The Importance of Team You, Part I

This is part one of a five-part series.
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

What is Team You?

One of the best concepts I’ve taken from the lovely Captain Awkward is that of Team You.  The term has never been clearly defined, but there is enough on their website to form a thorough idea of what it means.

Most times I’ve seen the term used, it’s due to an emergency (eg. “He left you? Time to call Team You”). But a person with bipolar disorder or not only has to deal with emergencies like relationship troubles or deaths in the family, but also mood episodes ranging from isolating depression to mania to full-blown psychosis.

That’s where Team You comes in. Who are they? Supportive, unbiased people in your life like counselors, psychiatrists, parents, reliable sitters, religious figures, and/or one or more friends (who may or may not have kids of their own).

In short, this is a group of people—online or off, professional or otherwise—who:
• Are willing to listen to you vent and then ask, “Have you talked with your therapist about this?”
• Preferably have knowledge or experience with mood disorders
• Can possibly identify when you’re sliding into an episode
• May be able to stage an intervention
• Don’t mind getting lunch with you on a bad day
• Generally give you solid advice
• BONUS: May be able to watch your kids on occasion, especially during emergencies

A good Team You is not only effective at supporting your efforts at damage control, they also tend to keep you on an even keel during periods of stability. I am lucky enough to have a few friends with whom I can be completely honest about my ups and downs–and who can be honest with me about them, too!

People on Team You want you to be happy, healthy, and sane. They’re your supporters, your allies, and your friends. Sounds nice, right? Well, stick around; we’ll next be covering how to find Team You, how to avoid burning out your Team, and who shouldn’t be on it.

What qualities do you think people on Team You should have? Do you have people like that in your life?

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