Dating someone with a psychiatric disorder can be a challenge, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have a successful romantic relationship with someone who suffers from bipolar disorder. However, there are special considerations that will help both people involved have a healthier relationship if you’re dating someone with bipolar disorder.
Know what it means to be bipolar
The first thing you’ll need to do is research the condition so you’re aware of and can be more sympathetic toward what your partner faces when dealing with bipolar disorder. There are differing degrees of severity among those who suffer from bipolar order, but most can live very normal and productive lives with regular medication and other treatment.Because bipolar disorder involves changes in mood that range from mania to depression, you’ll need to understand those two terms. First, clinical depression is not the same as sadness. After all, everyone gets sad from time to time, but clinical depression means that there’s no logical reason for the deep and abiding sadness the person experiences. Similarly, mania is not the same thing as being extremely happy. One common misconception is that those who suffer from bipolar disorder have frequent, fast mood swings from happy to sad. True mania, however, typically manifests itself as something much greater than happiness, and it’s often characterized by increased productivity, creativity, insomnia, and excessive energy.
Support the person
Most people who have been accurately diagnosed with bipolar disorder can recognize the signs of an impending change and will be proactive about their mental health. Your support and encouragement as their partner will also be helpful, especially if you can become aware of the triggers that might kick start an episode of depression or mania.
Don’t think all bad moods come from the disease
However, you have to be careful not to blame all mood swings –especially minor ones – on the person’s disorder. That’s akin to blaming a woman’s bad mood on PMS, even though it’s nowhere near time for her period and she really just had a bad day at work. People who have bipolar disorder often take offense to all changes in their mood being blamed on the disorder.
Accept the mood swings
If the person you’re dating does experience an episode of mania or depression, don’t pressure them to change their mood or emotions, and especially don’t tell them to snap out of it. This won’t work, and it will just make the person more frustrated. Instead, ask how you can help; moreover, don’t get angry or let your own frustration show if the person says you can’t help, because often the only thing that will make a difference is an adjustment in medication or psychological/psychiatric therapy.
Fighting through the bipolar mood swings
When your partner is experiencing an episode, it’s often helpful to encourage activity. The endorphins that are released during exercise can help with depression, and it’s also an effective way for a person to use excess energy when experiencing a manic episode. Regular exercise is even better because it can help a person who has bipolar disorder stay on a more consistently even keel, so consider walking, playing tennis, or taking a yoga class together on a regular disorder.
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