In 8th and 9th grade I had a football coach that preached about his views on saying ‘sorry’. ‘Never say ‘sorry’’, he would emphasize. ‘If you’re really sorry, then make up for it through your actions’. The advice worked perfectly inside the gridiron. My 9th grade year our team went undefeated. Does it translate to life; You bet! I hate lackluster apologies and try to this day to do my best not to deliver bullshit. When it comes to mania and depression, the advice becomes increasingly paramount.
Bipolar Disorder derails you. When episodic bouts of mania or depression occur, life tends to come to a halt. You become lost in your own mind and lost trying to stay on top of your daily routine. Negligence occurs. In mania you can have a tendency to reach out to people for what appears to be no reason at all. It is important to know that this is not your fault. Moreover, the stuff you do, whether it’s the things you say to people or the actions you take, are not something to dwell over. Focus on getting better first. After returning to stability, hold your head high and remain and regain your old self. It helps to let people around you know that you have a mental illness. They will be concerned for your well being, but they will understand that who you turned into during your episodic break simply isn’t who you are.
Try to live life with no regrets. Make up for the mistakes through your actions. If you regret something, take time to understand what you learned from this regret and try even harder to never let it happen again. Every time you go through a manic or depressive episode there will be hurdles to climb to get yourself back. Focus on the hurdles and not the things that are already behind you!