Bipolar disorder affects not only you but the entire family. A family or couple’s therapist who specializes in dealing with mental health conditions can provide guidance on how to keep your relationship healthy and strong. Everyone’s experience with bipolar disorder is different and can depend on the type of bipolar disorder a person has. Still, it’s important to discuss symptoms and treatment plans with each other so that you can understand better what your partner is going through.
Dating Someone with Bipolar Disorder
The pair celebrated their two-year friendship anniversary this week. A few years ago, they met in Hawaii and lived six minutes apart. Although the pair is now in different states, with Sarah in Delaware, Ochs‘ eyes still light up when she gets to talk about her. Deciding how or when to divulge mental illness to a potential partner is harder. Wauren Ochs, a first-year graduate student studying geography, can help some with her newly-published solution. An example might look like someone spontaneously dropping out of college to invest all their money in a start-up business and cryptocurrency, or going on a spur of the moment cross-country road trip.
Suicide Prevention
The partners of people with bipolar disorder can experience emotional distress from the sudden changes or erratic behavior that occurs during a manic episode. Additionally, during a manic episode, people living with bipolar disorder may engage in unsafe behaviors that have consequences that impact their entire family. These may be related to more tangible issues, such as financial losses or legal issues, as well as emotional costs, such as loss of trust. When a person feels bad about themselves, it can be very difficult to initiate connections with others. A bipolar person may avoid relationships because they don’t feel good enough for other people. Sometimes these feelings come on quickly and cause those with mental health conditions to push away others in existing relationships.
This will help you avoid placing too much responsibility on your own shoulders and help you prioritize your own mental health as well. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 2.8 percent of the United States population is living with bipolar disorder. That’s nearly 6 million people across the country who are affected by this mood disorder, and it does not discriminate when it comes to age, gender, race, ethnicity, or social class. Whether you are living with bipolar disorder or you’re dating someone who is, you’ve probably realized that it takes a fair amount of effort and communication to make a relationship work .
“When I’m feeling the manic part of my bipolar, my thoughts come at a fast rate. Information feels like it’s easier to digest and I can find a level of flow in work and relationships with less effort. This is when my mind feels like it can process things with the most efficiency,” he says.
Mallet, who currently works as a chef, was diagnosed with the condition around age 18 or 19. Despite being outspoken about her condition, Mallet doesn’t reveal that she has bipolar disorder on a first date. “They may be often condescending or dismissive of you, ‘You MenNation don’t really have bipolar disorder,’ undermine your treatment,” she added. For a partner diagnosed with bipolar disorder, this may be a time to take another look at the relationship. A person diagnosed with bipolar disorder may see red flags from their partner, too.
This honeymoon period can be very exciting for the new partner, too. After all, it’s really nice to have someone feel so strongly about you and to feel needed. Another BPD symptom that particularly impacts relationships is a deep fear of abandonment. Are genius, high IQ, and overall intelligence tied to schizophrenia?
How Bipolar Disorder Affects Relationships
Although some folks may relate to this experience, these stereotypes are oftentimes both wrong and harmful. She once reached out to someone she was dating while she was in a “depressive, anxious cycle,” requesting that they turn their relationship into something more serious. “I was in a serious, depressive state for two months,” she says, and had to take medical leave. If you notice unhealthy signs in the partnership that aren’t improving, you may seek to break up. You may try to be supportive during the breakup, but don’t take it personally if they don’t accept your help. She also advised paying attention to any thoughts of suicide.
Get the latest mental wellness tips and discussions,
Dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can be difficult—and not just for the person with the illness. The moods and behaviors of a person with bipolar disorder affect everyone around—especially family members and close friends. It can put a strain on your relationship and disrupt all aspects of family life. My partner is not alone in having misconceptions about bipolar disorder. I cannot tell you how many clients that I’ve heard say they think their partner is bipolar because they change their mind all the time, are crazy, or always have mood episodes. So, it is important for people dating with bipolar disorder to understand what is fact versus myth.
Your partner may initiate intimacy much more than normal, or masturbate or use pornography more frequently than usual. Those with bipolar disorder may also engage in risky behaviors such as unprotected sex or extramarital affairs while manic. Many people with bipolar 1 do well on lithium, a mood-stabilizing drug. Those with bipolar 2 may not fully respond to medications often used to treat bipolar disorder.