Decision.

We met with Sarah today and came to a decision about the hospital. Right now outpatient is a better option than inpatient. Outpatient is a month long commitment, 4 days a week, for 6 hours a day. It would allow Christen to work evenings (good for me because I won't have to make rent by myself), sleep at home, and most importantly it allows incorporation of the daily therapies into day to day life. Intake is on Thursday.

We also worked the system with the insurance company a little bit today. Her insurance was cancelled this month due to "missing paperwork" (which she turned in twice). They finally found the second set of papers and told us they still need her paystubs to verify income. So she will drop those off tomorrow and then hopefully it will be reinstated.

Things have been really hard lately and sometimes it feels like they are escalating out of control. As someone who lives with and loves a bipolar person, here are some coping strategies I use during cycling:


-Take a step back from the situation. It's not about you. It's about the bipolar. Remove yourself from the situation if necessary (as long as your loved one isn't in immediate danger) - go for a walk, ride your bike, go for a drive, go to a friend's house.

-Talk about it. Bipolar is an isolating disorder, not just for the sufferer but for their loved ones. Besides, who wouldn't want to hear about all the crazy drama in your life?

-In the words of Bob Marley, "Don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there."