Living with a family member with bipolar disorder is not easy and requires a lot of patience and understanding. To be effectively close to a bipolar subject it is essential that you offer him your moral support, that you take care of yourself and finally that you deepen your knowledge about this pathology.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Supporting your family member
Step 1. Understand that some of your family member's behaviors are characteristic of bipolar disorder
For example, a person who does nothing but brag or behaves selfishly is usually considered arrogant or self-centered. The same attitudes in a person with bipolar disorder are symptoms of mania, as are other socially unacceptable ways of acting. Recognizing them as symptoms of the disorder, rather than voluntary reactions from your spouse, is helpful in accepting their condition. However, be careful not to associate each mood change with her disorder, as you risk invalidating her "true" feelings.
The key to understanding your family member's disorder is communication. You should ask him to talk to you openly about his experience, trying to be discreet and making sure he doesn't feel uncomfortable, even before attempting any approach. If it sounds too risky, you could just ask him how he is feeling and get more information about the current experience
Step 2. Support your family member in their psychotherapy journey
Since psychotherapy, combined with drug therapy, plays a fundamental role in the treatment of bipolar disorder, it is important that it helps it to be constant. A great way to support him is to participate in psychotherapy sessions. Family-setting therapy could be a useful resource to support a person with bipolar disorder.
- Try to cooperate with your family member's therapist. If the latter has given you permission to freely confer with their therapist or doctor, you can communicate your problems and concerns as they arise. You may also want to ask him for additional suggestions to properly care for your family member.
- If he is not being treated by a therapist, you can encourage or help him find one. On the net you can find many useful resources and look for psychologists and psychiatrists specialized in the treatment of bipolar disorder operating in the area. However, do not force your family member to go into psychotherapy if they are reluctant (unless it is potentially dangerous to themselves and others), as it could scare them and damage your relationship.
Step 3. Get him to take medication consistently
A tendency to avoid medication is common among people with bipolar disorder, especially during the manic or hypomanic phase. If you notice that you have stopped taking your medicines, you should promptly report this to your doctor. In most cases, the doctor will speak to the patient and advise you how to proceed. If you are unable to contact the doctor, you can encourage your family member to take the drugs or offer them incentives (by promising them gifts or doing something they particularly enjoy) if they agree to be more submissive.
Step 4. Strictly follow the drug regimen
Keep in mind that following drug therapy is not necessarily related to deciding whether to take a pill or not. Drugs commonly used to treat this type of disorder often have significant side effects; they can cause symptoms such as forgetfulness, sleepiness, gastrointestinal upset, excessive sweating, substantial weight gain, hair loss, skin rashes, sexual problems, and other unpleasant problems.
- If someone close to you has stopped taking their medications or is planning to stop taking it, it may be helpful to ask them what their reasons are. They may have quite compelling reasons that go far beyond just "I'm better and I don't need it anymore." Others may say that they particularly appreciate the mental state of hypomania and do not want to take any medication that will stop that feeling of euphoria.
- Side effects are often felt when you start taking a new drug or when you increase the dose; in any case, the symptoms can occur at any time during therapy and can cause discomfort or substantial suffering for the patient. If your loved one is not on therapy due to side effects, do everything to encourage them to consult their doctor to determine if the drug dosage needs to be changed or to find an alternative that can alleviate or minimize the problem. on a more bearable level.
Step 5. Help him during the manic or hypomanic phase to avoid irreparable damage
- Find compromises to reduce the harmful effects of certain risky behaviors (gambling, overspending, drug abuse, reckless driving).
- Keep children, the disabled and vulnerable people away, so they don't witness unpleasant situations.
- Contact your doctor, call 911 or call a suicide prevention hotline if you engage in behavior that is at risk to yourself or others.
Step 6. Be prepared for crises
It is important to have an intervention plan to be adopted in an emergency, to reduce the gravity of the situation. Always have the telephone numbers of a relative who could help you, the doctor and the hospital close at hand. Do not store them only on your mobile phone, as this could download at any moment; write them down on a piece of paper that you will always carry with you (in your wallet, for example) and give a copy to your family member as well. You could even make a contingency plan with him when he is emotionally stable.
Step 7. Help your family member avoid triggers, ie situations and behaviors that could trigger a negative reaction, such as a manic, hypomanic, or depressive episode
Risk factors include caffeine, alcohol and other drugs of abuse, as well as stressful events, an unbalanced diet, impaired sleep-wake cycle and interpersonal conflicts. Surely there will be factors that particularly stimulate the vulnerability of your family member, so you can give him a hand by avoiding him being involved in certain situations or by helping him to rank his responsibilities in order of importance, to reduce stress.
