Knowing how to treat and help a bipolar person It is important if you have to live with that person, it is your partner, mother, father, son or brother. Even more so if it is aggressive, it enters into a crisis or even if you have to see it constantly at work.
Bipolar disorder is undoubtedly a disease that can be very difficult to live with, since it usually produces a large number of disorders in The functioning of the person who suffers it.
However, it is a disorder that can be managed, and a person with this disease can achieve optimal functioning if he manages to control his Symptoms and alterations.
The best way you can treat these people is to put yourself in their place. Without empathy It is difficult to get the situation right and it is much easier to create conflicts. For this, I thought that I will give you advice as if you were that person bipolar, so you can put yourself in their place and use those same tips to treat them.
For example, if I tell you"explain your disorder to whom you should tell", it is understood that the advice is that you have a willingness to listen to the bipolar person.
10 Tips for Treating and Helping a Bipolar Person
1. Explain your disorder to whoever you should tell
If you have Bipolar disorder It is very likely that this is an issue that has you at least worried or restless.
Should I tell it or should I not tell it? Who do I have to say I have bipolar disorder? How will people react to it?
Actually there is no universal answer to these questions and there is no infallible method to be performed.
Bipolar disorder is a disease, yes, but do you know someone who is presenting in the following way?:"Hello, I am José and I have the colon irritable".
Surely not, and is that sometimes explaining to everyone that you have an illness can be irrelevant or even inappropriate.
Usually, it is convenient to tell those people with whom you have a good relationship and enough confidence: family, friends, couples, etc. Yes They know it, surely they will understand you and can help you a great deal.
Explaining that you have bipolar disorder is how to explain something intimate about yourself, so it is important to explain it to your closest people, but it is not It is necessary that you systematically tell the whole world.
Do not think"I'm bipolar"and people should know that I am so. You are not bipolar, you have a bipolar disorder, but this disease is not part of your Personality, so you're not forced to tell people you do not have enough confidence.
2. Remember your medication
Taking medication is possibly the most important action to take to control the disease.
Unfortunately, today psychotropic drugs are the only way to attenuate and completely control bipolar disorder, so if you do not take them It will get worse and possibly end up requiring hospitalization.
You probably think that you do not need mediation, and that in addition, if you do not take it, you will avoid those negative effects caused by the pills.
The reality is that no one can convince you that you need to medicate yourself better than yourself.
Observe what changes occur in your functioning when you stop taking the medicines and draw your own conclusions.
If you notice that the medication is not going well for you and has many side effects consult your psychiatrist, he will know what modifications Can do to improve it.
3. Beware of antidepressants
It is true that in bipolar disorder may suffer from depressive episodes, which are usually treated with Antidepressants , As these increase the State of mind.
However, you should avoid taking antidepressants if your psychiatrist has not previously prescribed it.
If you are in a depressive phase and your doctor has not prescribed antidepressants do not think that you have been wrong and that your way of improving is to take this type of Drugs.
Antidepressants can be very dangerous in bipolar disorder as they can easily induce episodes of mania, especially if you do not take some Mood stabilizer like lithium to counteract its effect.
4. Do not miss visits with your doctor
It is very important that the treatment is controlled and decided by your psychiatrist, so you should never miss the visits you have scheduled.
The doctor who treats your bipolar disorder will be in charge of finding the best treatment for you, and will be an indispensable tool for you to Satisfactorily control your illness.
Do not be afraid to go to the visits in case you are prescribed more medication or if you"scold"you for not taking it. Your psychiatrist will only do it. Help you control bipolar disorder and administer the treatment that works best for you.
5. Avoid drugs altogether
Drugs are harmful to anyone, and the advice to quit is not only useful for people with bipolar disorder, but For all people in general
He consumption of drugs (Including alcohol) can be especially dangerous if you have a bipolar disorder.
You can see how your friends drink alcohol or They consume marijuana Without seemingly important things happening to them, but that does not mean that you do not go to Happen to you.
And is that most drugs cause an increase in a substance called Dopamine in the brain.
In manic outbreaks, a similar increase of dopamine occurs in brain Of the bipolar person, so if you consume any drugs they will increase more The levels of that neurotransmitter in your brain, and the risk of suffering and / or aggravating a manic episode will be very high.
6. Do physical activity
The practice of moderate physical exercise is highly recommended for the mental health And physics of any person.
In bipolar disorder, practicing sports can help you be less tense, Less anxious , Feeling more energetic and Increase well-being .
However, it is not advisable to do it late in the day as it may prevent To properly reconcile sleep , So it is more beneficial Practice it in the morning or in the early afternoon.
Likewise, The practice of physical activity Can be very beneficial when you are stable (neither manic nor depressive) or during the Mild to moderate depression.
However, if you notice that you may be initiating a hypomanic, manic or mixed phase, it is advisable to suspend for a time the practice of Exercise, as it could be harmful and make the episode worse.
