Dear John

i appreciate your intent to be supportive. but now i feel i must object.

first, my past has been diverse in ways i won't even begin to enumerate. don't assume...

right now i am fairly put off by your use of the term (above and in other posts), "working oneself up" - as though choice is involved - in reference to those of us here who have a medical condition characterized by emotional extremes, coupled with the persistent assertion that it is somehow controllable.

would you tell a diabetic that they can start producing insulin again after their beta cells have quit, just by practicing CBT or muscle relaxation??? did they "choose" diabetes by working themselves up???

some of us have chemical imbalances akin to this. sometimes extra amounts of certain nutrients can help. certainly mental/physical techniques can help. but telling me i am "working myself up" well excuse me but - WTF?????????

maybe you had emotional crap go down and you managed to master it. WELL HATS OFF AND KUDOS but excusee me if i don't make the cut!!!! BIPOLAR is a disease, and for many of us medications are NOT an OPTIONAL. for some of us, it would take so much "practice" we'd be dead before we "mastered" these techniques. some of us do not spend enough time feeling "well" to practice such techniques for use when unwell haveya thought of that?????

another thing. simple ideological conflict here too. if intellect "must always control" emotion for you then good. but frankly, i see that statement as a decision in itself - one you made and have a right to make - for yourself only.

it is a decision which i personally don't live by, and that i don't ever intend to.
i still cultivate ways to balance myself better. i am just saying i have a different ideology as to how far "mind control" can go, and i would ask you kindly to respect that.

thank you - and once again thank you for the practical advice and clearly positive intent.

i am also sorry that you have clearly suffered from what you have said... "torturous states." i hope you have them less and less, by whatever means you prefer... mind over matter, CBT, spirituality, meds... whatever works for YOU.

~ waves ~