ANGER AND RAGE WITHIN

I read an article in our area newspaper that sounds like someone may be having a bad day, possibly because they were depressed and on a downswing?? A 56 year old adult was arrested for both a felony and a misdemeanor for using a sawed-off shotgun to shoot his lawnmower because it wouldn't start. Man, isn't that ludicrous??

Before I was diagnosed as bipolar I went through a series of different antidepressants and actually wondered if I was ever going to feel “normal”. On my first meeting with a professional, after answering a few questions about my feelings, he gave me my diagnosis and said “Aren’t you glad that you aren’t crazy?” Seems that many people actually question their sanity or ability to interact in life and have often considered themselves to be crazy.

I thought about it for a while and I have to admit that I wondered more than once whether the “men in the white jackets” were coming to take me away. It sounds weird, but when the mind doesn’t focus like it should we become confused. We have unanswered questions from within that test our entire thinking process. Obviously the man who shot his lawnmower didn't have a logical, clear thinking process.

During those times when we question our logic or actions, remember that being bipolar means a chemical imbalance in our brain which causes mood swings. Accept yourself for who you are and give yourself permission to forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Just don't shoot your lawnmower, okay? It can get you into a whole heap of trouble.