On Thursday May 11th, Kris shared with us her most recent presentation entitled “ Cleaning up my Manic Mess” 

   Kris shared with us that she started her mental health journey when she was around 12 or 13 years old. She also shared that it has been about eight years ago now since she was first diagnosed with Bi-Polar.

     She told us that early on in her diagnosis, she became really good at keeping her manic self out of view, and maybe not sharing some of these early feelings with others as she should have.  Kris also shared that experiencing Bi-polar is not about judging what you’ve been through or what you have or haven’t done. She also shared a little bit about what goes through your mind during a manic episode. 

    Residual Emotions…Kris shared that residual emotions are experienced sometimes after a manic high or a crash after the high. Afterwards you may start to feel ashamed about things you have done, which can put you back into a depression.  It’s important to remember though that it’s not your fault and it’s all a part of your illness. 

     Probably the hardest part is to forgive yourself after a manic episode. After the episode there may be some disbelief about what happened. But you can forgive yourself. Remember we may experience Bi-polar, but we are not our symptoms. 

It’s also important to remember that living in the past may keep you shackled, and prevent you from moving forward. But it’s important to learn to forgive yourself…maybe find activities in your life that are more calming.  Such as yoga, taking a walk to enjoy nature, writing a letter, or even meditation.  Or if something is on your mind, call a friend to vent and talk it out.  It’s important to have a routine, and to go to bed at a decent hour every night…this is very important! 

     And when it comes to any hurt that you may have caused towards another, you can’t deny that.  Just learn to ask forgiveness from those that you have hurt.  Even more importantly learn to forgive yourself. If you have recently been through a hard time, most people will want to know that you are planning on re-building your life if needed.  It’s important to have a clear understanding between your symptoms and where you are today.