If you or your Significant Other has bipolar disorder, you probably already know that life can be difficult, miserable, and chaotic. You may be interested to know that it does not have to be that way — that both you and your partner can take certain steps which will make your lives much more livable and even pleasant. While the focus of bipolar relationships can be seen in terms of adult-aged partners, these facts also hold true in other types of relationships, such as friends, siblings, and co-workers.

Do Not Allow The Disease To Take Center Stage

The main problem in a relationship with a person who has bipolar disorder– or, for that matter, any type of serious mental

condition — is that the illness can “take center-stage.” What this means is that the condition becomes a focal point, and everything else revolves around it, having a very negative effect on everything and everyone else in the person’s life. It is often quite difficult for either person to see that this is happening, much less know what to do about it.

In bipolar relationships, the non-afflicted partner is often in either of two positions. Either he or she is in the position of “enabling” the person who is ill, or he or she is in the position of attempting to ignore the illness altogether. Both of these relating methods are destructive to the ill person, the non-ill person, the

relationship, and their lives. Fortunately, there are better ways of coping.

Taking Responsibility

The first and most important step in managing a bipolar relationship is to place the responsibility on the person who has it. This does not mean becoming cold and heartless; what it does mean is refusing to allow the illness to run your life. You must acknowledge that this serious condition does exist, and you must also acknowledge that it has to be dealt with.

One part of this, obviously, is for the bipolar person to be responsible for such things as taking his or her medication on a regular basis, keeping scheduled appointments with the mental health professional who is in charge of his or her

treatment, and to follow the doctor’s advice.

Setting Boundaries

However, successful interactions in a bipolar relationship does not end there; it is also necessary to be clear as to what is and is not appropriate behavior. If you do not set this kind of limits and boundaries, you will very likely be in the position of tolerating inappropriate behavior, and the excuses that go along with it.

If the person is receiving proper treatment, his “extremes” as well as everyday irritability should be under some degree of control from medication maintenance; he also needs to know that he is responsible for his behavior, and not be allowed to use “What do you expect, I’m bipolar!” as a convenient excuse.

Bipolar

relationships can be difficult for everyone concerned; but this condition does not need to be a reason for constant friction, disruption, or ongoing chaos. The mental health professional can only do so much; the patient himself must be responsible for his own behavior.

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