A letter sent to a troubled teen...

You are part of Our Father in heaven just like every single Jew.  There is a spark inside of you that is a part of the one and only Hashem.

You are facing challenges like many people your age who have many questions and not enough answers. However, running away is not the solution, because wherever you will run to you will still be there. 

So there is no solution other than confronting your pain head on by leaning on the broad shoulders of your friends and family who love you unconditionally.  You are a wonderful human being and one day you will make a great mother and wife.  You just have to get past these adolescent bumps in the road and then you will, G-d willing, have a life full of pride and joy.

The key is to never think that you are alone in this battle because everyone is rooting for you and praying that you become the great person you were meant to be.  Don't be shy. You can speak to God anytime and you will see that this actually alleviates much of the pain. Open your eyes and see how He has orchestrated all of the beautiful things in your life, because none of them are by chance; none of them are coincidental.  God will help you find the answers to your painful questions and He will give you credit for persevering and not giving up.

33 Tips and Tricks to Manage Bipolar Disorder

…an excerpt from Bipolar Happens! by Julie A. Fast

1. I check my moods daily. I try not to let an episode sneak up on me.
2. I know the absolute first signs of a swing and I take action at the beginning.
3. I educate the people in my life about the illness and how they can best help me.
4. I am now able to see who can help and who can’t. I don’t ask for help from the wrong people.
5. I try to accept my limitations.
6. When I am ill – I stop everything and do anything to get better, because I know that I don’t have a real life when I am in the jaws of bipolar disorder.
7. I learn from others, but I try to learn to listen to myself as well. I know what works and what doesn’t.
8. I use the Health Cards Treatment System and I teach everyone I can how to use the Health Cards so that they are ready when I get sick.
9. I now know that making a spur of the moment change is not a solution for bipolar disorder. I have to be happy where I am before I can ever be happy anywhere else.
10. Impetuous decisions are a sign that I am not well.
11. If I’m in a situation I can’t control, I have to say – it is not my 
Issue 
Battle 
Business 
And then I have to let it go!
12. If someone upsets me every time I see them and I have a mood swing every time I see them, it is up to me to completely change the interaction or not see that person at all.
13. Nothing is worth getting sick over–no one is worth a downswing.
14. Suicidal thoughts are normal because I have bipolar disorder. Knowing this helps me know that I need to work to get better instead of trying to figure out why I am having suicidal thoughts.
15. Voices that tell me lies are simply a part of bipolar disorder. I can totally talk back to these voices and tell them to leave me the hell alone.
16. If someone mistreats me, they are creating bipolar symptoms. I tell them to stop or I leave them.
17. Mood swings are normal because I have bipolar disorder, but they are not really acceptable. I have learned to do everything possible to prevent mood swings.
18. Medicines can often have side effects worse than the illness. I have the right and the obligation to search for meds that work for me and I have the right and obligation to supplement western treatments with holistic treatments such as the Health Cards that help me get better so that I can take less meds.
19. Living with bipolar is like being a chameleon- I never know if I am green or brown- well, chameleons live with this and I can too- I have learned to work with the illness.
20. I do not make life decisions when I am ill.
21. I do not make phone calls or send emails to friends when I am paranoid.
22. I know that psych medications can affect my driving. I am careful not to drive when I am on strong meds.
23. I make rules about my behavior and I stick to them, such as I WILL NOT CANCEL APPOINTMENTS.
24. If something makes me uncomfortable, I walk away–and I do not have to apologize or explain myself–I just walk.
25. I do not get involved in ANYTHING that does not directly involve me such as a friend’s relationship problems and I know that when I do get over involved that I may get sick and that I need to work to stay well.
26. No rubber necking. I really do not need to know what happened in an accident on the street or an argument in a restaurant.
27. I often do embarrassing things when I am ill. I accept that this is part of bipolar disorder and I try to learn from my mistakes.
28. I turned off the tv and kept it off until I was well enough to be selective (this took three years). This is one of the absolute best treatments for depression.
29. If people helped me a certain way in the past and it no longer works, it is ok to say- thank you so much for your help, but this is what I need from you right now.
30. I turned my focus from being sick to getting well and now that I am better, I focus on staying well. My management never ends.
31. I take care of my friendships and educate my friends. Bipolar is known to leave a trail of wrecked relationships. I try not to let that happen anymore, but if it does, I learn from it and move on. It hurts and I cry, but I survive.
32. I listen to my inner voice and not the voice of bipolar. Do you know what your inner voice really says? I do- sometimes it’s just a whisper, but it’s the real me.
33. I never, ever, ever give up hope. Bipolar disorder is an illness – not my life. I can and will get better if I manage the illness daily.