Information on how friends and family can help

Help for family and friends

Remember, you’re not the only person living with bipolar disorder. If your symptoms are not properly managed, friends and family may feel confused by your changes in mood.

Some family members may benefit from individual therapy to help them work through their frustrations. It may be constructive for you and your family to attend family therapy together. This can help promote understanding and strengthen relationships. Don’t be afraid to ask for help Friends and family can be a tremendous source of support.

Members of your support network, including family, friends, healthcare professionals, and others living with bipolar disorder, can be an important source of support. Below are some talking points that could help. Talking to friends and family The people closest to you may want to help, but they may not have a good understanding of bipolar disorder and the impact it has on your mood and behavior. You can help them help you by explaining that bipolar disorder is a medical condition thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. You can even suggest some reading or a website about bipolar disorder.
Depending on your needs, the people closest to you can help you by:

• Encouraging you to stick with your treatment and avoid harmful habits
• Learning the warning signs of episodes. It is helpful if both you and those closest to you learn to differentiate between a good day and hypomania, and between a bad day and depression
• Sharing responsibility for care. This can reduce the stress that caring for someone with bipolar disorder may bring and can prevent emotional fatigue or resentment
• Letting you recover at your own pace and avoiding the extremes of expecting too much or too little
• Planning ahead with you. Take advantage of stable periods to make arrangements for the future. Discuss when to take action, such as withholding credit cards, restricting bank accounts, hiding car keys, and hospitalization
• Taking advantage of support groups You may be able to reduce stresses that can lead to more severe episodes by making small adjustments in your everyday life.
• Wake up at a consistent time every morning. Go to bed around the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. An episode can be triggered by chemical changes in your body brought on by a disrupted sleep pattern
• Avoid harmful things like smoking, alcohol, and illegal street drugs. Even a small amount of alcohol or an illicit drug may trigger an episode, disrupt your sleep pattern, and interfere with your medicine
• Eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and grains. Try to limit fast food, snack foods, sugar, and caffeine
• Keep busy with things you enjoy. Consider drawing, writing, reading, and walking or other exercise. Before starting a diet or exercise program, talk to your healthcare professional
• Reduce stress at work and at home. Try to maintain regular, predictable hours.

Remember, avoiding a mood episode will help you be more productive in the long run. It helps to anticipate stressful situations such as holiday activities or childcare issues so you can ask loved ones for help and support

(from www.bipolaroptions.com)