What Not to Do if You or a Friend Has Bipolar Disorder

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDon’t Avoid Talking About ItDon’t Pretend There Isn’t a ProblemDon’t Discourage Medication UseDon’t Meddle With MedicationsDon’t Ignore Symptoms in ChildrenDon’t Minimize SymptomsDon’t Ignore Your Own Needs

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Don’t Avoid Talking About It

Don’t Pretend There Isn’t a Problem

Don’t Discourage Medication Use

Don’t Meddle With Medications

Don’t Ignore Symptoms in Children

Don’t Minimize Symptoms

Don’t Ignore Your Own Needs

Close

If you or a friend have bipolar disorder, you might wonder how to support your health or what you can do to best support them as they deal with the ups and downs of their condition.Bipolar disorderis a mental health condition that causes mood episodes that can affect a person’s moods, thoughts, and behaviors.

Unfortunately, people with this condition often experience less social support and difficulties in social relationships, which can negatively impact the course of the condition. Knowing what to do to seek help and how to support your friend can positively impact functioning and the ability to cope.

At a GlanceBipolar disorder can create challenges in social relationships. Learning more about the condition can help you know more about what to expect and how to respond. From dealing with doctors and medication to relationships, here are things you shouldn’t do if you or a friend have bipolar disorder.

At a Glance

Bipolar disorder can create challenges in social relationships. Learning more about the condition can help you know more about what to expect and how to respond. From dealing with doctors and medication to relationships, here are things you shouldn’t do if you or a friend have bipolar disorder.

Research suggests that can take 10 to 15 years for people to be properlydiagnosed with bipolar disorder.There are two big reasons for this. One is that ​doctors miss the diagnosis all too frequently, even when hypomanic symptoms are brought to their attention. The other is ​the failure of patients to report symptoms.

More often than not, it isdepression symptomsthat send people to see a psychiatrist or other therapist. People with the condition often sometimes view pasthypomaniasymptoms as just “not depressed,” “feeling like a normal person,” or “feeling good.”

People are often misdiagnosed with depression instead of bipolar disorder. Research suggests that only about 20% of people who seek treatment during a depressive episode get a bipolar diagnosis during their first year of treatment. Typically, a bipolar diagnosis was only given five to 10 years after a person first began experiencing symptoms.

When antidepressants are prescribed, a person may begin to tip too much in the other direction and begin experiencingmaniaor hypomania. When people don’t share their symptoms with others or with their doctor, it is harder to recognize what’s happening and get an appropriate diagnosis.

Solution: Talk About ItIf you notice that your friend is exhibiting symptoms of mania or hypomania, bring this to their attention. Describe the behavior and mood patterns that you’ve noticed and encourage them to discuss these symptoms with their doctor.

Solution: Talk About It

If you notice that your friend is exhibiting symptoms of mania or hypomania, bring this to their attention. Describe the behavior and mood patterns that you’ve noticed and encourage them to discuss these symptoms with their doctor.

People with bipolar disorder often have friends or family members who refuse to accept their diagnosis or refuse to learn anything about bipolar illness. Common responses include:

Such responses end the conversation and deprive people of the support they need. Without such support, people might not stick with their treatment, or they may not turn to friends and loved ones when they need extra help.

Solution: Listen and LearnBipolar disorder is a seriousillnessthat can disrupt every phase of life and even cause death. It can be disabling. Don’t refuse to listen and learn.

Solution: Listen and Learn

Bipolar disorder is a seriousillnessthat can disrupt every phase of life and even cause death. It can be disabling. Don’t refuse to listen and learn.

Unfortunately, sometimes friends and family members may discourage people from sticking to their treatment plan. Attitudes and beliefs about medication use can play a major role in whether people stick with their treatment plan. Research has also shown that negative attitudes from friends and family members about bipolar treatment lead to worse adherence and outcomes.

Nonadherence is a common problem when it comes to bipolar disorder treatment. Failing to follow treatment carries a significant risk of experiencing a rebound of depressive and manic symptoms.

Unless a person has asevereside effect, they should never discontinue medications without their doctor’s supervision. Abruptly stopping some medications can cause serious side effects, too. For example, the reaction many people experience when they discontinue certain antidepressants is so unpleasant it even has a name:SSRI discontinuation syndrome.

Solution: Stay Informed and Be EncouragingLearn more about treatments for bipolar disorder and help foster a positive attitude toward medication use. If your friend wants to stop taking one or more of their medications, encourage them to talk to their doctor first.

Solution: Stay Informed and Be Encouraging

Learn more about treatments for bipolar disorder and help foster a positive attitude toward medication use. If your friend wants to stop taking one or more of their medications, encourage them to talk to their doctor first.

Suppose you’ve been prescribed 150 milligrams of medication X, 30 milligrams of medication Y and 50 to 75 milligrams of medication Z per day. That means your doctor has given you permission to take from two to three 25-milligram tablets of drug Z in a day, depending on your judgment.

