Do you know anyone with Bipolar disorder?

Question

If so, how do you find their company and do you get on with them? Do you accept that some of their irrational responses could be due to mental illness, or do think it is just their personality.

No bitchy answers please, I'm not insulting people with bipolar, just asking a question.

Answer 1

There are too many variables to come up with one answer.

My aunt was bipolar. When she was "down" she was angry. When she was "up" she spoke so fast I felt my head was going to explode. She would also steal our stuff & get mad at us for objecting.

But she was unmedicated.

Many of the greatest artist & genius' of the past were biploar. They found productive ways to "ride the waves." They would be hyper-productive during their "highs" & retreat during "lows."

Chances are, we all know a lot of people who are bipolar. But they choose not to be public about the fact they are bipolar.

Answer 2

My mother and my two older brothers have Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder doesn't last all year long because it comes and goes. It can happen whenever this person feels most out-of-place or uncomfortable. With my oldest brother, it happens from the spring through the summer and it ends during the fall & winter. With my other brother, it hits him whenever his baby mama does something to make him flip out. My mama flips out when she has a lot of stress on her mind; she begins to talk to a few of sixteen of her different personalities.
Whenever the people in my life are in these states, I can't deal with them because they get awfully violent and throw temper tantrums over the most childish things like an ink pen or a piece of paper or if they can't get their way. My mama doesn't get violent as much as the other two unless she reaches her breaking point.
When my mother & brothers first got sick, I did just think that part of it was their personalities. Now, I see things clearly with my mother and my oldest brother because they really lose a sense of who they were just a few months before their sickness. It's like a spirit took over their bodies and transformed them. Now, I do accept that some of their irrational responses could be due to mental illness because it clearly will show and it has.

Answer 3

My best friend was diagnosed as bi-polar late last year. After nearly 20 years of absolutely disastrous and dangerous behaviour. It answered a lot of questions to be honest and has brought her great piece of mind just knowing what is wrong. Who knows if her personality is a certain way because she is bi-polar or whether she was like that anyway, but she can be a little hard to understand sometimes.

She is much better now she is medicated, though getting it right has been a struggle. Finally they found the right combination of tablets for her and she was the wonderful girl I always knew. Except she couldn't write. At all. Not even her own name, and she was in the middle of a language degree. They changed the tablets and she has not been the same since, constant texts sending me jokes and asking if I have any to send her, refusal to answer any other texts including my enquiring how she is, and she has stopped asking how I am feeling, which she did on a daily basis as I have severe ME. I know sooner or later she will contact me, change her tablets and settle down, and it is hard not being able to reach her while she goes through this latest phase. Even at her best, some of her attitudes and behaviours can be annoying, but I love her, and accept that about her.

The best thing you can do is some research either on the net or getting a book from the library if you have a bi-polar friend, it does help and explains a lot of the behaviour we might put down to someone's personality. I don't think you are being insulting, it is a very valid set of questions to ask, and your friend is lucky to have someone who is interested in not just writing them off as a loony, but trying to understand. God bless.

Answer 4

I work in an adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility, so I'm used to working with teenagers with bipolar disorder. I have worked the adult unit at this same facility and have worked with adults with bipolar.

It's easy to assume that someone's mood swings are due to their personality or being dramatic. Educating yourself on bipolar disorder and it's symptoms really helps in understanding where people with this disorder are coming from in terms of how they're feeling. We talked in one of my social work classes that some people enjoy the hypomanic stage of bipolar (the stage where they have a lot of energy, are more talkative and social, etc) because they feel they are more creative and/or productive when in this stage. When the mania is at it's worst, some people still enjoy how they're feeling despite making irrational choices. My professor said that you will never see a person with bipolar disorder be brought into an ER complaining of the manic symptoms...it's when the depression hits that the symptoms become unbearable.

I get along with people who are bipolar (both inside and outside of work). I've never been bipolar but I have been diagnosed with depression, so I do know what that aspect of it is like. I believe mental illness (when it is untreated or flaring up) often clouds decision making ability, causing people to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do if they weren't suffering from symptoms. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

The only people I know with bipolar disorder were not born that way, but diagnosed with the disorder after years of drug use. Those people are fairly easy to get along with, but never trust them. They will lie to you and tell you they are fine when in reality they could be falling completely apart inside. Be careful and seek professional help if the person you know is suicidal. Thank you.

Answer 6

I have a family member who is bipolar. As long as she stays on her meds, we all get along great. When she goes off the meds, she is either extremely happy or extremely pissed off. A scene usually occurs and she stops communicating with the family until she on her meds again. We just accept it - that Aunt Sue just being Aunt Sue. We just don't worry too much about her. She's extremely independent and nonviolent. She's nothing like the characters on TV. I think only her close friends and family can tell when she's off her meds. I think she finally realizes that life is easier when she's on her meds because she stays on them now.

Answer 7

yes, I did.

She was the most fabulous person to be with and the next day - it could be the most miserable existence!!

She never recognised the problem - refused to accept it.

I had to threaten with the courts to get her to stop the crazy text messages and phone calls in the middle of the night - after we had split up. I've learned to deal with it now, I still hear from her and I ignore her. Possibly her behaviour would be deemed as manic.

I miss her like crazy, I am still hopelessly in love with her, but I am glad that we are now (nearly completely) apart!!

Answer 8

Yes, Me, my Mother, and my friends wife. I don't have any problem. I don't take medicine or see a counseler, but my friends wife, and mother are out of there minds. There are suppose to be different types of Bipolar, but I think it all depends on what you think. Just because a doctor says I have a problem, doesn't mean you can act crazy and get away with it. I think it is your personality.

Answer 9

Yeah i have an aunt who has this, her behaviour sometimes is a little hard to understand, and especilly to others, but i love her all the same and she copes very well with it, but before she took medicaiton she was really strange and people were very weary of her.

Answer 10

my older sister has bipolar and i used to get hurt by the way she acted towards me so i tried to stay out her way until i learned more about her condition and now i understand its an illness and she cant help the way she is