My Two Faced Friend

Helping a Friend with Bipolar Disorder:

Helping a Friend with Bipolar Disorder.

Jo, how can I support my friend with bipolar disorder who is currently in the hospital because she had a break down? Being her friend is very hard and I never know what to say when she is not herself. I don't understand bipolar too much , but I want to support her while she is being hospitalized and let her know I want to help anyway I can.

Answer:

Bipolar disorder is a psychological disease condition that is manifested in explicit and extreme change in mood of the patient. This is a state where the patience experience extreme emotional highs commonly known as hypomania and intense emotional lows or depressions intermittently. The patient swing from euphoric to depression may range from a couple of times in a year to several times in a week depending on the severity of the disorder. This condition is often treated with medication and psychological counseling. However, the help offered by loved ones around the patient is critical in helping to manage the condition.

Definitely, it is not easy to help a loved one with bipolar disorder because the people around the patient such as spouses, children, brothers and friends are the ones that are directly affected by this anomalous emotional disorder. It therefore requires an understanding of the condition and the willingness to be of help to adequately assist a loved one suffering from such disorder. To be candid, the loved ones around the suffering patient can help manage the condition and alleviate the situation; on the other hand, the way they handle emotional swing of the suffering patient can also worsen the disease condition.

In caring for a friend with bipolar disorder, one has to be supportive and sympathetic; not blaming the effect of the illness on the suffering patient at the same time not sacrificing personal emotional wellbeing of another person.

The first step in helping a patient with bipolar disorder is to learn how to handle a friend during a bipolar episode. It is important not to react with words that may hurt emotionally though the suffering friend may be reckless, cruel, hostile and moody; while in some extreme situation, might be aggressive. It is important in such situation to realize that such reaction is caused by illness and not as the patient’s volition.

Convince the friend suffering from bipolar disorder to seek medical help. You may visit a physician together. Also, encourage such a friend to stick to medication and appointment with physician, and also advise to join specialized groups that care for people with bipolar disorder. It is important to have the contact detail of a family doctor handy in even of an inevitable attack, otherwise, a call to 911 or any emergency line as applicable will be of utmost help. Most patients suffering from such condition tend to have suicidal tendencies, it is therefore important that such a person is not left alone during an emotional swing.

Caring for a friend with bipolar disorder may be stressful and take a toll on work, study and relationship with orders who does not understand the situation. This could be exhaustive physically and emotionally. Taking time out to relax is therefore important to maintain personal wellbeing.

Yours Truly, Jo

#Bipolarsupport #mentalillness #makingbluehappy