Today’s topic is “what is Bad judgment and how do you determine
what is and what isn’t bad judgment? We
all make mistakes, every one of us, whether it’s in our relationships, or
finances or something we said or did that we later regret. For those who deal
with mental health issues, we at times can really have it tough, when it comes
to making wise decisions,.
I know when I speak
for myself from my experiences dealing with my bipolar over the years, ive had
times when I let my emotions and feelings rule my choices I made. Instead of
thinking before I acted, I acted and then thought about the consequences after,
which is never a good thing.
Like any aspect of our illness, we can learn to deal with it
using healthy coping skills. ive said this before, we can’t control our
feelings, but we can learn how to control how we react to them. There were many
times over the years, that when I was dealing with a manic phase instead of
seeking the guidance from someone I loved I took on the decision by myself and
sometimes made a mess of things.
A lot of times when a
person is dealing with a manic episode its difficult to rationalize reality and
to be in the moment. I for one dealt with bad decisions of overspending, I just
did not think of consequences of not spending wisely; in turn this caused
friction in my husbands and my marriage. That was a reality that I really need
to work on. over the years ive got a much better grasp on that, we all have our
bad days.
What about when we say
something that hurt someone else, while dealing with a episode. That happened to
me many times, especially my husband; he was the one who was always there when I
seemed to be having a tough time. I did
not always express how I felt to him, I was not being honest which is very
important for any relationship to grow and thrive is honesty. We learn what is appropriate
to say and what is not, we can’t beat ourselves up over it.
I just learned that
its all part of learning and growing as a individual and as someone who deals
with depression. Use every experience as a learning tool, embrace each moment
that you are learning to handle yourself and your illness in a more healthy and
productive way.
In those early years of my bipolar, anytime I said or did something
and made a bad judgment, I beat myself up over it. Then I became depressed and
the vicious cycle started again, then I finally learned that im human, and
making mistakes is part of growing, and dealing with everyday situations, now days
I still have a bad day.
I’ve also learned to reach out for help and take hold of the
resources that are available to me. I cannot
punish myself or hold it over me, when I make a mistake. I learn from it. It’s
all part of loving and accepting yourself and learning how to be the best version of yourself and not letting your illness confine
you to a negative definition of yourself , but to grow and learn and better
understand how you can live with bipolar in a more healthy way.
