How can I help a bipolar person? How to treat a bipolar person? Discover the keys to living with a bipolar person and being able to help them cope with this psychological disorder.
Know how to treat a bipolar person It can be difficult, whether it is your partner, a family member or a friend. Living with a bipolar person can be stressful for both the person affected and those around them. When faced with bipolar disorder, one of the keys is to find a balance; in addition, empathy and understanding is essential to know how to treat a bipolar person.
There are many cases in which a bipolar person , especially during the hypomanic phase, do not realize that you are facing a problem. In fact, they may very well enjoy these moments and find that they have a productive time. In other cases, the same people may fight against the depressive phase but do not seek help to alleviate this suffering. Although there is no easy solution, there are a series of tips that you can follow to know how to treat a bipolar person in each of their phases.
How to treat a bipolar person?
People diagnosed with bipolar disorder may be dealing with extreme mood swings. Despite this, medications, therapy and a healthy lifestyle can help you enjoy a full and productive life. But, to achieve this balance, the commitment of those closest to us is important. Therefore, here you will find ways to know how to help a bipolar person:
- Educate yourself: Although the term ‘bipolar’ is frequently used, the reality is that it is often a very misunderstood disorder. If you want to know how to treat a bipolar in a crisis or help you in both the manic and depressive phase, learning about the disorder is one of the key points. There are many ways to learn about what it means to be bipolar and what this disorder entails, from reading to consulting with a professional psychologist.
- Accept your ups and downs: It may seem difficult to control or know how to treat a bipolar person in a manic phase because he seems like the life of any party. However, when people with bipolar disorder are depressed they may feel that they have lost their social value since they cannot be the stars of any party. In these cases it is vital to let the bipolar person know that you are always there, whether or not they are the life of the party.
- Don’t say ‘calm down’ or ‘cheer up’: Know how to treat a bipolar person during the manic or depressive phase it is difficult, but the worst thing you can do is tell them to calm down or cheer up in these cases, because if they could they would do it. A better response in these moments is to ask how you can help or suggest something you can do together.
- Promotes a healthy lifestyle: To the living with a bipolar person , one of the ways to help them is precisely by trying to promote a healthy lifestyle. For example, eating well, exercising and sleeping, as well as avoiding alcohol and drug use can help a bipolar person relieve some of the symptoms of their disorder. This does not mean becoming their babysitter, but it does mean being someone who supports them in sharing healthy activities with them.
- Listen to them: Support is vital for a bipolar person Thus, one of the ways to know how to help a bipolar person is simply to pay attention to their feelings and emotions without trying to judge them.
- Stay connected: Many people don’t know how to treat a bipolar person This fact can cause people with bipolar disorder to feel isolated and abandoned. For this reason, it is important to try to do anything to stay connected with them and not feel the weight of loneliness.
- Do things with them : A bipolar depression It can cause people to distance themselves from others. During this phase it is relevant to try to encourage this person to go out and do things that they really like. In these cases, asking them to accompany you for a walk or go to dinner can be very helpful.
- Create a plan or routine: If you start to living with a bipolar person The best way to help is precisely to try to plan for both the good and bad times. That is, try to know in advance how to treat a bipolar person when they are during the manic phase as well as the depressive phase. If you both know what to do in these cases and what to expect from each other, you will feel more confident about it.
- Stick to a schedule: Having a schedule can be a way to give some stability to someone who suffers from a bipolar disorder In fact, some research shows that it is useful to have a regular routine when dealing with this disorder.
- Express your own concerns: When living with a bipolar person, it is also important to take care of your own mental health. Sometimes, there are some attitudes of bipolarity that can affect you. For this reason, you should be able to discuss it with the bipolar person. In some cases, it is advisable to go to a psychology professional.
- Encourage them to continue with a treatment: If the bipolar person should take medication, it is important to offer them unconditional support in this treatment.
It may seem complicated to know how to treat a bipolar person , but the reality is that having a bond with them is already helpful. Many people with bipolar disorder suffer from the effects of loneliness due to the symptoms they suffer. For this reason, living with a bipolar person and learning about this disorder can be a push to help them in many aspects.