Mindfulness begins with the painful reminder that life is not safe. We are vulnerable. Nothing is fixed. Our situation is constantly changing around us. Psychologically speaking, we are always walking at midnight in a bad neighborhood. We need to be awake. We need to be vigilant.
But we have a paradox at play, here. As we grow more adept at mindfulness techniques, our lives become more safe, our existence less fearful. Hypomania no longer has to automatically mean a prelude to mania. And a bad hair day is not necessarily the end of the world.
To be honest, I am sure there are those who think I was much better company on higher meds doses. I was way quieter back then, more reserved. These days, a little of me goes a long way. I could probably use some more mindfulness to dial back my personality just a tad.
Bipolar has been called “a dangerous gift,” one that many of us would gladly return to the customer service counter of life. The practice of mindfulness opens up the possibility of realizing our potential, but it also necessitates working within our limitations and leading highly disciplined lives. It means calling it a night when the party is just getting started. It means chilling out in the middle of a productive hot streak. It means maintaining our composure when we feel our situation or our lives falling apart.
We all employ mindfulness to some degree, but cultivating the practice is going to take time. Mindfulness is no quick fix. It is advisable to stay on your current meds doses until you have your high dose mindfulness and other recovery practices well in place. Even then, knowing when to bump your doses back up should be part of your mindfulness game plan.
Be mindful. Live well ...