7. Monitor stress
Try not to have very high levels of stress In your life as this can hinder the control of bipolar disorder.
This does not mean that you have to eliminate all your expectations, or turn your life into something boring, without activity or doing nothing.
You can do the same things as a person who does not suffer from bipolar disorder as long as you are aware of your limits and do not overload your things.
Try to pursue an active but peaceful lifestyle, being aware of how far you can go.
8. Control coffee consumption
Coffee is a stimulant drink that contains caffeine so it activates the nervous system and can cause anxiety or decrease sleep.
Thus, it is not advisable to drink coffee when one suspects that a manic, hypomanic or mixed episode is beginning, since in those Caffeine cases can become your worst enemy.
However, coffee can play a negative role in the depressive phases, as it can help us to"pull"and carry out an acceptable activity.
In periods of euthymia (when you are neither manic nor depressive), it is not advisable to exceed a couple of coffees (or drinks with caffeine) a day.
9. Benefit from partnerships
Getting in touch with other people suffering from the same disease can be the ultimate key to achieving stability in your life.
If you do, you will feel supported and understood, and you will see in the first person that you are not the only one suffering from bipolar disorder, since there are many people who Suffer from this disease.
Similarly, in associations you can receive a lot of information about bipolar disorder, and find advice to manage symptoms Particular situations or difficult situations.
10. Make it easy
If you are not suffering from bipolar disorder and it is some family member who has this disease you should keep in mind that the treatment you are given will be A fundamental point for their well-being.
The first step to take is the one you are already starting to do if you have read this article, inform you about the disease, which will allow you to win Many detriments you may have about the disorder.
Subsequently, you should understand that when a person with bipolar disorder is correctly treated and without symptoms, nothing differentiates him from the rest Of people, so you should not treat it in a special way.
In times when you are depressed, it is advisable to avoid phrases such as"cheer up"or"cheer up that face", since even with good intentions, you can Counterproductive.
Likewise, comments such as"you are a bum"or"you are weak"should be avoided, and you must understand that you are really having a bad time. The main objective Should be getting involved in some activity or get something done.
When he is in a manic phase, try not to argue with him and try to make him see, without irritating him excessively, that he is suffering from a manic episode. Yes The relative admits his illness, offers support, and accompanies him to visit a psychiatrist.
What is a bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorders are changes in the State of mind Which are characterized by the presentation, during the life, of episodes of mania (or Hypomania) followed by depressive (or mixed) episodes.
An episode of mania is defined for a period of time equal to or greater than one week in which an abnormal and persistently mood occurs Elevated, characterized by euphoria, expansiveness or irritability.
These three symptoms are often accompanied by excessively high self-esteem, Beliefs Of grandeur about oneself, a decrease in the need for Sleeping, disinhibition and increased involvement in pleasurable activities.
Likewise, during these episodes it is usual to noticeably increase the amount of language (much talk), and there is an excessive influx of Ideas in consciousness.
Hypomania encompasses the same symptoms but at a lower intensity, and differs from mania by not causing a clear deterioration in activities Socio-labor of the person.
Depressive episodes, on the other hand, are opposed to manic episodes, and are characterized by presenting for a minimum of 2 weeks, a state Of depressed mood, with sadness and loss of interest or the Ability to feel pleasure (As in a normal depression).
In some cases, the manic episode may be followed by a mixed episode rather than an episode of depression. This mixed episode is characterized by the Simultaneous occurrence of manic symptoms and depressive symptoms.
Thus, by way of a summary, bipolar disorders are characterized by an extremely high mood, which is often followed by An extremely shabby mood.
With this more than brief review on bipolar disorders, it is already connoted how difficult it is to coexist with an alteration of this type.
The bipolar patient lives constantly on a"roller coaster", and finds it very difficult to find a certain stability in his state of mind.
And it is that the repercussions of the bipolar disorder can be many and very diverse:
Sadness, unwillingness to do things, decay, inability to enjoy, feeling tired, apathy , Insulation etc. In the episodes Depressive disorders.
Euphoric and inappropriate behavior, decreased sensation of risk, inability to reflect, disproportionate behaviors, increased Irritability, confrontation or violence in manic episodes.
In this way, both the depressive episode and the manic episode, lead the way of thinking and behaving towards an extreme (or euphoria or depression), and alter Very high functioning of the person.
Likewise, it is usual that in both episodes appear delusions, whether of delusional ideas of grandeur during the mania, or delusions of guilt or Punishment during the depression .
All of this translates into great difficulties in functioning, many personal problems, enormous obstacles to work, no comfort, no state of mind Permanently altered, multiple hospitalizations and high risk of suicide.
Thus, in order to coexist with this disorder and to safeguard all its repercussions, it is very important to perform appropriate behaviors that achieve Control the mood.
References
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- Image source 4.