I read the Moodscope blog for insight into my daughter's bipolar - a friend once gave me some good advice - if I can help 10 times by changing something by 1% then 10% will be quite an improvement.

I have felt in the past that she sets her herself up for disappointment with unrealistic (and romantic) expectations and Tiffany's blog (15 Aug 2019) set me thinking - I feel fate intervened as I have been reading a book called The Chimp Paradox by Prof Steve Peters - It is a simplified analogy about how the brain works but in essence the premise is that we have a rational, logical human brain which learns about life (a bit too slowly sometimes) and a chimp brain which is reactive and is ready the moment we are born, requiring instant gratification to things like hunger and feelings. There is also a 'computer' which reacts the fastest and both the human and chimp have input to this. We have to learn to manage the chimp...

Anyway, it has made a great impression on me - there is help on how to have difficult conversations; how to have better relationships and how to get more enjoyment out of life. Although it requires effort and won't always work, I feel I have a better understanding of what I can change and what I can't - the bottom line is that we always have a choice - it doesn't necessarily change the circumstances but it can always change how we think about it and how we move on - so I feel that this might even be 10% in one whole go.

I love recognising the styles of the more regular contributors - your highs and lows and insights and questions - for me it is ways of helping and understanding the challenges you face that I value greatly! I would like you all to know that you are helping me by having more insight than I would otherwise have had so I do thank you and appreciate you all!!

If anyone has been helped by someone unexpectedly recently I would love to hear.

Lucy

A Moodscope member.