Hi! I'm Scott. I've been fighting this battle for nearly three decades. I know you can live a full, happy life with mental illness, and I want to help you get there. Each Sunday newsletter includes tips for living your best life while teaching the truth about bipolar disorder. Join our family of 750+ members today!
The Aftermath of the Emotional Storm
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It was a busy week, but I officially have an office set up where I can see clients and all of my software is up and running. There are still a few cosmetic changes needed to make things look more professional, but I’m thrilled with my progress. Fully launching my business now was not my plan, but it has turned out to be a gift, as now I have income I wasn’t counting on. So, I’m choosing to look at the good and move forward. Unfortunately, all of the extra work meant no time for writing poetry or creating songs, so I have nothing new to release this week. There is more coming soon, including three songs I can’t stop listening to and can’t wait to share with you. With the shortening daylight hours, I’m feeling more tired than usual. With the extra work, I’m resting as often as I can. Stability is my number one goal, no matter what I have to sacrifice to hold on to it. When things go off the rails, it’s often a double whammy. The mood shift can wreak havoc on your life and then leave you doubting yourself. Self-trust is important for a healthy life, so this week in the Positivity Club, we’ll focus on how to rebuild it after a bipolar episode. Part one is below. The next two weeks are super busy for me, but I’m looking forward to enjoying some downtime after that. I hope you are enjoying fall and settling into the autumn season (and hopefully enjoying everything pumpkin-spice!) Until next time, keep fighting. Scott Ninneman Please share this newsletter: [ARCHIVE URL GOES HERE] The Aftermath of the Emotional StormMy original plan was to launch my bookkeeping business in early summer last year. But the winter before that, I suffered a severe depression episode. Coming out of the darkness was tough, but it left me with a depression hangover: a dark shadow of self-doubt. Let’s face it, the bipolar brain lies to you. It’s a foe we fight against every day. Even on the best days, I always wonder if I can trust what I feel or even what I see and hear. It’s like we live in a world where almost everything is AI and we’re trying to find what’s real. The inability to trust myself caused me to put my plans on hold. Does that mean all doubt is gone now? No, of course not, but the extra year gave me time to put together a concrete plan. This plan has given me the best chance of success. When a chaotic mind moves you to make impulse buys, react poorly, or overcommit, it’s no wonder you stop trusting it. It’s like we lose our internal compass, so we’re walking unguided in a strange jungle. Here’s the thing: your actions during an episode are not you, at least not entirely. A chemical storm in your brain causes the chaos and that often leads to unwise choices. That storm scrambles your compass but only until it passes. When the storm quits, you are free to be you, and that should include trusting yourself again. If you are like me, that’s easier said than done. So, how do we trust ourselves again? The first step is to acknowledge the storm. Then, when the chemicals level out, accept that you are you again. It’s okay to be hesitant, but don’t let a past episode keep you frozen in place. You are worth trusting. Journal PromptWhat is one area of your life where you currently feel afraid to trust your own judgment? Additional Reading: |
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Hi! I'm Scott. I've been fighting this battle for nearly three decades. I know you can live a full, happy life with mental illness, and I want to help you get there. Each Sunday newsletter includes tips for living your best life while teaching the truth about bipolar disorder. Join our family of 750+ members today!
Getting ready for work on Monday morning, I looked in the mirror and could no longer deny reality. I'm in the middle of a bipolar hypomania episode. Sure, the signs have been there. I've noticed my decreased need for sleep, the energy that makes it hard to sit still, and the way I've been way more open in my conversations than I probably should be. But I kept telling myself that things were fine, that I was just as stable as I was supposed to be. Here's the thing: out of necessity, I've been...
Many years ago, my dad bought four monkey grass plants. My mom always wanted a windmill in her front yard, so my dad bought her one and set it up. Then, at the base of each of the four metal legs of the windmill, he planted a monkey grass plant. Over the years, that monkey grass has spread out further and further into the yard. When it gets too far, I dig most of it out and move it somewhere else on my property. Now, what started as those four plants now forms rings around most of the trees...
I love to tell people not to use their mental illness as an excuse, but you know what? Sometimes, it is. I'm not working Fridays this time of year, so at the end of every week, I usually have a to-do list that's as long as my driveway. But last Friday morning, my body had other ideas. I woke up to a terrible headache and lots of body pain. That wasn't necessarily caused by bipolar disorder, but the mental beating I took later definitely was. As soon as I waved the white flag and admitted that...