How to Cope With a Bipolar Friend

Having a friend who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder may be difficult to accept. However, understanding the cause behind mood swings and depression is important in the support of your friend. Here are some tips to help you support a bipolar friend and to help yourself cope with a mental illness that affects you both.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Educate yourself about the disorder, what causes it and what treatment options exist. Learn the warning signs of a manic episode. You may be able to recognize signs and symptoms before your friend and help minimize an episode.

2. Talk openly with one another about how the illness has affected you both. Discuss what methods you are willing to incorporate during an episode so both you and your friend are prepared for your response.

3. Support your friend's treatment options, and encourage that medication be taken as directed. Missed dosages or suddenly stopping a medication can have side effects.

4. Encourage independence and partnership. Be willing to help your friend with recovery, but avoid doing things for your friend.

5. Join a support group, and take advantage of the resources a group can provide you. Talk with other friends and family members of your friend. Having a cohesive group of people concerned and invested in your friend's health is critical to their support.

6. Develop a treatment contract with your friend. This contract contains instructions for treatment and when and where to activate the instructions in the contract should you need to take a more hands-on approach or take control with your friend to get needed help.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage your friend to avoid drugs or alcohol that may interfere with their treatment.
• Make a resource sheet of your friend's physician contact information and a detailed description of any medication and dosages the patient takes.
• Don't take things personally during an episode. Words and behaviors may be directed at you during a manic episode, but it is the illness that causes those outbursts. Do your best to separate the illness from your friend with the illness.

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[snowmoon]

on 6/20/2009 In response to this eHow topic, "How to cope with a bipolar friend", I'm a woman in my ++'s, and even at my age, it is possible to have a (bipolar) friend become "another person" right before your eyes. I can agree with what others have said above about the "emotional rollercoaster and her mean/angry/critical behavior" towards you, as I've received the same treatment from my pal. I completely sympathize with those who say that the bipolar friend lashes out suddenly with accusations of being the reason for her problems. My friend accused me of "sticking it to her" and of being "condescending", "passive-aggressive", "angry", and accused me of "rage" towards her! I think her mood flipped and I was her closest target. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a psychologist and she agreed that my friend is probably experienceing an anger episode and that nothing I did would have brought t...

[sadfriend]

on 6/17/2009 I also have a close friend that is bipolar. We've actually grown distant over the years because I moved across the country, but I tried to reach out to her many times. She always seem to shut me out, no matter how hard I try. Recently she's been blaming me for all her problems and mistakes in her life. She says I am the reason why she's suffering. I am so confused because I always viewed her as my sister, but apparently her hatred toward me has been a year in the making. My mother tells me that perhaps it's her disorder that's making her say such foul things to me. I don't know anymore. I'm really starting to get stressed out and depressed because of all the guilt I feel. I'm trying to learn how to deal with a friend with bipolar disorder but its so difficult.

[Hopeful]

on 3/27/2008 I had a friend who diagnosed as bipolar. She chose not to treat it, but instead insists that the diagnosis is not correct. Recently, I had to stop being close to her. She would lash out at me and she basically treated me like dirt. I have depression myself and personally, I just could not deal with her emotional rollercoaster and her mean/angry/critical behavior toward me. I think it was to both of our benefit to end the relationship. Bipolar or not, I don't think a person should have to put up with being treated horribly by someone because they have bipolar disorder. She could be very nice and helpful at times, but she could also be verbally abusive to those close to her. Has anyone else experienced this same treatment and how did you deal with it?