- Destructive criticism and people offering useless advice are potentially harmful factors for people with bipolar disorder.
- If you live under the same roof as your family member, you may want to eliminate substances such as alcohol and try to create a relaxing atmosphere by adjusting the levels of light, music and energy.
Step 8. Try to be compassionate
The more informed you are about bipolar disorder, the more you will be able to be understanding and accommodating. While it is difficult to manage this type of disorder at a family level, your interest and kindness can be instrumental in supporting your family member.
A great way to show you're interested is to simply let your family member know that you are there and want to help them heal. You can also offer to listen to him if he wants to talk to you about his illness
Part 2 of 3: Taking Care of Yourself
Step 1. Practice empathy
Putting yourself in your family member's shoes is a useful way to become more familiar with their behavior and reduce negative reactions to their mental disorder. Try to imagine what it would be like to wake up every morning not knowing if you will fall into depression or a state of excessive frenzy.
Step 2. Focus on your mental health
Caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder can sometimes cause stress and depressive symptoms. Remember that you can only help someone if you are in full control of your mental faculties. Try to be aware of your attitudes and feelings towards your family member.
- Release of control. It is important that you understand and remember (aloud or in your mind) that you cannot control the behavior of your family member, because he or she has a disorder from which there is no permanent cure.
- Focus your attention on your needs. For example, you could write a list of your personal goals and work towards achieving them.
- Use coping strategies. These represent the ways of coping with stressful situations and are vital for self-care. They could include your favorite hobbies, such as reading, writing, art, music and outdoor activities, exercise, and sports. Relaxation techniques (such as progressive muscle relaxation), meditation, journaling, mindfulness meditation and art therapy also produce a therapeutic effect. Another coping strategy is to keep your distance or distance yourself when the situation becomes particularly unbearable.
Step 3. Talk to a professional
If you feel you are unable to manage your family member's symptoms of bipolar disorder, you may benefit from psychotherapy. Family therapy (and not just information) has been shown to help (especially parents) manage a family member with bipolar disorder.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding Bipolar Disorder
Step 1. Understand that bipolar disorder is caused by a biochemical imbalance
This means that it has a strong genetic predisposition component, meaning family members of an affected person are more likely to develop the disorder. Therefore it can be considered a pathology that cannot be controlled through simple willpower.
Step 2. Try to distinguish the different symptoms
There are two main forms of bipolar disorder, type 1 and type 2. It is important to identify the type of disorder your family member is suffering from to understand their symptoms and attitudes.
- Bipolar 1 disorder is characterized by having one or more manic episodes for at least a week. Some of the symptoms of manic episodes include: irritable or overexcited mood, increased self-esteem and confidence in one's abilities, decreased need for sleep, a tendency to talk a lot, easy distractibility, hectic work rhythms and a marked tendency to potentially harmful behavior on the plan. social or economic (sexual disinhibition, gambling, etc.).
- Bipolar 2 disorder is characterized by the presence of one or more major depressive episodes and one or more hypomanic episodes (similar to the manic episode, but less severe and of shorter duration).
Step 3. Try to learn more about the treatments indicated for bipolar disorder
Drug therapy is usually recommended in conjunction with psychotherapy. Psychiatrists and doctors often prescribe mood stabilizers such as lithium to relieve symptoms of bipolar disorder. Psychologists and family therapists help the patient manage their symptoms. The most common therapies are cognitive-behavioral therapy and relational and family psychotherapy.
Step 4. Learn about the typical effects bipolar disorder has on interpersonal relationships
Family members of people with bipolar disorder often experience a sense of fatigue and vulnerability. Also, their partners may feel lonely but refuse to ask for help.
If the family member feels that the person with bipolar disorder is in full control of their disease, they may feel dissatisfied with the relationship
Advice
Try to respect privacy. Remember that you can speak to your family member's doctor if the family member is a minor in your custody or if they have authorized you to do so. However, in the absence of the previous two conditions, the therapist may refuse to speak to you, to protect the patient's right to the confidentiality of personal information
Warnings
- In an emergency, instead of calling the police, which could traumatize the person, call 118 or go to the emergency room.
- If your family member has suicidal thoughts or threatens to hurt others, seek help immediately by calling 911, phoning their counselor, or calling a suicide prevention hotline.
