Do you have Bipolar Disorder? Or does someone you love have bipolar symptoms? How do you deal with Bipolar Relationships? If someone EuroDate.com review you know has Bipolar Disorder, how can you help? Some disorders and the relationship problems they cause can be hard to solve. Bipolar is one of them. How to tell if someone has it? The only way to be sure is to obtain a diagnosis from a qualified mental health practitioner. But let's look at the hallmark symptoms of bipolar disorder. Diagnosis The main way to tell if someone meets the criteria for bipolar is to determine if they have mood swings. Now everyone has mood swings. That is to the say, mood swings are normal, to an extent. Plus, mood swings can be symptoms of other disorders, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Cyclothymia, a type LetmeDate of depression. Stress can cause mood swings, or living a chaotic and uncertain lifestyle. So, just because a person has mood swings, that doesn't mean he or she has bipolar disorder. Pre-adolescents and adolescents, for example, can appear bipolar, manifesting bipolar symptoms. Given all the drama in middle school, who wouldn't have fluctuating moods? Some people may be more dependent upon their environments and changes in their circumstances than others, so their behaviors may seem rather up and down. Personality factors may also come into play.
Bipolar is different in that it means extreme shifts in mood. When the person feels good they feel real good, and when they take a dive they really go down. In other words, when they're in a manic phase, they're on top of the world, and they have expansive, often unrealistic YourLatinMates.com thoughts. And when they go into a depressed phase, they generally hit rock bottom, seeing everything as gloom and doom. Just remember, the bipolar test is extreme mood swings. As the bipolar person's emotions run the gamut, going from extreme to extreme, it can be hard on them, and everyone around them. Spouses, in particular, have a hard time adjusting to the changes. Non-bipolar spouses often tell me it's like dealing with two different people, or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What can you do about it? The Ten Golden Pillars of Dealing with A Bipolar Person First... get an accurate diagnosis. Be sure. Know what you're dealing with. Genetic testing may be a new option. Second... once they have a bipolar diagnosis, encourage them stay on their prescribed medication, which smooths out the mood swings. Bipolar is one of those mental disorders that requires medication in order for the patient to be able to function at his or her best. Third ... learn about bipolar disorder. Understand bipolar symptoms. Learn how to best support your bipolar loved one. And learn what not to do. Get help from the professionals in determining the most effective ways to help. You can begin with these tips, and go form there. Fourth... stay calm and avoid over-reacting to bipolar episodes, or you'll have two people acting as if they have bipolar disorder in the household. Talk about chaos! Fifth ... avoid taking their behaviors personally. Remember,they have an illness. Sixth... take good care of yourself, and make sure you get the support -- emotionally, physically and spiritually -- you need to stay strong. Seventh ... the seventh golden pillar of relating well to your bipolar loved one is to resist the urge to change them. You can't. So don't try to do it. Or you'll make the bipolar person feel unworthy and resentful. He or she may try to change for you, deep inside knowing they can't. And you'll just do more harm than good, ultimately disappointing yourself. Eighth... listen closely to what your bipolar friend has to say. Make them feel heard, accepted and understood. Ninth... do things together, and spend time having fun. Lots of fun. Let the good times balance out the bad. Focus on the good, not the bipolar symptoms that drive you mad. Tenth ... express your feelings and concerns, but don't blame or put your spouse down. What About Therapy? Yes, therapy does help with bipolar disorder, but only certain kinds have been associated with successful treatment outcomes in the literature. Find a therapist who specializes in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Encourage your bipolar spouse to go to therapy and to stay with it. Many tend to quit before it starts to help. The key to working with bipolar disorder is to respect the disorder, and to work with it, not against it. If you do your best to understand how the disorder impacts the patient, and how, in turn, you can be affected, you'll be on your way to improving your bipolar relationship. Other disorders are hard on relationships, too, such as ADHD, Autism spectrum disorders, Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder, to name a few. In all cases, it pays to learn as much as possible about the disorders involved, and to get the help you need to provide the best possible care and support to the diagnosed individual. In Sum It will be a labor of love, at its best, even when you become really skilled at working with a difficult relationship partner. Dealing with the various forms of mental illness can be difficult and discouraging, and may be more than some can handle. Don't do it alone -- get backup and help. But you can make your relationship better when you accept the problem, for what it is, and stay calm when problems pop up. See to it that your loved one takes his/her medication properly and consistently. And remember, be sure to provide high quality self-care. You're going to need support because this is a considerable undertaking. Richard Hamon is a professional therapist and coach with over 35 years of experience. Richard helps people to solve their relationship problems, enjoy truly extraordinary marriages and find exceptional success in all areas of their lives. You'll find all kinds of articles on how to spice up your relationships and lead a better life at Richard's website, Happy-Relationships.com. Find out about therapeutic services and take a free relationship quiz to help you assess your relationship.
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