Learning About Bipolar Disorder

What can I do to help?

If you have a family member or friend with bipolar disorder, you are not alone. About 5.7 million Americans have the disease.

When a family member has a serious, long-term illness like bipolar disorder, you are also affected. You may feel helpless, angry, resentful and confused. You may also have feelings of hopelessness, guilt and shame.

All of these feelings are normal.

You should know that your loved one's bipolar disorder is no one's fault. There are many causes of bipolar disorder, including some not yet fully understood. Bipolar disorder symptoms can vary as well — each individual experiences the illness differently.

Although you can't cure your loved one's illness, you can offer support, understanding and hope. With proper bipolar disorder treatment, the majority of patients can stabilize their mood swings and live a full, productive life.

Here's how you can help:

Learn about bipolar disorder
Be prepared with your loved one's Severe Episode Plan
Recognize the signs of a mood swing
Help prevent common triggers
Work to stabilize social rhythms
Create advance directives

Learn about bipolar disorder

The more you educate yourself about this complex illness, the better you can support your loved one.

Your family plan: Learn more about bipolar disorder. Benefit from the resources of the federal government's National Institute of Mental Health, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and other organizations that focus on bipolar disorder.

Be prepared with your loved one's Severe Episode Plan

If your loved one's mood swings severely, you need to be prepared. Keep a copy of the Severe Episode Plan, which lists your loved one's doctors, medications, insurance and other people to contact. Make sure the list is updated as medications change. Also, keep advanced directives handy.

Your family plan: Know the signs of a manic or depressive episode and call the doctor for advice when you observe these changes in behavior. Keep the number of the suicide prevention center near the phone, and know the warning signs of suicidal behavior.

If your loved one is showing signs of suicidal behavior, call the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) immediately.

Recognize the signs of a mood swing

Like everyone else, your loved one can have "good" and "bad" days. You will need to recognize whether a day is "good" or "bad" — or whether your loved one appears to be swinging towards a severe bipolar episode. The sooner you recognize the differences, the sooner you can encourage and support treatment.

Your family plan: Know the signs of manic and depressive episodes.

Help prevent common triggers

Triggers and stressors are the external factors that can change your loved one's moods. When you are aware of disruptions in "social rhythms" or the other events most likely to trigger bipolar mood swings, you can plan strategies to help prevent episodes.

Stress and sleep cycle disturbance are major contributors to mood swings in individuals with bipolar disorder. As a family member, there is much you can do help avoid family conflict and to regularize your loved one's sleep cycle.

Your family plan: Provide a quiet, comfortable bedroom, and help to plan a daily schedule so that your loved one eats meals and goes to bed at approximately the same time each night. If your family member is sleeping too much or too little, contact the doctor for advice. And frequently review your loved one's mood tracker to identify changes in moods.

Work with your loved one to identify family and work/school stressors and find ways to help avoid them. The doctor and mental health therapist can help you develop strategies that work best for your family.

Learn more about stress triggers.

Work to stabilize social rhythms

Your help in stabilizing social rhythms, the everyday schedule or "rhythms" of life, also can help keep your family member well. This is especially important during times when life events (moving, getting a new job) can upset moods.

Therapists can work with you to help identify how even minor changes in your loved one's daily routines – especially sleeping — can lead to mood changes.

Your family plan: Work together with your loved one, the doctor and mental health therapist to identify social rhythms that can lead to mood swings. Disturbed sleep can be a major trigger for manic episodes. Develop strategies to help stabilize rhythms, with emphasis on regular sleep and eating patterns — and taking medications as directed. Learn to recognize the beginning signs of an episode.

Be prepared in an emergency

If your loved one is showing signs of suicidal behavior, call the 24-hour the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) immediately.

Create advance directives

The loss of insight during acute episodes of bipolar illness can create problems for families and caregivers. During this time patients may deny their illness and resist treatment. That's why its important to work together on advance directives the plans and agreements made during times of wellness to help avoid problems during a severe episode.

Your family plan: Make an agreement on when it's appropriate to introduce safeguards such as withholding credit cards and bank account access, withholding car keys and when to go to the hospital for treatment. A sample advance directive is available from the Depression and Bipolar Alliance. Keep the advance directive handy for when you may need it.

There is hope

Your support is an important part of working toward wellness for your loved one.

Although helping your loved one manage the illness is a challenge, you should know that bipolar disorder treatment for mood disorders does work. With the help of medications, regular doctor visits, psychotherapy and family support — the majorities of individuals with bipolar disorder can lead full, productive lives.

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