Living with Bipolar Disorder

Bringing Bipolar Home (part two of two)

The Numbers

According to an estimate 5.7 million Americans are Bipolar. This disorder typically becomes apparent during puberty when hormones are raging, wreaking havoc on a person’s life. Creating both personal and professional relationship conflicts, especially when misdiagnosed or misunderstood. However, having this disorder is not a reason to give up hope for a happy life or a reason to stop living. Many highly creative and successful people have been Bipolar and there are effective treatments available.

The Challenge

 Helping someone you know or love cope with bipolar symptoms can be challenging because an individual in a bipolar cycle can become agitated or even hyper-logical and, therefore, not be open to guidance. In these circumstances it may be beneficial to wait until these oppositional behaviors have subsided before offering these helpful tips:

-Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis -this can be a very effective!
-Get a psychiatrist’s evaluation and adhere to any regime they may prescribe.
-We can aid the bipolar person when they are acting erratically by concretely asking when and where they last took their medicine.
-Have them construct and maintain an emotional support system.
-Ask them to attend regular and structured counseling.
-Be supportive of their striving for proper nutrition and ask them to consider taking Omega 3 fatty acid supplements.
-Help them construct a daily routine and suggest they come up with a method to remain accountable to it.
-Encourage them to educate themselves about this medical condition.

Never give up Hope

These are but a few interventions. But, the important thing to remember is that there is help available and you don’t have to go it alone! Some of the world’s most creative and successful people have been Bi-polar and managed to do great things by thinking outside of the box. Get informed and have hope!

Note: The above article is only a simple beginning of the complex topic of what it means to cope with being Bipolar. The key is proper diagnosis and treatment.