by Annie Kosterman

Created on: August 22, 2009

A person, especially a mother, can have bipolar disorder and still be a good mom. I have Rapid Cycle Bipolar Mania and I have 3 children. They all are at the top of their classes in school, have good morals and standards of living and that is because of what I have taught them over their lives.

Even though I was sick a lot, there's medication and therapy for people who are afflicted with this sometimes debilitating disease. I have been knocked down and out with some of my cycles, but I was always there for my kids and their needs and wants. Sometimes I would let the disease get the best of me but I had my husband to back me up when that happened.

I hate hearing people say that if you are Bipolar that means that you are disabled to the point of not being able to do what a normal person does. That simply is not true. It was in the beginning but once I became familiar with how this disease worked, I was able to form myself and my mothering around it. I knew when I was cycling and I knew what to do, thanks to the Internet and my doctor and therapist and let's not leave out the medications.

Bipolar cycles can hit you out of the blue and knock you on your keeshter in a matter of minutes. But if you know what to do, it won't be as bad as it could and probably would be. Once one becomes familiar with the ways of Bipolarness, they can adjust and sometimes even control it.

The worst this disease has done to me was take my marriage away because my husband couldn't handle the cycling any longer. He didn't do anything to learn about the disease and it's effects on me and those around me. He never learned what the disease was about and/or how it worked. My kids didn't know either but as I learned, I shared with them and they are at the same level of understanding as I am. They know I can't help when I get sick and they have been taught how to deal with things when I do get sick and there is no resentment there from them to me. Because they know that this disease is a matter of a chemical imbalance in the brain that there is nothing that I can do about it but take my medications. Which I do....every day, afternoon and night.

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