How to Deal with a Bipolar Person – Love, Compassion and Empathy

Asking how to deal with a bipolar person is a sign of love, compassion and empathy. And dealing with a bipolar person requires a delicate mix of knowledge, support and patience.

If you are living with someone with bipolar disorder – whether you are a family member or friend – learning how to deal with a bipolar person is a sometimes difficult but always rewarding challenge.

You would be surprised to learn the dramatic impact you can have on not only the person you love but also the quality of your relationship. We are learning how to cope with bipolar disorder – and we need your help.
Here’s how to deal with a bipolar person…

We need you to understand.

If you’re searching for compassion, understand that bipolar disorder – for all intents and purposes – is no different than cancer in the sense that bipolar disorder is a disease – a disease of the brain.

It’s easy to fault someone for their erratic and sometimes risky behavior but this is simply an underlying symptom of a serious medical condition. If you want to better learn how to deal with a bipolar person, begin with this level of understanding.

Are you a psychiatrist?

It’s easy to think you know how to deal with a bipolar person despite no knowledge or education on psychology or psychiatry. “All it takes is a little tough love” is a common strategy among family members and friends. Unfortunately, this is rarely (if not, never) the case.

Looking back to the understanding that bipolar disorder is a medical condition no different than cancer, remember that professional help is almost always a requirement for people living with manic depression. You wouldn't perform heart surgery if your family member or friend had a heart attack – so avoid thinking you can treat a loved one’s bipolar disorder on your own.

We have normal emotions, too!

One of the trickiest tactics when learning how to deal with a bipolar disorder is keeping behaviors in context of the disorder. A mental health problem characterized as alternating up and down moods, bipolar disorder carries a delicate balance between emotions that are related to the disorder and those that are perfectly normal and healthy.

Anger and defensiveness are common in people living with bipolar disorder. If your family member or friend was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, then it’s typically safe to classify these emotions as symptoms of the disorder. But a bipolar person can still experience anger and sadness the same way anyone else would.

Learning how to deal with a bipolar person requires the patience and compassion to be aware of changes in mood on the one hand, but not associate every mood with the illness on the other.

Put yourself in our shoes.

It’s a challenge to put yourself in the shoes of a person living with bipolar disorder. Few can imagine waking up each morning not knowing if the day is destined for a debilitating low or dramatic high.

The strongest sense of empathy when learning to deal with a bipolar disorder emerges when you understand the source of a person’s defensive, controlling and disruptive behavior. Simply acknowledging a family member or friend’s internal chaos goes a long way in learning how to deal with a bipolar person.

You might be a threat.

Introspection is a challenging insight that can do wonders when learning how to deal with a bipolar person. Your family member or friend is struggling with bipolar disorder – and it has an impact on you, too.

Anxiety and anger transmitted onto a person living with bipolar disorder poses a threat that can throw your loved one on the defensive. Learn how to look inside of yourself – into your own anger and anxiety – and you can learn how to deal with a bipolar person.

Stand up for us.

People living with bipolar disorder are notoriously misunderstood. Society receives many of the common characteristics of bipolar mania as arrogance, self-centeredness and a host of other unappealing character traits.

Stand up for the person you love and recognize any irresponsible or risky behaviors as symptoms of a medical disorder – and not signs of a selfish person bragging about his or her outstanding qualities. Social stigma is the reason many people struggle to learn how to deal with a bipolar person.

We want you to help.

People living with bipolar disorder strive for the same quality of life anyone else does. As a family member or friend, participate in their treatment. Family therapy and support go miles into improving the quality of your loved one’s life.

Say something nice.

Try to recall an unusually tough day – and how good a simple compliment made you feel. Someone told you they loved you or simply said something nice. If you’re looking to do more than just learn how to deal with a bipolar disorder – and how to truly love a person with bipolar disorder – compliment them every day.

Spend time on you, too.

You spend time and energy learning how to deal with a bipolar disorder – and you feel confident about your ability to improve the life of a family member or friend. But remember to take care of yourself, too.

You may not be living with a debilitating mental health problem, but your well-being is just as important as someone who is. Remember that you have your own problems and your own personal journey towards health and happiness. Besides, draining yourself emotionally will only make it harder to learn how to deal with a bipolar person.

Thanks for learning how to deal with a bipolar person!

Dealing with someone who is bipolar is easier when you know how to leverage love, compassion and empathy. We appreciate you learning how to help someone with bipolar disorder – because we are learning how to deal with bipolar disorder, too. Together, we can win the battle. Thanks again for learning how to deal with a bipolar person.