How ironic that when I want words of wisdom, my thoughts disappear. Instead of sharing successful tips and ideas, my mind is blank. Losing words and thoughts is annoying--and is a part of bipolar.

After a stroke, I helped my mother practice word association. She could remember flower, for example, but not rose. I didn't fully understand how she felt until I lost words too. The more I struggled, the less I talked around others. That wasn't the answer, of course.

Most people, if not everyone, will forget words. If we react negatively, the stress will compound the problem and we'll struggle more. However, if we shrug it off as part of being human, we aren't letting the bipolar have the upper hand.