| If you or your Significant Other has bipolar disorder, | | | | heartless; what it does mean is refusing to allow the |
| you probably already know that life can be difficult, | | | | illness to run your life. You must acknowledge that this |
| miserable, and chaotic. You may be interested to | | | | serious condition does exist, and you must also |
| know that it does not have to be that way -- that both | | | | acknowledge that it has to be dealt with. |
| you and your partner can take certain steps which will | | | | One part of this, obviously, is for the bipolar person to |
| make your lives much more livable and even pleasant. | | | | be responsible for such things as taking his or her |
| While the focus of bipolar relationships can be seen in | | | | medication on a regular basis, keeping scheduled |
| terms of adult-aged partners, these facts also hold | | | | appointments with the mental health professional who |
| true in other types of relationships, such as friends, | | | | is in charge of his or her treatment, and to follow the |
| siblings, and co-workers. | | | | doctor's advice. |
| Do Not Allow The Disease To Take Center Stage | | | | Setting Boundaries |
| The main problem in a relationship with a person who | | | | However, successful interactions in a bipolar |
| has bipolar disorder-- or, for that matter, any type of | | | | relationship does not end there; it is also necessary to |
| serious mental condition -- is that the illness can "take | | | | be clear as to what is and is not appropriate behavior. |
| center-stage." What this means is that the condition | | | | If you do not set this kind of limits and boundaries, you |
| becomes a focal point, and everything else revolves | | | | will very likely be in the position of tolerating |
| around it, having a very negative effect on everything | | | | inappropriate behavior, and the excuses that go along |
| and everyone else in the person's life. It is often quite | | | | with it. |
| difficult for either person to see that this is happening, | | | | If the person is receiving proper treatment, his |
| much less know what to do about it. | | | | "extremes" as well as everyday irritability should be |
| In bipolar relationships, the non-afflicted partner is often | | | | under some degree of control from medication |
| in either of two positions. Either he or she is in the | | | | maintenance; he also needs to know that he is |
| position of "enabling" the person who is ill, or he or she | | | | responsible for his behavior, and not be allowed to use |
| is in the position of attempting to ignore the illness | | | | "What do you expect, I'm bipolar!" as a convenient |
| altogether. Both of these relating methods are | | | | excuse. |
| destructive to the ill person, the non-ill person, the | | | | Bipolar relationships can be difficult for everyone |
| relationship, and their lives. Fortunately, there are better | | | | concerned; but this condition does not need to be a |
| ways of coping. | | | | reason for constant friction, disruption, or ongoing |
| Taking Responsibility | | | | chaos. The mental health professional can only do so |
| The first and most important step in managing a bipolar | | | | much; the patient himself must be responsible for his |
| relationship is to place the responsibility on the person | | | | own behavior. |
| who has it. This does not mean becoming cold and | | | | |