As a bipolar Mom, I truly believe that parents that are coping with bipolar disorder have an extra obstacle that they must overcome at times. They must learn how to manage their own illness when they are symptomatic and still be effective parents. I think for most of us, we have the parenting part down and it comes easily for us when we are not going through an episode. But when those episodes hit, and most of the time they hit hard, how do we be awesome parents and still manage our symptoms? This is a question I think many of us are afraid to ask because it is going to require so much work on our part.

This is why I want nothing more than to start a Bipolar Parenting support group in my area and I want the one online to do so well. I want to help parents learn that they can still be effective parents even when they are symptomatic. It’s a learning process and like everything else in life it takes time. It won’t be something that will happen over night and you will have slip ups, just as I have slip ups. But it does and will happen through practice and using the techniques I’ve learned while we are well keeps us in practice for when we are ill.

There are times however that no matter what we’ve learned and no matter what we try to do, we have to lean on our support system for help. They may have to take our children for a few days until we can start feeling better due to a med adjustment or a possible inpatient stay. Don’t beat yourself up over this. This means you are using your coping skills and you are an awesome parent. You did what was best for your children and you put them first and that’s what is important!

This is why I wrote the book “Moorestorms A Guide for the Bipolar Parent” I wanted others to see that I too go through difficult times and I wanted them to see how I coped with them. I hoped that by writing this book, others could use the techniques I learned and they would be beneficial for them.

Until next time….

Becca ?
Author of Moorestorms A Guide for the Bipolar Parent