A longtime reader of this blog sent us an email –
“I wanted to share one of my favorite blogs. I first found out about the author and blog through his amazing article right after Robin Williams’ suicide. I feel he writes what I feel but can’t put into words on my mental health. Best, Geraldine.”
Geraldine has bipolar 2, and has recently gotten married and started a new family. She has, in the process, done an amazing amount of work to build a more stable life for herself.
The author of the blog is a transgender activist and feminist writer, based in the SF Bay, who writes primarily about his fun life on the bipolar and queer spectrum.
We were intrigued by her recommendation and wanted to find out more about why this site seemed particularly meaningful.
I love the series of questions – What is Recovery?
She found the series of questions in the post, “What does recovery look like for me?” to be especially helpful.
- Do I have enough stability and energy to meet my needs and pursue my desires (within reason)?
- Do I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat of my life? Do I feel like I am in charge?
- When my mental state shifts, am I riding the wave or do I feel like I’m drowning?
- Am I able to cope effectively when confronted with a stressor? What do I do when I’m stressed?
- Am I in survival mode, or do I feel like I’m truly living my life?
“With my disorder, I don’t know what normal is. I don’t remember a time when I’m stable as I am now. I like the series “Do I have enough stability and energy to meet my needs and pursue my desires?” and there are plenty of time when I haven’t.”
It is a personal blog.
“This is a a very personal blog and that helps me a lot. He talks about his personal experiences and perspectives… It’s nice to know that even if you are in good recovery, and I definitely am, there are still mood swings, there are still ups and downs.”
It is okay to have issues.
“Sometimes I need to hear that. Some days I just want to get rid of all this weirdness, the effects of bipolar. It is helpful to know that it is OK to be in an ongoing process of recovery. ”
I loved the part where the author talked about his stability and energy to meet his basic needs such as “showering regularly”. This is an issue that nobody really talks about.
“Yes, showering consistently – huge deal. That one hit home.”