What is Bad Judgement, and How Do You Deal With It?

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.