How Should You Act When Your Partner Is Bipolar?
Bipolar disorder affects emotions. For this It commonly interferes in affective relationships, and especially in those of a couple.
In the course of the relationship, the bipolar person may be affected positively or negatively. It is important that, if this is your case, you understand that you play a very important role and support your partner .
The main thing is that you arm yourself with patience and be the one who provides an emotional balance in the relationship. Know that people with bipolar disorder have behaviors that are not voluntary.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolarity is a psychiatric condition that produces episodes of depression alternated with euphoria in people . This is stated in this report from the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States.
In many cases they tend to become chronic episodes and that is why people who suffer from it require lifelong medical control.
This disorder can be inherited, although the genetic defect that causes it has not yet been identified.
The causes of affective disorders are unknown, but it is believed that they may be the result of a number of neurobiological and psychosocial factors.
Can I do something for my bipolar partner?
Being with a person with bipolar disorder It does not mean that you should be the one who takes care of her permanently, or that you put your life aside.
There are many things you can do for your partner without neglecting yourself.
1. It is important that you help your partner to recognize the symptoms
Who better than you who is constantly with your partner to realize what is happening to him. Little by little you will gain experience and you will know when a crisis or relapse is about to occur.
This will allow you to respond in advance and avoid it.
2. Work hand in hand with the doctor
You will be the perfect source of information for him to constantly evaluate your partner’s progress.
If you have good communication with the doctor, you will get the best out of each of the consultations . Try not to hide any details and, if you consider it necessary, write down what you consider important.
3. Don’t overprotect your partner
Overprotecting your partner won’t do him any good. A bipolar person spends most of the time as if they did not have any illness, they lead a normal life.
You should not limit his autonomy or his responsibilities when he is stable.
However, when there are episodes of mania or depression, it is important that you accompany him most of the time . This way you can prevent any self-destructive behavior.
4. Don’t criticize
It is possible that, unintentionally, you are criticizing your partner with some frequency. Keep in mind that you are one of the people with whom it counts and in which the most confidence have. Remember that breaking this trust can do you a lot of harm, according to this study carried out by the Open University of Catalonia.
Always remember that your partner’s symptoms are not fake . They do not want to suffer from this disorder and may be doing their best to recover.
5. Make sure your partner takes his medications
Supervise that medication is taken properly. There are some cases where When people begin to feel better, they think that it is not necessary to continue medical treatment.
However, stopping it totally or partially without consulting the doctor can cause your partner to relapse and even get worse.
How can you take care of yourself while your partner suffers from bipolar disorder?
Many times it can happen that, when you take care of another person, you forget to take time for yourself and recharge.
It is very necessary that you dedicate yourself a space, so much so that it may be necessary that you have to resort to therapy. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, so you will have to deal with it for life.
You must make sure that you can take care of both of them during certain times, and that is why it is essential that you have the support of family and friends, as having this responsibility can be difficult at times.
If you feel that you have a hard time dealing with your partner’s bipolarity, a good option is to discuss it with a therapist.
Living with a person with this disorder can be very difficult for some and it is reasonable that you seek all kinds of support to move forward.
What should I do if my partner has a crisis?
Mainly you should be attentive about whether your partner wants or can harm himself or those around him.
You should seek help quickly if you feel that you are not capable of taking control of the situation. AND Vita at all costs to leave your partner alone during a crisis and contact the doctor who treats your case as soon as possible.
Talk to the specialist and ask him to please provide you with his personal number in case you need his support in a crisis .
If you notice that your partner has one or more of the symptoms mentioned here, encourage him to go to the doctor and undergo a treatment that will allow you to lead a better quality of life together.
