Tips For Living With A Bipolar Spouse

By Robert Meyer


It goes without saying that falling ill is part and parcel of life. You can develop an ailment even when you have been living a perfectly healthy life. While a vast majority of ailments are easily manageable and go away with medication, others require a lifetime of good care. The situation can at times be unbearable when you have a partner who suffers from a difficult condition and you do not know what to do. The following are some of the things you should do to live a good life together with your bipolar spouse.

The first vital thing to do is ensuring your spouse has the right support to keep living with a positive attitude. Try to get him to join a local support group if you can. If there are other family members who suffer from the same condition, have them meet regularly. The good thing about support groups is they provide a way to let participants express exactly what they feel. This always releases the stress that commonly arises from the symptoms of the condition especially when the strength of the meds starts wearing off.

Secondly, ensure you find a good doctor for him. When it comes to treating bipolar, the best doctor is not always the one with the greatest academic qualifications. There are other factors that come into the fray when dealing with mentally unstable patients.

In essence, a doctor must also have compassion and empathy ingrained in his character. Empathy means reasoning at the same level as the person suffering. Remember to seek advice from the doctor on aspects such as the best time to administer medication to your spouse to prevent him from losing control.

In addition, you must fully understand the symptoms of the condition so as to be able to deal with it appropriately. One of the habits that patients tend to display when having a complete meltdown is doing things irrationally. You may find him buying unnecessary things on impulse or engaging in verbal abuse. If you have lived with the person long enough, you should be able to spot such outbursts right from the onset and take appropriate action.

One known way of maintaining great metal health is by ensuring the patient takes the required medication without fail. While doing so may appear simple to some people, the fact is that most patients always resist medication. As a matter of fact, resistance may come in form of physical violence. If you have tried your best to talk to the person to no avail, get your friends and family members to assist you.

There are specific natural activities that may also bring some calmness in a patient. It may be something as ordinary as watching TV together or strolling hand to hand in the evening. Once you know the activities that please him, participate in them frequently.

Lastly, you also need to create some time for yourself in order to be in the right mental state. Whenever the person gets off his medication, find something distracting to do. You may go stay with a friend temporarily or take a short trip. In the end, your mental health is just as important as his.




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