i believe everyone is with one disorder/illnes or another. everyone suffers some kind of inner conflict. some just don’t go to doctors for it. its reflected in all the world’s ills you see in real life, on the news and however else.

but of course, facing the inner conflicts is what is most evident. all i think i can do is offer myself to other people in order to make the good periods more fulfilling either in casual conversation, or being there in times of turmoil and even being someone someone else can help when i’m at my worst.

i know this is tricky too. sometimes people have abandoned me because i became a bit too discombobulated. but my heart is full of good intent. in order to try and make peace maybe one can committ to being there for others even when the going gets rough. i know, like i said, it is tricky.

i think some people should have stuck around when they didn’t. i eventually got to feeling better and we did like each other. i know they had their ups and downs too. we just gotta make holding on a more popular thing. it will catch on someday. it just isn’t socially popular right now and when it does catch on it will help in making peace. so here i am to offer myself in however my self can be experienced to benefit whomever and you.

 

[Innocent Forever]

I have bipolar disorder. I struggle to accept the fact that I'm going to have this illness for the rest of my life because there isn't a cure and you can only manage your symptoms. It makes me feel permanently broken. How do you make peace with the fact that you will always be on medication and your brain will never work quite right?

Hey
Have you met other people with bipolar?
My friend was diagnosed with bipolar a few years back. Gosh, I think it's actually like 7 or 8 already. I think every person is different and how it affects her or others isn't how it's going to affect you. So far as I know it's hard in the beginning but can and does get easier.
I understand about feeling permanently broken. I sometimes wonder if there's any way anything I struggle with will go away. I think a lot of people feel that way. Not that it makes it easier, but just want you to know you're not alone with that.
How'd you make peace with meds? I think it's the view of medication that makes the difference. I hope your psychiatrist and therapist can help you with this. I think it's that the meds are there to balance out the chemicals, so is just giving you what you need. Same as a person on thyroid meds. Or who is always low in a vitamin so constantly has to supplement. I know it's way easier said than done...

Sending lotsa hugs your way tacklestacklestackles

I'm glad you're here...

E