Bipolar Disorder: Open Access
Open Access

Dealing with Bipolar Disorder of a Friend or Someone close

Shally Shukla^{* *}Correspondence: Shally Shukla, Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Chandigarh, India, Email:

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Introduction

A friend who suffers from bipolar disorder can become withdrawn and uncommunicative. This mental illness of a person might sometimes not be under control. Long depressive episodes where a person did not talk to anyone can be followed by short manic ones. As a friend, one might have no idea how to help or how to help ourself while living with such individual. The person might suddenly get angry on others, and we may get worried about what to do if the person hurt himself/herself. We might not know how to manage, if we should call someone, and even we might not be aware of the consequences of how a suffering person would react.

Don’t Take it Personally

It's difficult to accept, but people who are depressed don't always want to chat, and it's not because they hate you or are being rude. One of the "dos" of coping with a loved one, according to Mdjunction.com, is to "realize your friend is angry and upset with the illness, not with you".

Recognize Triggers

Drinking makes people manic. On the surface, mania appears to be a benign condition. The person is cheerful, exuberant, and outgoing. Manic bipolar disorder patients, on the other hand, often experience a depression that lasts longer and is more intense than the mania. I told my friend about this, explaining that when she drank, her nights generally ended in sadness.

After convincing few people might respond properly, and cut down drinking. However, some people may be unable to accept accountability. It's difficult to make a friend improve, but pointing out reasons can help them understand why they behave the way they do.

Talk to Their Family when Necessary

In such cases, we should discuss about the disorder with the family members so that it becomes easier to handle the person with their emotions.

Know When to Seek Assistance and Take Responsibility for your Decision

“If someone you know or love talks about suicide, even jokingly or in a passing comment, pause and listen,” Terri Cheney, author of A Memoir and The Dark Side of Innocence: Growing Up Bipolar, writes. Inquire whether he or she has a strategy. Above everything, pay attention”.

You don’t Know How they Feel

One must never act as if they know how someone suffering from bipolar disorder feels. Being empathetic and genuinely listening to what your friend has to say would go a long way beyond reminding them about a time when you were down and how it's the same for them. It's not the case. Most importantly, don't order them to "get over it." It's not so easy.

Don’t Put your Friend’s Needs Before your Own

"Supporting your loved ones may require some life changes," writes Jeanne Segal, author of The Language of Emotional Intelligence, "but make sure you don't lose sight of your own goals and priorities. "Having a friend or family member who suffers from bipolar disorder can be difficult and time-consuming”. However, the disease does not have to define the individual. After a several and continuous interaction with Bipolar person one can learn to become more empathetic and accepting of people, whose moods cannot be justified or even fully comprehend.