What is it like to live with someone who is bipolar.?

Question

Please give me exact details. How do they act, think, treat you.?

Answer 1

My land lady and her boyfriend had a relationship. He was bipolar. I can tell you they fought alot. He was brilliant and did some wonderful things for her. But he would have these spells... and the spells meant unpredictable behavior. He lost his job because of his behavior and he became dependent on her. One of the things that he would do is just leave the house and start wondering around. Wouldn't come back for days and didn't really know what had happened. Sometimes he would throw things around the room. She started drinking... she loved him but he drove her crazy. I phoned the police on them more than once because I thought they were killing each other. One time I was convinced he had killed her. After witnessing all of this first hand, I would not date anyone who is bipolar!

Answer 2

I am bipolar and its hard to live even with myself I can only imagine how any of my bf's have felt. I do know that bipolars are more frustrated due to the constant change. Sometimes I know I will get into an argument and its almost as if I become somebody else the anger is so much. I cant help it sometimes and its not fair to who I am with. I strongly recommend routine and meds. Overstimulation by alchohol and lack of sleep has been bad for me in the past. So I would think living with a bipolar you have to first of all know if they know exactly what is going on with their body and what certain signs they must be aware of. It requires patience understanding but also a desire by both parties to want to try and communicate and work towards a calm environment.

Answer 3

If you live with a person who has bipolar illness, you can look forward to a rough ride if the person isn't managing it well. If it is well-managed, the patient will be just as pleasant as someone who isn't bipolar.
Successful management requires appropriate medication, strict compliance with taking the prescribed medicines, ongoing psychotherapy, and attending a support group regularly.
There are several excellent books out now. The best are:
"Bipolar Disorder for Dummies" (which I think is the best) , "Surviving Bipolar Disorder", and "The Bipolar Survival Guide". You can find them in the psychology section of any large bookstore.

Answer 4

Before he got on the right meds, I seriously thought that I would have strangled him. So sweet and loving one minute, then he would be a complete azz and lie, disappear, and argue with me for the stupidest things. He would be happy and fun to be around, then he would just be in a bad mood and not say too much of anything. Now since he is medicated, I love him more and more each day because he is the man that I fell in love with all those years ago and we never argue anymore.

Answer 5

Hello.................To live with a person with bipolar takes nerves of steel and a heart of gold. My daughter was diagnosed 7 years ago and even though she has finally come to terms with her illness, and is successful now, those first few years were extremely difficult. One of the hardest things to deal with was my daughter's denial. She skipped around as if everyone else had a problem, and to even suggest that there was a problem with her thinking was to invite an angry outburst and even physical violence. It was overwhelming at times, it was difficult to not lash back at her. I had to keep telling myself that I was the only hope that she had to ever find normalcy again. The bipolar person really needs someone to "be there" through every stage, even though it may seem impossible at times to cope. For quite awhile, she could not be left alone at all. I had to quit my job to take care of her and see to it that she stayed med-compliant, and out of trouble. She hated me and was not afraid to say it. She blamed me for her illness.[as if I could have prevented it!] She began drinking and doing drugs to make herself feel "normal," a common occurance in the bipolar person. This was difficult to take as she once was a straight A student and never got into any trouble. Her ideas and goals all changed. She went from wanting nothing more than to be popular at school to thinking that she could save the planet, starting with the dolphins. It is impossible to talk sense to a person in the throws of a manic episode. It is equally difficult to comfort them when the depressive side of the illness presents itself. She would cry for days on end, and not even the unconditional love I offered her was enough to calm her fears. There was always a fear in her mind that she had some dreadful disease like cancer or aids. She even had a perfectly harmless mole removed, fearing that it was cancer. She also developed a personal relationship with God, where none had ever existed.....to the point where she thought that she may even be pregnant with his child. Talk about scary.... what do you say to someone when this is their reality? I made it my mission to get myself informed on the subject of mental illness and took a 12 week course offered by N.A.M.I.,[The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill] called the family to family education program. Without the information I learned there, I would have been lost, and of very little help to my child. I highly recommend it. The one blessing I can take with me after all of the bad times, all of the hospitalizations, and the pain that my daughter went through is that she remembers very little of it. She and I are best friends and she has thanked me time after time for never giving up on her, and never letting her down. I feel very fortunate and proud that I had the strength to help her. She is 23 now and is a teacher. She is my hero. To come so far and still keep a smile in her heart, makes me so proud to be her mother. Be strong, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Good luck to you and take care.

Answer 6

I have BP, and have been very out of control at times. My gf is very nice to still be with me. I used to drink like a fish, I still have a hard time holding back anger and have done inappropriate things at work.

BP people ar every unpredictable. Things you think are stupid are very important to us and when we feel like we are not being listened to, we blow up.

Also, I am pretty paranoid (not jealous, but I still think people are plotting against me at times. I was hospitalized at 13 for a year, and I still never really got over it. It created a huge rift between my Mom and I, and it is just now closing 15 yrs later.

BP people can be a real handful. many mates end up walking away to save their mind...

Answer 7

See the link below for medical information regarding those with bi-polar disorders aka manic-depressives.

The only thing that I am personally aware of is that it is chemically treatable. In other words, with medication, the person may lead a fairly stable life.

Answer 8

Difficult. You really have to be able to deal with thier personality. Their moods change so very fequently, and if they are not medicated properly, then most likely, you will probably the punching bag for verbal and emotional abuse. Good Luck.

Answer 9

Bipolar people are essentially outsiders that know few social tricks that people play. They are honest and intelligent until the drugs have been using wipes out their brain power. Then as their intelligence fails they will be too difficult to live with.

Answer 10

It appears you're trying to understand others by categorizing them under certain labels.
Many people go about understanding life in this way.

Maybe your question is a lapse in an otherwise perceptive approach to life?