The Fog in My Brain & The Lady in the Red Coat

And there goes the lady in the red coat who always rolls her socks exactly twice and twines that single braid round her head like a chignon fastened with two sticks.She dons a contagious smile that will surely pass from face to face as she greets the A.M. crowd. She is a mysterious one. Only seen passing by in the morning. It’s almost as if she disappears into thin air once she turns the corner by the gray walls of the bank building and heads toward the beach. But surely not with those 4" heels. She must stop somewhere before the beach. Whenever I see her I’m soon off in a reverie imagining all exciting adventures and splendors of the lady in the red coat. And I am she.

..Meantime what has walked through the door but the most gregarious, good looking, -- get a sensation in the stomach - gorgeous hunk of a man that I have ever viewed. "Mornin'" in a smooth baritone voice. Dark, almost black hair... there goes my first weakness. and when he raises his head it's direct eye-to-eye contact. The kind that leaves you as vulnerable as if you were stripped down to nothing and he could see right through you.

Green like the leaf of a willow. His eyes. They are a most unusual shade of green. They take me in, all the way. Almost speechless, I utter, "Oh those eyes" while thinking "They are likely going to get me into trouble."

Excuse me for staring, but you have the most unusual and beautiful red hair I''ve ever encountered.. Allow me to introduce myself...Timothy Higgins. I'm new in the condominiums and the handbook recommended this "Coffee Shoppe" as being close and having a wide assortment of coffees. Do you find it so?"

And then the fog lifted in my brain and my daughter tugged my hand "Mommy, do you mind it soo -- the rain? Why are you staring over at that coffee shop? We'd better hurry home, we're getting drenched in this downpour

ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY TYPES

I recently took a personality test at the request of my Ph.D. therapist and, interestingly, the results were so close on three different types that the company requested I wait a few days and retake the test (for free) a second time. In taking it the second time, I was more cautious and precise in my answers; in fact, I didn't answer a few because they were not strictly true statements, and it turned out that the types changed somewhat and zeroed in on one main strong type with three other high numbers. The entire system is based on the Enneagram which goes back in time quite a ways, but for purposes of psychology it is more current in time. Karl Jung one name you might recognize among the psychologists. The theory has an interesting history and is somewhat complex and interesting. After having arrived at a type, my therapist gave me her copy of Personality Types by Riso to read and I am learning about the nine different types and the theory of the Enneagram system. Surprisingly, while I have strong leanings toward three other types and would have guessed myself to have been one of them, upon reading the material, I found that the type I tested as fits me perfectly. Kind of gave me goosebumps. I asked what it meant if you had high numbers on several others and she explained it just meant that your personality was more widely developed from your basic type -- or, in other words, probably your life experiences had allowed you to broaden your abilities..
So what type am I? I scored 22 point on type 3, The Motivator --"self-asssured, ambitious to improve themselves and be the best, to help and motivate others; adaptable, energetic, charming and popular." Well that is what the book says. Also "concerned about what other people think and competitive. Bad traits of this type are calculating and capable of dishonesty. " The nine types are: 1.The Reformer 2. The Helper, 3. The Motivator, 4. The Artist, 5. The Thinker, 6. The Loyalist, 7. The Enthusiast, 8. The Leader, 9, The Peacemaker. I scored high(17s) on The Helper, Reformer, and Leader. Originally, I had scored equally high on all four.
The system then explains how you function at a certain level of the personality, i.e., healthy, average or unhealthy and how your behavior is at that level. It is really very interesting. Why, you ask would I want to do this? Well, in theory, if you know your personality type, it will help to understand your behavior and you can then aim for the healthy behavior of your personality type in order to be well balanced psychologically.

Interestingly, Type 7 from a psychological perspective is the type whose behavior is marked as a manic depressive person when functioning at the unhealthy level.

If you have had your curiosity piqued by this, go to Enneagram Institute in the search box and you will find further info on this as well as how to take the test which has a cost of $10. I found it very interesting as a bipolar person...it has shed a little additional light on my world. Peace to all of you.

BIPOLARQUARED

Greetings to all of you from Phoenix where I am visiting my son, his new fiance and my two grandsons. It is a happy occasion to have a new daughter-in-law to be in the family and I always enjoy my grandsons who are a blast, I've seen members of my former in=laws and it was wonderful to see them as well, We've been to view several reception halls for the wedding and a truly cool one has been selected. I'm having a great time. Why the title for the blog?

I have also seen a good old friend with whom I have a lot in common -- the boys' mother - my son's ex-wife, You see, she is also bipolar. Interestingly, she and I were both diagnosed at about the same time. She was unable to cope with life once it hit her and she is still having a rough time of it. I so wish she were in Texas with me and my doctors! We spent several hours together and I wrote a letter for her doctor which might help -- if I see her to give it to her --she is supposed to come by today -- but things don't always stay stable in her world. Why can't this disorder be more like diabetes where there is one drug for all patients??? Why does it have to be so UNIQUE Nope, no one-size-fits-all approach for treatment here, She has tried any number of medications as have many of us,,,this one makes me numb, this one make me see double...not this one I get belligerent and want to kill people! and drugs aren't enough -- you have to have therapy with them..,.WHY DO THEY NOT INSIST ON THIS??????????? It was not until I met my therapist A PhD --- SOMEONE QUALIFIED TO DO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY...that I started to really improve. But more on that tomorrow, For today, this is dedicated to Stormy who struggles --- she's my buddy, And nobody but a bipolar person will ever understand how a bipolar person enjoys another bipolar person!