With moods of happiness and anger and other mood swings associated with bipolar disorder, writing can be difficult. This is because people with bipolar disorder can act on impulse. Things like this can be intimidating, disorienting. Such as writing something without thinking that is threatening. This can alert the local authorities to knock at your door under the suspicion that you or someone else may be in danger, which leads you to more trouble just because of your writing.
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| Photo by Anh Nguyen on Unsplash |
So after spending time in the hospital or in jail (depending on the severity of your words), how do you make a comeback and gain confidence in writing again? How do you know what is okay to write and what is not? You know you were manic and you feel bad that you wrote such a thing and now you are afraid to write again and show it to the public. What do you do when you may have lost your job over something you might have said in a blog or article?
First, don’t panic; it’s not the end of the world. You may need to start journaling more for yourself and not to posting your thoughts if you are angry. You might regret what you once wrote and think you’ll never write again, but this is a phase. This is why you may need to journal and not put everything out there to the public. If anything, it could save you from further damage along the way. Journaling is a good thing, especially if you are ready to go hysterical and threaten someone. Some things are best left unsaid.
Then you are going to need to ask yourself: would I say this in public or would someone want to hear it? Also, will someone find what you wrote offensive?
These are questions you want to ask yourself. The initial impulse may seem good at the time, but as I said, it may backfire. It is best to use discretion. Another thing: when you are writing, it’s best to ask your friends for help. Not everything is perfect and will often need editing. You may come across in a certain way in your writing that could leave a negative impression. An editor will help you polish things up and keep you from offending anyone. Especially a demographic that may be isolated. An editor can turn you from a hysteric psychopath into a sincere writer with strong concerns, as well as showing you some mistakes and save you from public embarrassment! And an editor can counsel you or help spot something when your writing takes a manic turn.
Having bipolar disorder may not be working in your favor if you are a writer. I have bipolar disorder, and I am a writer. I have made one too many mistakes and gotten in trouble with my writing. Even if you don’t have bipolar disorder, it’s a good idea to monitor yourself before hitting Publish on your posts. Some people have lost their jobs, gone to the hospital, or even went to jail with something written in a blog or an email.
Use techniques such as journaling and seek the advice of an editor. They will help you out. It is better to prevent mistakes before they happen. And if you do make a mistake, don’t worry about it. It is not the end of the world. You will gain your confidence back. And the next question to ask is how to get your confidence back again especially when it has taken a hit in social media. If you are a writer this next blog will help you prepare if your self-esteem has sunk after an unfavorable post. How do you build your esteem up again?