How to treat a bipolar person

Bipolar disorder is a disease that can be difficult to live with, since it usually produces a large number of alterations in the functioning of the person who suffers it. But if the person lives with stable habits, avoid situations that generate added stress and continue Its treatment can lead to optimal functioning and thus lead a family, social and work life standardized.

The people around you can help you get there! If you want to know how to treat a bipolar person do not hesitate to continue reading this article on Psychology-Online.

Index

1. What is bipolar disorder according to psychology
2. How to treat a bipolar person in love and friendship
3. How to help a bipolar person
4. How to treat a bipolar person in a depressive episode
5. How to treat a bipolar in manic phase

Bipolar disorder is a Mental illness that affects the mechanisms that regulate mood and behavior. Originates major mood swings, from a deep unhappiness to a state of intense euphoria, or to mixed states in which excitement is mixed with feelings of sadness. From psychology and psychiatry we talk about manic or hypomanic episodes, depressive episodes and mixed episodes.

How to diagnose bipolar disorder in adults

There are different manifestations o types of bipolar disorder and they differ in the intensity and frequency of depressive and manic or hypomanic episodes. To correctly diagnose bipolar disorder, it is important that these episodes have a certain duration and persistence in the person. This diagnosis can only be made by a health professional (specialized psychologist or psychiatrist)

Although living with a person with bipolar disorder can be difficult, there are some attitudes and behaviors that can help both the patient and those around him:

Acceptance

One of the most important steps in knowing how to treat a bipolar person and improve their quality of life is to help them recognize and accept their illness.

Knowledge

The more you know about the disease, the better prepared you will all be to control it. In this other article we show you how a bipolar person acts in love.

Empathy

It is important to know him / her well and to put yourself in his / her shoes to be able to empathize and make him / her feel comfortable.

Out guilt

Bipolar disorder occurs when something goes wrong in the brain. No one should feel guilty because It is nobody's fault.

Support for

Feeling supported can help you maintain its stability. If you are one of the main sources of support, you have an important role since sometimes how he feels will depend on how you feel.

Communication

Always keep communicationeven during periods of difficult behavior. They won't always appreciate it, but they probably will in the future. It is also good to be an active listener, the simple fact that you can have someone who will listen to you will make you feel better.

Self-care

Do not take responsibility for his life, one thing is to live together and help and another, to live taking responsibility for his life. Accompany him but encourage him to be the one who learns to cope with it in order to face his life. Help your loved one to live as independently as possible. It is important to take care of yourself, we must know where our limits are and rest. Living together and trying to help out all day can be exhausting. Find time to get away from time to time and attend to your own needs.

If you need more guidelines to help a friend or a bipolar partner, you should take note of the tips that we offer below:

• PLANNING. Make a plan in advance with the person with the illness so that you both know how to act in times of crisis. You can also help him organize his life with calendars, journals and other support tools to maintain some regularity.
• ROUTINE. Regularity in sleeping habits, activities and eating habits is essential to reduce vulnerability to relapse.
• EXERCISE. Exercise with him / her, it is highly recommended for the mental and physical health of any person.
• DECISION MAKING. Impatience and impulsivity are characteristic of people with bipolar disorder. Do not rush when making a decision. It can wait. You have to think things through.
• FRIENDSHIP. Help him / her take care of his friends. The tendency to withdraw is one of the most damaging symptoms of bipolar disorder. As Baruch Spinoza said “Nothing is more useful to a human being than another human being”.
• MEDICATION. Supervises, without overwhelming, the correct administration of the medication. Taking medication is very important to control the disease.
• HOPE. If you find yourself in a bad time, the most important thing is not to lose hope. Bipolar disorder affects millions of people, and most are able to control the illness.

Here are some tips to avoid situations that can aggravate your condition:

• Try not to sleep more than 9 hours.
• Look out do not self-medicate.
• Encourage the performance of physical activities or to your liking.
• Avoid phrases such as "cheer up", "cheer up that face", "it's nothing ..." as they can be counterproductive. They can make you feel worse, as many of the symptoms do not depend on the person's will.
• Get in touch with your referral psychiatrist.

As we have commented previously, the manic episode It is characterized by an exaggeratedly high mood, feelings of euphoria, inflated self-esteem, lack of sleep and hyperactivity. In order to treat a bipolar person if he is going through a manic episode, you can help yourself with these tips:

• Increase the number of hours of sleep.
• Limit the number of activities. The more activities you do, the more euphoric you will be.
• Avoid arguments.
• Do not reason with him / her. We can distract your focus of attention doing an activity together.
• Reduce mental stress through relaxation exercises.
• Avoid the consumption of stimulants like coffee or tea.
• Get in touch with your referral psychiatrist.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to treat a bipolar person, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Vieta E, Colom, F. Living with Bipolar Disorder. Ars Medica. Madrid, 2014