Is Getting Sick a Way to Give Us a Break?

i think that is a very interesting question. i think that we bipolars can get sick -- a cold, the flu, allergies -- just like everyone else. But perhaps the stress of being sick (of missing work, of feeling ******) has different consequences. it might bring on the irritabillity or make us feel depressed or down. Also not sleeping well is never good for us. lately, I have been sick with allergies, lying on the bed with a wet cloth on my swollen eyes and sneezing 1,000 times a day. i have very very very very grumpy. So there is no way this is giving me "break." But other times, if I do too much and don't slow down, i get sick. i guess i am more vulnterable to the bugs and the viruses. it seems that there is no one conclusion to draw here. there are many variables, and we're all different!

Thanks for your imput on this topic.  There are many variables, as you say, and we are all different.  But if we overdo things and put ourselves under too much stress, causing us to be vulnerable to germs in the air, maybe that's our unconscious way of getting a break by getting sick?  Just a thought.