Living with someone who is suffering from bipolar disorder is not an easy task. It is essential that you educate yourself about your loved one’s illness, its symptoms and treatments. You need to give the affected family member or friend your unconditional love and support. You can give reassurance for the future, but mostly hope.
Don’t try to fix problem
Never try to fix the patient’s problems on your own; nine out of ten times you will frustrate yourself. Instead, you should encourage them to get professional assistance. Always take into account that a mood disorder has a significant bearing on the person's attitudes and beliefs. For example, if the person in question says things such as, "nothing good will ever happen to me", "no one loves or cares about me", it is quite easy to jump to the conclusion that it is their illness talking and try to resolve the issue in their mind. With proper treatment they will realize what they are thinking is wrong.
Realistic expectations and symptoms
You should have realistic expectations of and for your loved one. It is believed that patients can recover fully but it will not happen overnight. This is why it is important to be patient and have a hopeful attitude. This is a real physical illness with a bearing on brain; it is just as much an illness as diabetes or asthma. It is not a character flaw, personal weakness or caused by anything you or anyone else did.
Suicide Threats
Take threats of suicide seriously. People assume this is a tactic to get attention, it is not.
Encourage them to get assistance and help by contacting a professional immediately.
Do not promise your loved one that you will keep this as a secret. You may be required to tell a health care provider or a family member about suicide threats in order to save their life.
Find out if your friend or family member has any course of action in hand. Discussing it does not have to mean you are assisting them to plan suicide; they may require talking about it and may welcome discussing it.
Listen to them and offer your help.
Manic episode
A manic episode may cause a patient to believe things that are not real. They can make big plans and life altering decisions in this state. They spend money to excess or do things that may be life threatening. In that situation, do your best to assist your loved one to not do anything that can harm is harmful to anyone.
It is recommended that you urge them to put off any expensive or dangerous plans, spend large amounts of money, drive long distances or anything that sounds unsuitable. They may insist that all is well and they are in control. You may need to ask friends and family members or a professional to intervene. There may be someone in the family circle or in among friends who is very close to the individual suffering with bipolar disorder who can help you immensely in the proper treatment.
Counselling in bi polar patients
If you find yourself in the caretaker role for a person with a mental illness whose condition seems to be getting worse and you are not sure what to do next, it is likely that you will need counseling for at some point in time. It may assist your understanding of what lies ahead and how to tackle that situation. You need to opt for a professional counselor who knows how to deal with bipolar patients and their loved ones.
