Questions to Ask Yourself and Share to Help Others

 

To Submit your answers post your answers in the comment section of this blog.

 

Directions: This is for you.  You don’t have to share it, but if you do, you will be helping a lot of people.

Only answer questions that you feel comfortable with.  By no means do you need to answer all of the questions.

 

 

Influence

 

 

How do I respond to life circumstances that are beyond my influence?

 

 

What in my life can I influence?

 

 

What’s different between my responses to the things I have influence over and the things I don’t?

 

 

How do I currently respond to the things that bring me stress?

 

 

How would I like to respond to the things that bring me stress in my life?

 

 

What’s the first thing I would notice and do differently in my response?

What’s the second?

What’s the third?

 

 

If I responded to stress differently, what would be different in how I feel about myself, my relationships, and my ability to achieve my goals?

 

 

How does the way I respond to stress affect my experience of Bipolar Disorder?

 

 

 

 

Shame

 

What is something that I want to talk about, but haven’t because I feel I will be judged?

 

 

Who will judge me?

 

 

What will they think about me?

 

 

How will I talk to myself about me?

 

 

What if my thoughts about there thoughts are wrong?

 

 

What if they’re right?

 

 

How would I seek out support from anyone or ask for help with shame in the way?

 

 

How did this thing come to be shameful for me?

 

 

Who did I give permission to make me feel shameful?

 

 

What would I say to myself if I didn’t feel shame?

 

 

What’s different about these thoughts?

 

 

What do these thoughts want for me?

 

 

If they had hope, what would it be?

 

 

How does this relate to Bipolar Disorder?

 

How might your responses to stress affect manic and depressive episodes?

 

How might shame promote mania and depression?

 

If I am ashamed to live with Bipolar Disorder…

how will I take medication that could help me?

how will I prevent episodes

that cause me to feel shameful to begin with?

how will I explain an addiction to episodes?

will I cover it up with alcohol & drugs instead and suffer more?

how will I get medical help?

how will I keep my job?

how will I keep my friends?

who will help me, if no one knows?

how will I keep it from getting worse?

 

You don’t have to be ashamed. You’re not alone.