The seventh 80/20 theme I would like to comment on is how we can learn from a relapse. I was very interested to find this topic a focal point of Mike’s DVD, as it is such an important skill for anyone with a mental illness – and yet it is rarely discussed.

Speaking from my experience with bipolar, I can especially understand the importance of breaking the cycle of relapse. From the beginning of 2002 to June of 2005 I experienced nearly 20 major shifts in mood, from baseline to depressed to manic and back again. In the early days I would fall from mild hypomania back into severe depression, and in each case I was forced to come to terms with (and learn from) my relapse.

Of course it is never easy to live through relapse. There is frustration, a loss of hope, anger, confusion and fear – and to feel all of these emotions is entirely normal. The key is to resist wallowing in these emotions and allowing them to persist, as they can quickly change from a healthy way of processing trauma to a negative, even corrosive force.

The most effective state of mind for me was to focus on the fact that I had been well before, and therefore I could be again. Or rather, I would be again. By setting my attention on the plain fact that I had not always been ill, I was able to rebuild my hope for my ability to recover. And I always believed that eventually, the recovery-relapse-recovery cycle would end as it does in this sentence: with recovery.

Be well,
Jason Finucan

The sixth 80/20 theme I would like to comment on is communicating about your illness. Since mental illness has stigma attached to it, this decision can be much more complicated than it would be with a physical illness. For that reason, I must encourage you to come to your own conclusions – after seeking advice from family, close friends and your doctor – as to what is best for you. I can only share my experience, with the hope that it may help you with yours.

As I first began to experience symptoms of bipolar disorder, I fell deeply into the trap of self-stigma. I guarded my ‘secret’ as a very private matter and refused to tell anyone beyond those very close to me. It was only after I had taken 2 leaves of absence from my work and lived nearly 2 years with symptoms that I learned a different way to deal with my illness.

It struck me that I had experienced a failure in the function of a major organ before – my heart once required open heart surgery to correct a birth defect. I was 12 at the time of the surgery, and there was no secrecy surrounding my condition. When it was appropriate, those who needed or wanted to know were informed while the rest weren’t.

Since bipolar is a malfunction in my brain chemistry, why should I treat this condition any differently? I realized the only difference was rooted in social stigma, which in itself is rooted in ignorance. I chose to resist by acting in exactly the same way about my bipolar as I would if my heart condition were to return. That meant that many more people in my life, including some colleagues and superiors at my work, were informed in an open and honest way.

For me, this strategy has proven to be very positive. It has helped me to step out from the shadow of stigma that society places on all mental illness sufferers. More importantly, it has helped me to step out from the shadow of my own stigma.

Be well,
Jason Finucan

The fifth 80/20 theme I would like to comment on is the importance of never giving up. Resilience is often the single determining factor between success and failure, in any aspect of life. When a person is faced with the challenge of living with a mental illness, their refusal to quit will most certainly be pivotal in how quickly they are able to recover.

I have often heard from others that this is easier said than done, and I agree completely. It can be daunting to try your best every day to fight through the fear and loss that a mental illness can bring. The symptoms of bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, OCD or any other mental illness will challenge the will of even the strongest person.

There were most certainly days, and sometimes weeks and months, when I felt real fear that I may never recover. In those times, I learned to narrow my sights and find smaller ways not to give up. For example, when I was severely depressed I refused to allow myself to go a day without at least going for a short walk. Each day that I willed myself to fulfill that promise was a success; it was an example of my will to never give up.

There is also a blinding truth tied to this theme: we fulfill our own fears once we stop learning, searching, talking, and trying. Allowing yourself to despair will only guarantee that your road to recovery will be longer and rougher. There is no way around this, except of course refusing to ever give up. Having unshakeable hope and belief in your ability to recover can be the most powerful tool available to you.

Be well,
Jason Finucan

The fourth 80/20 theme I would like to comment on is that we are more than our illness. On the face of it, this may seem simple – even somewhat obvious. However, the climate of fear and stigma that still surrounds mental illness makes this a theme that warrants attention.

How can we avoid being defined by our illness, especially when it has the power to alter our behavior? How do we prevent those in our lives from always thinking of us in terms of our illness? These are important questions and, while I don’t pretend to have the answers, I hope that I can help to promote discussion that may lead to your own resolution.

I believe that much of the responsibility lies with the individual who suffers from the mental illness, for they have the power to set the tone in all their relations. When a person refuses to fall prey to self-stigma, they lead others to reconsider their own opinions and level of awareness. If a person avoids speaking too often about their illness and the symptoms that they suffer, they will prevent others from seeing them only from the perspective of the illness.

As I learned to live with bipolar disorder, there were certainly many moments when I felt it had taken over and there was little to differentiate between it and me. Over time, however, I realized that being well meant separating the symptoms of an illness – a physical failure in my brain function – from my spirit, my personality, my reasons for enjoying life and my identity.

Be well,
Jason Finucan