Zippy in action

Dear friend,
Past few days I have been getting up around 3 am and getting 3-4 hours sleep. Certainlly getting a lot o creative things done.
I still walk an hour a day usually to the beach. I use an exercise bike, weights and do stretching exercises when I can. Physical activity helps a lot with my mental state.
Do you find physical activity helps your state of mind?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Enjoying the journey

Dear friend,
Started this blog wanting to go to NY and more and more doctors, friends and family say it will be impossible for me and for today it certainly is so I am enjoying small trips instead. There is a cheap Sunday public transport ticket and I am going traveling to places really close by. Caught the train to local beach suburb and had a scone, jam and cream, did some sketching and came home. I was thrilled.
I don't dare tell some people in my life as they'd find my enthusiasm ridiculous. My mum and some of my friends are now joining me on my/ our adventures.
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Full moon high

Dear friend,
I get high around the full moon as many people do with mental illness. It is a full moon now and I was up at 4 am and delighting in the moon amidst the clouds.
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Inner child

Dear friends,
I have decided to start another blog on a "Ning" creativity group I belong to. It will be a light relief from this more serious blog. There was a request in the group for baby photos and I thought I'd add it here as well.
I've been put on more medication to see if we can smooth out my rapid cycling. I didn't want to do it and even asked my mum along to the appointment to make sure I followed orders. Many of us bipolars don't take our meds and I have a long history of non compliance.
I am finding the new creativity group I belong to delightful and very uplifting.
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Survived another rapid cycle

Dear friend,
Just been through another hellish down cycle of mental illness. I only get it mild ....I don't buy ferraris, murder anyone. I just wonder if I have friends at the end of it and look forward to getting out of clothes I've slept and lived in for a week and hope I haven't done any damage abusing medications. In my down cycle I usually sit in a chair staring into space not wanting to be alive and making numerous phone calls to my mum and a close friend begging for help.
It's the mental torment, the insane thinking that is the real hell part...it's pain beyond description although I have read others who describe it well.
I feel for those of you who aren't rapid cyclers who go through months of hell at a time.
Lots of love from Susan in AUstralia

Lighten up

Dear friend,
I received a tarot reading from a Celtic priest who told me to lighten up more. I enjoy my walks to the beach and paddling but a lot of my life is very intense. How do I lighten up?
How do you live your life lightly?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Regret

Dear friend,
There are a lot of mistakes I have made in life but I have no regrets as my choices have landed me here now and I like where I am on the journey.
Do you have regrets? Do you like your life?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Fear

Dear friend,
I sometimes let fear in which serves me no purpose as if freezes me from taking action. I always challenge my fears by doing what I'm scared of and I am surprised at the outcomes.
Are you fearful of things? Do you challenge your fears?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Enjoy the journey

Dear friend,
In my journals I constantly write "Enjoying the journey" on the pages and when I sign off my emails I say "enjoy the journey". To me it is important to remember to enjoy life rather than focusing on the negativity or the destinations ahead. I am working on enjoying everything I do.
Do you enjoy the journey? Do you enjoy your life sometimes or most of the time?
Enjoy the journey. Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Time management

Dear friend,
I got up late this morning and I have much to do. I am having to create different priorities.
How do you manage your time? What do you do when you have many things to do in a day?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia
PS Couldn't even wait for blogger to download a picture for today!!!!!!

Dreams

Dear friend,
I'm grateful that my dad taught me at a young age how to interact with my sleep dreams. A friend taught me more about the Jungian symbolism in dreams.
I keep a dream journal and learn a lot each morning interpreting my dreams and what is concerning me at an unconscious level.
Do you dream? Do you keep a dream journal? Do you interpret and interact with your dreams consciously?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Not lost after all

Dear friend,
When I was forced due to ill health to leave my large garden and move to a place with a tiny garden I thought I'd never see trees for my basketry again. The other day I spotted a willow tree and have already started a willow basket.
What in your life did you think you'd lost and you found it or them again?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia
PS The photo is of the beach where I walk most days.

Families

I was just doing a collage of my family and I thought how wonderful it is to have people I can depend on.
It wasn't always the case - my family had lots of denial about my mental illness just like me. Mental illness can be so deceptive.
Can you dpend on your family? Do you trust them?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Moderation

Dear friend,
The hardest thing to do in my life is to be moderate which isn't necessarly a good thing all the time but when you have rapid cycling bipolar with highs and lows it's nice to be in the middle and moderate some of the time.
I am learning to be more moderate with many of my activities although my artwork and love of sugar foods are still in the extreme along with excessive writng and studying.
Are you an extreme person or moderate? What are you extreme about?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia

Transformation

Dear friend,
There are times in peoples lives when there is a huge transformation from what they were to a new self. Someone might start high school, get married, have children, divorce, get cancer and transform.
I am in the midst of a transformation at the moment. Things I couldn 't do a year ago I am now doing with ease like cooking and going to the movies at a busy shopping complex.
What have been major transformations in your life? Are you in a transformation at the moment?
Enjoy the journey. Lots of love from Susan in Australia
PS Up at 4am and still rather manic with lots of ideas....too many ideas to action

A bit manic!!!

Dear friend,
Woke this morning bright eyed and zippy after 4 hours sleep. I am restraining myself from going on a massive buying spree. I have a huge array of notes with lots and lots of ideas and things to do and activities contained in my study with the full awareness of there being too many ideas for me to ever do it all. I am wanting to write lots of emails and make phone calls to everyone........I am decidedly manic but with my blessed medication I am at least aware of it and can restrain myself to the best of my abilities. Get ready for my usual crash and it will be heavy coming from this height. Hopefully my new meds will kick in in 3 weeks and the roller coaster will be evened out somewhat. See you soon unless I crash and I'll see you later.
Lots of love from Susan in Australia