Bipolar, The People You Surround Yourself With Make All The Difference

When I think back to the best and worst of times, the people I chose to spend the majority of my time with made all the difference.  Who do we spend the most time with?  Usually Coworkers,  Housemates, and lovers. These people, along with family and friends, make up our support system.  You can't choose your family (although you can choose how much time you spend with family), but strive to put yourself in a position in which your coworkers, housemates, and lovers are good people.  If you are bipolar, surround yourself with good people. It will make all the difference.

As I reflect back in life, there were two periods of time that were particularly dark, and both involved dark people.  Lucky for me, these people were not both in my life at the same time.  The first was a controlling, alcoholic boyfriend.  The second was an employer who desperately  needed my skills, but openly did not like me.  In both cases, I spent a considerable part of my time with these people.  The boyfriend took strategic steps to isolate me from anyone who loved me. The employer used my dependence on income to control and bully me. 

I don't suggest making radical changes quickly, but consider taking small steps that put more positive people in your life.  It might not be possible or practical  to leave your job or your lover, but seek out positive people. Good people are everywhere.  You just need to make the effort to find them and get to know them.   Having good people in your life can help negate the effects of the negative people in your life and help you eliminate bad people from your life, one by one. 

Surrounding yourself with good people is not always an easy thing to do, but it's extremely important for someone with bipolar disorder.  There are people who will pray on our times of weakness and manipulate us into believing they are good for us.  Don't fall into that trap. You know in your heart when someone is bringing you down.  Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you up.  Surround yourself with the best people you can find.  It will make all the difference. 

Where have you met the most positive people, and how have they changed your life?