How to Help Someone with Bipolar Disorder

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Seeing your loved one, partner, friend, or family member going through the blues of bipolar disorder can be really difficult for you. In the beginning, it might be very difficult for the person and you as well because you both are in the acceptance stage. In this stage, accepting the illness and adapting the moods and behaviours affects negatively everyone in the house. It can also disturb your relationship with others. During this period, it is really important to know how to help your loved one with bipolar disorder and how to help yourself mentally. In this blog, I have prepared a mini-guide to help someone with bipolar disorder. Herein, I have discussed each and everything that needs to be taken care of during diagnosis, treatment, and after treatment. So, let’s get started.

First of all, it is quite important to know, what exactly bipolar disorder is:

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is also referred to as a manic depression. It is a type of mental health disorder that causes intense and extreme changes in mood, activity, and energy levels. In turn, this also affects someone’s ability to carry out regular tasks. Bipolar disorder is commonly diagnosed in young adults and older teenagers. It’s Important to know what to say to someone with. As per psychology, there are six types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I Disorder
Bipolar II Disorder
Cyclothymia and cyclothymic disorder
Medication-induced bipolar
Bipolar disorder due to another underlying health condition
Related disorder and unspecified bipolar

Bipolar disorder needs proper diagnosis, identification, and treatment. Therefore, if you think you or your loved one might be having a mental health condition, visit a mental health professional before concluding anything on your own.

Best and Effective Ways to Help Someone with Bipolar Disorder

Before Diagnosis: Learn everything about the bipolar disorder

The first step towards helping your loved one with bipolar disorder is to educate yourself completely. The idea is to take the basic knowledge of disorder, symptoms, causes, and treatment methods so that you can work on them without missing a beat. Additionally, learning about the disorder will also help in easy and effective management. Here are a few things that you can do to learn about bipolar disorder:

Google everything about the disorder.
Checking your knowledge.
Consulting with an experienced friend or family member so that they can guide.
Consulting with a mental health provider for diagnosis and treatment further.

Before Diagnosis: Encourage your loved one to seek professional help

After decking up yourself with full knowledge and information about bipolar disorder, it’s time to encourage your loved one to seek professional help. Getting a proper diagnosis, treatment and support is really important to fight the blues of bipolar disorder. The sooner the disorder will be diagnosed, the sooner your loved one is going to feel better. Additionally, please don’t wait to get them better without any professional support or treatment. Here are a few things that you can do to encourage your loved one:

Discuss their feelings openly.
Communicate how important it is to get treatment.
Ask them about their therapist’s choices.

After Diagnosis: Identify their triggers, and symptoms, and accept their own limits

Along with getting treatment, it is really important to track the symptoms, triggers, and manic episodes in order to self-help them for a speedy recovery. Additionally, during episodes or triggers accept their feelings and emotions. The fact is that you cannot control their moods therefore, don’t snap out on them and keep your self-control, reasoning, and willpower high. Here are a few things that you can do to manage their treatment:

Track their symptoms and triggers
Accept their feelings and emotions
Offer help without any judgment
Always wait for the bright days
Offer help with medication management
Control your stress levels and accept your limits

After Diagnosis: Communicate openly and provide support

Be open and honest towards communication. Always keep sharing tips and techniques to cope with bipolar disorder with your loved one. You can also share your concerns with them in an effective way. You can also ask them about how they feel, do they feel any sign of recovery, are they experiencing any triggers lately. You can also offer your extended support by saying a few lines like:

I am always here for you.
You are not alone; I am here to support you.
Your recovery is important and I am here to help you with your feelings and emotions.
I may not be able to feel or understand but I really care about you.

During Treatment: Finding the right professional and encouraging taking medications on time.

If your loved one feels like the therapist or counselor is not the right fit, you can always change them. And, you can search online as well for various treatment modes and the best professionals from around the globe. The idea is to be involved in the treatment method so that your loved one can feel supported and loved. Here are a few things that you can do to provide your extended support:

Find certified and experienced professionals only.
Set up appointments and partner them for their appointments.
Monitor their symptoms
Learn about their medications and manage their medication schedules.
Track the progress and watch signs of relapse
Keep an eye on warning signs

During Treatment: Taking care of your loved one and yourself

Always be prepared with a crisis plan. Monitor their healthy eating and sleeping style. Do not make personal comments; avoid judgments and arguments with them. Whenever they ask something about their treatment or recovery and always be honest and open so that they can understand. Meanwhile, take good care of your mental health as well. Along with the support of your loved one, follow the below important points:

Focus on your own life as well
Seek support and ask for help when required
Set boundaries
Manage stress levels

I hope this blog helps you with the best and most effective ways to help someone with bipolar disorder before and after diagnosis and treatment.

Thanks for reading!

Take care and stay safe.

By Janny Thomas
who is a technical content writer. As from being a capable engineer, her technical knowledge and expertise in research, blended with an intimate passion to write made her love her profession to the core. She is an avid reader.

Member since October, 2019
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