But you don’t think that’s enough, so you start taking 100 milligrams of drug Z or 60 milligrams of drug Y. Almost immediately, you start having side effects, have a mood change, or another problem occurs.

Take your medications as prescribed. Get a pill organizer or enlist the help of a friend to help you manage your medication use.

It’s understandable that a parent may be uneasy about giving a bipolar child the types of strong medications that are needed to guide that child toward stability. Certainly, there are risks involved with these drugs, as there are with all prescription drugs. Remember that your child has a serious condition and that medication can greatly improve their ability to function.

Solution: Seek Help for Your ChildIf your child has bipolar disorder, it is important to seek out treatments that can help them. This may include medications to help stabilize moods and accommodations to help them succeed in school.

Solution: Seek Help for Your Child

If your child has bipolar disorder, it is important to seek out treatments that can help them. This may include medications to help stabilize moods and accommodations to help them succeed in school.

People with bipolar disorder are often subjected to considerablestigma, which can lead to feelings of shame and discourage them from seeking help when they need it.

Solution: Be SupportiveInstead, focus on listening to what your friend has to say and look for ways that you can provide practical support.

Solution: Be Supportive

Instead, focus on listening to what your friend has to say and look for ways that you can provide practical support.

9 Things Not to Say to Someone Who Has Bipolar Disorder

Caring for a friend, family member, or other loved one who has bipolar disorder can be incredibly difficult. It can be all too easy to lose sight of your needs because you are so wrapped up in whatever is happening with your friend.

Remember that you can’t provide the right support without taking care of yourself. This not only means making sure that your basic needs are met but also settingboundariesabout your relationship and the type of support you are able to offer.

Solution: Remember You Can’t Do It AllSet boundaries with your friend regarding what you can and cannot do. For example, you might be able to help manage their finances during a manic episode to ensure they don’t make any rash, impulsive decisions, but that doesn’t mean that you’re willing fix their problems if they find themselves in financial trouble. Explain your limits, care for yourself, and encourage them to seek professional help when needed.

Solution: Remember You Can’t Do It All

Set boundaries with your friend regarding what you can and cannot do. For example, you might be able to help manage their finances during a manic episode to ensure they don’t make any rash, impulsive decisions, but that doesn’t mean that you’re willing fix their problems if they find themselves in financial trouble. Explain your limits, care for yourself, and encourage them to seek professional help when needed.

Keep in Mind

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition that can lead to serious disruptions in a person’s life, relationships, and ability to function. If you have a friend or loved one with this condition, encourage them to seek help and be willing to listen.

Tips for Dating Someone With Bipolar Disorder

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lublóy Á, Keresztúri JL, Németh A, Mihalicza P.Exploring factors of diagnostic delay for patients with bipolar disorder: a population-based cohort study.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):75. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-2483-yShen H, Zhang L, Xu C, Zhu J, Chen M, Fang Y.Analysis of misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in an outpatient setting.Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2018;30(2):93-101. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.217080Jawad I, Watson S, Haddad PM, Talbot PS, McAllister-Williams RH.Medication nonadherence in bipolar disorder: A narrative review.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(12):349-363. doi:10.1177/2045125318804364National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lublóy Á, Keresztúri JL, Németh A, Mihalicza P.Exploring factors of diagnostic delay for patients with bipolar disorder: a population-based cohort study.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):75. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-2483-yShen H, Zhang L, Xu C, Zhu J, Chen M, Fang Y.Analysis of misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in an outpatient setting.Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2018;30(2):93-101. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.217080Jawad I, Watson S, Haddad PM, Talbot PS, McAllister-Williams RH.Medication nonadherence in bipolar disorder: A narrative review.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(12):349-363. doi:10.1177/2045125318804364National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Lublóy Á, Keresztúri JL, Németh A, Mihalicza P.Exploring factors of diagnostic delay for patients with bipolar disorder: a population-based cohort study.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):75. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-2483-yShen H, Zhang L, Xu C, Zhu J, Chen M, Fang Y.Analysis of misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in an outpatient setting.Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2018;30(2):93-101. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.217080Jawad I, Watson S, Haddad PM, Talbot PS, McAllister-Williams RH.Medication nonadherence in bipolar disorder: A narrative review.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(12):349-363. doi:10.1177/2045125318804364National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.

Lublóy Á, Keresztúri JL, Németh A, Mihalicza P.Exploring factors of diagnostic delay for patients with bipolar disorder: a population-based cohort study.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):75. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-2483-y

Shen H, Zhang L, Xu C, Zhu J, Chen M, Fang Y.Analysis of misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in an outpatient setting.Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2018;30(2):93-101. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.217080

Jawad I, Watson S, Haddad PM, Talbot PS, McAllister-Williams RH.Medication nonadherence in bipolar disorder: A narrative review.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(12):349-363. doi:10.1177/2045125318804364

National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.

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