Waiting for the Bipolar Storm To Hit

Coping with bipolar disorder and grief.

The storm clouds are gathering. | Image made by author with Canva AI.

Nothing is easy with bipolar disorder. N. O. T. H. I. N. G.

Every conversation, relationship, and decision has to take bipolar into account. Because bipolar affects everything.

Bipolar disorder seems to be especially affected by grief.

I lost my dad a few weeks ago. It still doesn’t seem real, and when I’m at work, I’m always thinking about what I have to do for him when I get home.

And then I realize he’s no longer there.

Despite the immense loss, I’ve been doing rather well. I’m going about my regular activities, have returned to work, and have even started to spend time with friends again.

But there’s a black cloud on the horizon, and no matter how much I try to ignore it, I know it’s coming. It’s the bipolar storm, and there’s no escaping it.

Bipolar and life events

Major life events often trigger bipolar episodes. Lose a job, end a relationship, or have a loved one pass away, and bipolar is going to make your life more difficult.

I wish I could sugarcoat that truth, but there’s no way around it. And it sucks.