9 Tips To Help Someone With Bipolar Disorder

People with bipolar disorder need, in addition to medical and psychological treatment, the support of other people who are important to them. This helps to improve and alleviate your discomfort.

The accompaniment and support of significant people (family and friends) represents a fundamental pillar to apply the advice that helps in the treatment of bipolarity. These people are a source of external motivation and help to improve treatment outcomes and adherence. Next, we’ll talk about helping someone with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness that causes mood swings in those who suffer from it. Its repercussions cause a serious deterioration in the interpersonal, labor and social spheres. Therefore, to ensure the person’s well-being, it is essential to obtain medical and psychological care.

If you know or live with a person with this disorder, we would like to invite you to continue reading as we will present some tips to provide you with the appropriate and necessary support.

What is bipolarity?

This is a mental condition that causes extreme and uncontrollable mood swings. These changes comprise a manic or hypomanic polarity, characterized by high levels of euphoria, agitation and a feeling of grandeur, and a depressive one, referring to feelings of sadness, disinterest and tiredness.

Mood swings don’t happen suddenly, meaning they can take months. Likewise, its intensity is marked, which generates a lot of discomfort and a significant deterioration in the person’s interpersonal, social and professional functioning.

Depending on the symptoms, we can classify different types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I disorder : consists of the manifestation of at least one manic episode. Before or after, the person may have had hypomanic episodes (mild expression of mania symptoms) or major depression.

Bipolar II disorder : the person has experienced at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode. In this case, he has no manic episodes. Therefore, the diagnosis would become type I.
Cyclothymic disorder : characterized by chronic fluctuations in mood that include multiple periods of hypomanic symptoms (not meeting criteria for a hypomanic episode) and periods of depressive symptoms (not meeting criteria for a major depressive episode). These changes have been present for at least 2 years in adults and one year in children and adolescents.
Other types : in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM V), bipolar disorders include those caused by substances or medications.

Bipolarity is a chronic approach pathology that needs the support of the family network.

Tips to help someone with bipolar disorder

In addition to medical treatment, support from family and friends is extremely important to ensure the well-being and stability of people with bipolar disorder. If you live or know someone with this condition, you can help them in a number of ways.

1. Learn everything you can about bipolar disorder

The more you know about this disorder, the more likely you are to help. This involves understanding depressive and manic symptoms, available treatments, and the consequences of seizures.

2. Help him accept his disorder

It is vitally important that the affected person recognizes that they have a pathology. That way, you will be more willing to receive the help you need.

Remember that the role of family and friends is to provide follow-up and support. Therefore, the intervention of a mental health professional is necessary for a significant improvement.

One way a person can agree to go to therapy is to talk about the benefits it offers. At this point, it is pertinent to be careful with our words, as we do not intend for her to feel judged or pressured.

3. Follow the patient to therapy

Being willing and available to accompany you to therapy sessions can be an additional source of motivation. In addition, you also prevent the person from feeling lonely, which significantly contributes to their not giving up.

On the other hand, if the person authorizes it, it is useful to talk to the professionals who assist them. They will be able to offer you more valid information about your condition, advice on how to deal with specific crisis situations and respond to your concerns.

4. Be empathetic and understanding

Having empathy means putting yourself in the other’s shoes, which allows us to respond or act better. For this, it is essential to listen carefully, remain calm, avoid arguments, pass judgment or bring up any subject that irritates or frustrates.

Often, all these people need is a good listener, especially when they want to express their challenges. In these cases, what matters is expressing our acceptance and understanding. This way, she will feel more comfortable with her condition and will be more open.

5. Control your medication

The most effective treatment for bipolarity is the balanced combination of therapy and medications. In most cases, medications are essential to ensure emotional stability.

Consequently, one way to help the person is to check, as much as possible, that he or she is taking the medications in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations. If not, you should talk to her. Remember that these conversations should be non-judgmental.

6. Have an emergency plan

Bipolar disorder is often unpredictable. Likewise, depressive and manic attacks can be dangerous, both for the affected person and for those around them. Consequently, it is necessary to have full support to be able to deal with the case.

We advise that both the affected person and family and friends have the phone numbers of therapists, ambulances, hospitals and other people close at hand. That way, when a crisis occurs, it will be easier to ask for help.

7. Don’t forget your own care

If you live with someone with bipolar disorder, you can neglect your own personal care. It is known that being a caregiver in this pathology causes an emotional and psychological burden that ends up deteriorating well-being.

To help someone, you must have the emotional capacity to do so. To do this, make sure you get enough sleep, healthy eating, exercise, and even therapy.

8. Learn coping strategies to control crises

This can take time and even be complex. The key is to learn to recognize the symptoms or indicators that anticipate a manic or depressive episode and then take steps to stop the episode from developing or delay its onset.

Likewise, it is helpful for the affected person to learn to recognize these signs and be able to act on their own. This helps her gain self-control and autonomy.

Bipolar disorder attacks are intense, and it takes time to learn to deal with them as best you can.

9. Offer quality time

People with bipolarity often have difficulty establishing and maintaining stable and long-lasting relationships. That said, it ‘s important that you spend quality time and have fun with the patient, avoiding isolation and feeling alone.

You can think of activities that you both enjoy, that guarantee interaction and provide the feeling of a normal life.

Apply these tips to help someone with bipolar disorder

Helping and monitoring someone who suffers from bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness, can be a big challenge. It implies making efforts that guarantee, as far as possible, the well-being of the other.

That is why it is vital not to forget about self-care and to get as much information as possible about the disease. This will allow you to provide more targeted support tailored to individual needs.