spikes, it has gotten better for me despite a long period of near hell in my life. Yes, I have had much longer periods than a couple weeks of relief. I know of people that have several years of reprieve and when they do have episodes again, they are milder than in the past. Of course there are people that struggle a lot with bipolar disorder in their lives, but they have got to just keep fighting. I'm one of those, but as said, it's gotten much better/easier. I try to seize the times of relief and savor them. Mindfulness helps. I try to look at every second, day, and month individually and not waste that time waiting for or dreading the ball to drop. Even on days that don't seem perfect, it's good to allow yourself to enjoy the minutes that are pleasant. I know that we who have mental illness do have an extra struggle, but remember that even mentally healthy people don't enjoy a lot of their days that much.

There are many quotes that describe a sort of glass half full mentality:

"It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." - Unknown

"For every bad thing there are more good things to tip the balance." - Richelle Mead (Try not to be blind of the good.)

"Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us." - Unknown

"Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” — Napoleon Hill

"Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible." — Mao Zedong

"Don’t struggle about the struggle. In other words, life’s full of ups and downs. So if you’re struggling, don’t worry, everyone else has or will at some point." — Sean Covey