Supporting Someone with Bipolar: For Family and Friends

Having a bipolar family member brings a lot of challenges. Get insights and advice on caring for and supporting someone with bipolar disorder plus tips for taking care of yourself. For family members and friends.

Bipolar Family Support Articles

These articles focus on supporting a bipolar family member and how bipolar disorder affects the family unit.

• Role of Family and Friends in a Bipolar Person's Life
  The challenges of living with bipolar disorder are not limited to those who have the disease.
• What Does Bipolar Support Really Mean?
  Advice from consumers, friends and family members on what 'true' bipolar support really is.
• Family Consideration: Effects of Bipolar Disorder on the Family
  The family of someone with bipolar disorder will be affected in many ways.
• The Effects of Bipolar Disorder on Family and Friends
  Bipolar disorder affects not only the lives of the patients themselves, but also the entire social setting in which he/she moves; marriage, family, friends, job, society at large.

How to Deal with Bipolar Person

Dealing with a bipolar family member can be challenging. These articles provide guidelines for giving bipolar family support.

• A Guide for the Bipolar Caregiver
  Caring for someone with bipolar disorder can be overwhelming. Read about ways to cope effectively.
• Loving Tough: Dealing with a Bipolar Person
  It's often pretty rough trying to cope with a manic-depressive loved one.
• Dealing with Bipolar Mania: Help for Caregivers
  What caregivers need to know about symptoms of mania, medications to treat mania and caring for people with bipolar disorder.
• Bipolar Anger: How To Handle Your Bipolar Relative's Anger
  If your relative is angry and you are not, learn coping mechanisms
• Do's and Don'ts When Supporting Someone with Bipolar
  Suggestions for difficulties arising from bipolar and depression.
• Best Things to Say to a Person With Bipolar Disorder
  Learn things to say that may be helpful to a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder.
• Worst Things to Say to a Person With Bipolar Disorder
  Learn what things that, when said, could be demeaning or degrading to a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder.
• 12 Things To Do If Your Loved One Has Bipolar Disorder
  Twelve things to do if your loved one has bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Spouses: Coping with a Bipolar Spouse

In addition to the bipolar support information above, bipolar spouses face some unique challenges. The articles are for people living with a bipolar spouse.

• Help for Surviving Your Spouse's Mental Illness
• The Other Half - Spouses of Bipolar Sufferers
  Spouses are often caretakers and caregivers in the relationship.

Bipolar Family Help, Bipolar Family Support Groups

Caring for and supporting a bipolar family member can be wearing. Here are some self-care suggestions for bipolar caregivers as well as information on finding support groups for bipolar family members.

• Dealing with Bipolar Disorder in the Family
  No one is to blame and you cannot cure a mental disorder for a family member.
• Bipolar Guilt: Feeling Guilty. My Family Member Has Bipolar Disorder
  Nearly all relatives of the mentally ill feel guilty
• Bipolar Family Support - Relieving Stress, Finding Support
  There are positive actions that can be taken to make life more bearable when a family member has bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Help

Information on bipolar self-help, where bipolar family members can turn for help and what it's like living with bipolar disorder.

• Bipolar Help: Self-Help For Bipolar and How to Help a Bipolar Loved One
• Living with Bipolar and Living with Someone Who Is Bipolar