How Not to Live (or so I've been told)

Hi friends, this was a wild idea for a video and one that I would absolutely love your input on. I didn't really plan it out or anything but it was fun to do! Yes, Oliver makes an appearance:)
Instagram:
/ livingwellwithbipolard...

[@DannyD-lr5yg]

This was completely mind blowing. I didn’t realize I do that until you described it. I never really thought about it.
Sometimes my “get from one day to the next” “bread crumbs” are a totally random assortment or goals and sensory things, like:
- playing piano
- rearranging my apt (you can only rearrange so much!)
- decluttering (again, you can only declutter so much!)
- walking to the grocery store right before they close at 1am lol
- Stouffer’s frozen lasagna, eaten ONLY after midnight
- Boston Market Salisbury steak, eaten ONLY after midnight
- a particular tv show
- a particular brand of chocolate (it morphs over time)
- a particular coffee
- a particular person, be it a friend or love interest
- running certain errands (like, if I go on a kick where every evening after work I go to a particular shopping center; it almost feels like I keep forgetting little things so I have an excuse to go back)
- macrame
- whittling sticks
- walking to the park with my dog
- ~adult activities
- many more, I’m sure
Some of those may sound silly - like the lasagna lol - but, during periods a few years ago that I retrospectively (I’m in the process of diagnosis now) believe to have been mixed episodes, sometimes it’d be 11pm, then midnight, then 1am and I’d finally get home - why? Because I had to drive all over town to 4 different Walmarts to find the exact frozen meal I wanted. Why did it have to be that one? It just did, and it felt like I’d explode or fall apart at the seams if I didn’t get it. No substitutions. And let’s just hope they didn’t randomly change their recipe, because I _would_ notice. What’s funny is I’d often fall asleep before it was done microwaving, thus accidentally wasting the entire thing. So it wasn’t even about the food; it was more like the food was a security blanket, if that makes sense?

[@livingwellwithbipolardisor3173]

It makes complete sense to me! Oh boy do I have a few similar stories and quirks. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@kikaromero138]

When I have been depressed and suicidal the one time, about 11 years ago… I lived from one day to the next. That was my survival technique. I figured taking one day at a time, I would be able to survive.
Any other time that I had not felt that way I have lived from goal to goal, 1 event to the next, and season to season.
Personally it’s been like this for me in my happy life and I believe this is an ok way to live, because I believe it keeps the spirit rejuvenated. Sometimes I can overdue goals and feel drained. So as soon as I plan the next goal or think about the next goal it creates excitement, gives me strength to move forward, or imagine the adventure.

[@livingwellwithbipolardisor3173]

Thank you 🙏 That is encouraging to hear that I’m not alone❤️

[@runningfromthedog]

For me “breadcrumbs” give my life purpose, direction and focus. If an episode hits and becomes excruciating I live minute to minute. I think how you choose to survive is a very personal thing. I need to find meaning, I can’t just exist. If I’m just existing with mental illness then life feels like a cruel joke. If I find meaning to the struggle I can keep moving forward. But I need “breadcrumbs” to keep me moving in the right direction, to give me something to aim for, without them I’m simply lost. So I guess I’m pro “breadcrumbs”.

[@livingwellwithbipolardisor3173]

Love it! Maybe you could use “breadcrumbs” as a title for one of your lovely poems❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@DannyD-lr5yg]

As for whether this is good, or okay, or beneficial: I’m gonna have to be thinking about this one, too. I think its one of those things like hyper focus, or the ability to feel deeply: _can_ be beneficial, but can also be horrifically detrimental.