Helping a Loved One with Bipolar Disorder


Dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can be difficult—and not just for the person with the illness. The moods and behaviors of a person with bipolar disorder affect everyone around—especially family members and close friends. During a manic episode, they must cope with reckless antics, outrageous demands, explosive outbursts, and irresponsible decisions. And once the whirlwind of mania has passed, it often falls on them to deal with the consequences. During episodes of depression, they may have to pick up the slack for a loved one who doesn’t have the energy to meet responsibilities at home or work.

In addition to traditional medical treatment by qualified medical professionals (which has no substitutes), we also tried some other “natural” ways of managing ups and downs of Bipolar Disorder Symptoms. Book Conquer Stress, Depression & Anxiety was really helpful in maintaining “normal” mood levels.

Probably the best solution to stop anxiety, panic attacks and phobias is Linden Method. We strongly recommend you to try it. It’s a comprehensive and natural method to deal with many symptoms that accompany Bipolar Disorder.

The good news is that most people with bipolar disorder can stabilize their moods with proper treatment, medication, and support—so if your friend or family member has bipolar disorder, take hope. Furthermore, you can play a significant
role in his or her recovery.

Here are some ways you can help a person with bipolar disorder:

• Learn about bipolar disorder. Educate yourself about bipolar disorder. Learn everything you can about the symptoms and treatment options. The more you know about bipolar disorder, the better equipped you’ll be to help your loved one and keep things in perspective.
• Encourage the person to get help. The sooner bipolar disorder is treated, the better the prognosis, so urge your friend or family member to seek professional help right away. Don’t wait to see if the person will get better without treatment.
• Be understanding. Let your friend or family member know that you’re there if he or she needs a sympathetic ear, encouragement, or assistance with treatment. Remind the person that you care and that you’ll do
  whatever you can to help.
• Be patient. Getting better takes time, even when a person is committed to treatment. Don’t expect a quick recovery or a permanent cure. Be patient with the pace of recovery and prepare for setbacks and challenges.
  Managing bipolar disorder is a lifelong process.

I wish you and loved ones health, happiness and success in overcoming Bipolar Symptoms. Please scroll down to next posts to read more….

Recent research on various nutrients has suggested that some mental illness might be ameliorated by supplementation. Much work has focused on essential fatty acids (1), although various minerals are also being studied (especially zinc). We are evaluating a broad-based nutritional supplement that contains primarily trace minerals, plus vitamins and amino acids.

Recent work has suggested that crops grown with western farming methods contain fewer of these essential nutrients than they did in years past (2) . Although we have been examining the effects of the supplement on a variety of psychiatric symptoms in both children and adults, it appears to be particularly promising for bipolar disorder in adults.

We will present an open case series of 10 male patients aged 20-46 years who thus far have taken the supplement for 1.5 – 6 months. Four were diagnosed with Bipolar I, four with Bipolar II, one with Bipolar Mixed, and one with Bipolar-NOS. In most cases, the supplement has entirely replaced psychoactive medications and the patients have remained well. Side effects (e.g., nausea) have been rare, minor, and transitory. In all cases, the patients have been evaluated periodically with the Hamilton-Depression Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and the Young Mania Rating Scale.

The change in mean scores for each scale from study entry to the time of the last visit are as follows: Ham-D (20.4 to 8.2), BPRS (37.3 to 9.9), YMRS (16.8 to 6.1), and OQ (75.2 to 48.2).
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the supplement for Bipolar I has been funded and began in July 2000.
Authors: Bonnie J. Kaplan1, PhD; J. Steve A. Simpson1, PhD, MD; Richard C. Ferre2, MD; Chris P. Gorman1, MD; David McMullen1, MD; – 1Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 2Salt Lake City, Utah
AbstractPresented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association annual meeting October 4, 2000, Victoria, British Columbia.
References:
1. Stoll AL, Severus E, Freeman MP, Rueter S, Zboyan HA, Diamond E, Cress KK, Marangell LB: Omega 3 fatty acids in Bipolar Disorder: A preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry 1999; 56:407-412.
2. Mayer AB: Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables. British Food Journal 1997; 99:207-211

http://www.truehealth.org/break02.html

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lack of need of sleep with high energy and increased sex drive are symptomatic of bipolar. Particularly the lack of needing sleep and especially if it lasts for more than a day or two without being insighted by some environmental or internal trigger.

Many of the symptoms can be mistaken for eachother. It usually takes a long time differentiate which is which. And it is possible to have both. I do.

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I know that you are trying to find some evidence to support your suspicions right now. But if you want to continue having a girlfriend, if you want to help save her life, get her some help. Eating disorders alone are dangerous. Add the depressive and impulsive/manic symptoms of bipolar, and she’s an emotional powder keg. Either she will starve herself to death, intentionally hurt herself, or accidentally hurt herself while committing an impulsive act. If you love her, get her some help.

Having a Bipolar Spouse is not an uncommon instance in married people’s lives. Although a bipolar disorder may in ways affect the relationship, it can still be handled by strong couples. This disease can prove how couples love and understand each other because of the challenges it offers from the moment of its detection.

If you found out that you have a bipolar spouse, ask what things you should do to help him or her deal with it. Following are the “don’ts” (because the don’ts may be more important to consider as most partners react negatively upon receiving this diagnosis) in handling this kind of situation:

•    Do not judge them. Remember that this disease is a chemical imbalance which is out of their control. It is as if they are diagnosed with other biochemical diseases, such as diabetes. They do not need your opinion toward this disorder, they need your support.
•    Do not have pity for your situation. Your spouse may already be feeling guilty because of his/her burden to you. You would not want to add up to that depression as it might be dangerous for his/her condition.
•    Do not force them what option of recovery to choose. Discuss the matter with them, but allow them to make the decision. Giving ultimatums or orders would only increase their stress level, and take note that they cannot control chemical imbalances in their system.
•    Do not let yourself be the boss to handle the situation. Although you may know what is good for them, you should not start to take away or hide things from them. It will only make them feel alienated and controlled, increasing their levels of depression and desperation. It is best to consult a professional counselor about this to inform you of proper techniques. It would be better to ask your bipolar spouse to go with you, but if s/he would not, you can go alone anyway.
•    Do not be over protective. Do not handle their disorder for them because it will just wear you out. Let them be responsible for their own sickness, but you need to be there to support them.
•    Do not pretend to understand their situation because you do not. People having mood disorders are often extra sensitive to attitudes and reactions of other people so be completely honest with them. Tell them you do not know how they feel, but you are ready to help any way you can.

Following the reminders above will greatly help in handling this situation. You just need passion, sincerity, and understanding toward your partner so you can go through life with a bipolar spouse.

In the manic phase:

Euphoria or irritability
Excessive talk; racing thoughts
Inflated self-esteem
Unusual energy; less need for sleep
Impulsiveness, a reckless pursuit of gratification — shopping sprees, impetuous travel, more and sometimes promiscuous sex, high-risk business investments, fast driving
Hallucinations and or delusions (in cases of bipolar disorder with psychotic features)
In the depressive phase:

Depressed mood and low self-esteem
Low energy levels and apathy
Sadness, loneliness, helplessness, guilt
Slow speech, fatigue, and poor coordination
Insomnia or oversleeping
Suicidal thoughts and feelings
Poor concentration
Lack of interest or pleasure in usual activities