Ways to care for a loved one with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is an especially complex disorder, where the patient switches between mild to severe mood extremes, i.e., from manic highs to depressive lows. While not curable, bipolar disorder can be managed through a combination of medication and psychotherapy. The support that family members lend becomes a crucial success factor in the management of the disease. If you are currently caring for someone in your family with bipolar disorder, you need to equip yourself with both information and the tools required to better fulfill your role, while also ensuring that your own physical and emotional needs are not neglected. Here is a list of factors to keep in mind that can help. Gain an understanding of the disorder: To give proper care, it is essential that you have a strong basic understanding of the characteristic features of bipolar disorder, which type of the disorder your loved one has, what are the treatment plans possible, and what are the drugs and therapy modalities currently being administered to them. Knowledge is power, and knowing what you are dealing with, will help you in a major way Participate in doctor visits: Be present in all the doctor visits and treatment processes, so that you are up-to-date about treatment plans and the progress shown by the patient.