Emotions are not collectable things. They are more like bubbles on a stream – you can examine them closely, but eventually you have to watch them float by. At which point they will be replaced by new bubbles.
For me, my bipolar moods are like these bubbles.These feelings (or lack of feelings) are things that are happening in my world . They are present, but passing – and I do not have to do anything about them, other than examine them.
This does not mean that my bipolar moods are in any way less real or less powerful than those experienced by other people – or by myself when I’m not involved in an episode. They are real. The are present.
But they are circumstantial.
This is important to note, because for bipolaroids like me, it becomes necessary to dissociate feelings from action.
My moods are not my choice. The stream doesn’t get to choose the size or frequency of the bubbles. They just happen.
Likewise,I am not responsible for my feelings. I am only responsible for how I respond. Just like everyone else.