Tough yet Rewarding Ways on Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder

Giving unconditional love for bipolar disorder patients is a tough job. It is not easy to express love when you are being turned away from, disrespected or even ill-treated. It is never easy to lend a hand to those who think grandiosely of himself. Most importantly, it is never simple to care and understand someone who has disorganized thoughts and feelings.  

In-depth understanding of the illness is the primary aspect you need to undertake. If you do not understand what is happening to your loved one, then you will have difficulty relating to them. 

After you have gone through the understanding and assessing specifics of bipolar disorder of your loved one, then it is time to devise a plan wherein you should workout the problems.  

You need to recognize symptoms. 

It is not the fault of your loved one why he is inflicted with bipolar disorder that is the one thing you should take into account. He does not have control of his actions or of his feelings. 

You need learn to recognize the many symptoms of bipolar disorder. Does he have sleeping problems? Why is he getting too much or too little sleep? 

It is important to observe his moods, his actions and the way he relates to people. Jot it down so you know when and where it occurred so you have a basis to present. 

When you perceive that the symptoms can be most likely bipolar disorder, do not be embarrassed. 

Do not think of the illness as humiliation. 

To love someone knows no illness. Bipolar disorder is not an illness where you should cast off or put your loved one into shame. This type of disorder can be treated just like any other diseases.  

If you will feel ashamed of your loved one because he is inflicted with such illness, then you are not helping him restore his good health, instead you are letting him do worse than expected. 

Build trust.  

Trust is essential to individuals with bipolar disorder. They need you to trust them, not entrust them to other people or institutions such as the psychiatrists or an asylum.  

There will be times that you will feel that you cannot deal with your loved one anymore that you will be tempted to call the doctor for him to be fetched because you do not want to take care of them. Never let them hear you say those words because it will just aggravate the situation. 

To build up trust, an open and honest communication is needed.  

Keep the communication line open. 

Once you acknowledged the symptoms, and then ask yourself what you can do. However thinking of good ways to help your loved ones is not always the best way. You may think it is good but it may not really be helpful to the patient. Hence, it is needed that you communicate with the patient.  

An open and honest communication is vital. Encourage your loved one to talk about what he thinks and feels. Let him suggest ways on how you are supposed to relate to him. 

Do not suppress what you feel. However, there are positive ways to let your loved know how you feel. It is recommended that you avoid nagging, preaching or lecturing an individual with bipolar disorder. Such negative actions will drive him to detach. If you are concerned about him, let him see how concerned you are in a gentle and encouraging manner.  

Most importantly, apart from assistance, you need to offer your love, understanding and support.  
