Hi,

What’s new? Hope you are doing well.

To read this week’s news visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews573/

Here are the news headlines:

Mia Tina’s Chocolate Raises Mental Disease Awareness
DO> Great story, take a look.

Mindfulness Therapy Improves Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
DO> No question it does, what do you think?

Rapid-Cycling Bipolar or Just Moody?
DO> This is a great question take a look

Family Secrets: What My Son’s Diagnosis Revealed About Our Past
DO> Hmm. How do YOU feel about this?

Families Face Revolving Door in Getting Help for Mentally Ill
DO> So true and so sad, don’t you think?

For these stories and more, please visit:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarnews573/

Check out all my resources, programs and information for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentralcatalog.com

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

I got an email recently that pretty much is about a topic that I get asked about more often than you might imagine, so I thought maybe you might be wondering about the same thing. So here it is:

“Dave, I’m worried about my husband, and I’m hoping you can answer something for me, because I don’t know where else to turn. My husband has bipolar disorder, and he’s had it for all the time we’ve been married, so that isn’t the problem – I knew about it before we got married, and married him anyway. He’s a good man, in spite of what he does when he goes into his bipolar episodes. I hate what his bipolar makes him do, but I don’t blame him for it. I mean, he’s had affairs in episodes before, but only a couple times, and I forgave him for it, because he wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for the bipolar disorder. I know that he loves me, he’s just sick. But that’s the problem. I thought he would get better over the years, but he seems to be getting worse. He’s going into more episodes each year, and they’re lasting longer each time. And the episodes themselves seem deeper, at least his depressions seem worse each time, like

he seems sadder than the time before, and he stays sadder longer. I don’t know what to do to help him. But here’s my question. Can bipolar disorder get worse over time instead of better?”

——————————————————————————————————————

Wow. This supporter sounds really concerned about her husband. But, believe it or not, I’ve heard her story before from other supporters. Yes, you would think that with time, her husband

should get better instead of worse. However, there are some researchers who believe that bipolar disorder does get worse over time. And untreated bipolar disorder definitely gets worse over time.

The first thing I would tell this woman would be that her husband’s medication needs to be

looked at. It seems like something isn’t working there. It could be that some of his medication just needs to be changed, or at least the dosages need to be changed. I would also look at his treatment plan.

Then I would ask: Is he seeing a psychiatrist? If so, how often? Are they regulating his medications? When was the last time his medications were changed? Is he seeing a therapist? On a regular basis? A therapist would help him look at some of his bipolar behaviors and help him to change them. They would work together on some of the issues surrounding his bipolar disorder. It sounds like he might still have some unresolved issues going on. It also seems that maybe her husband is still holding some things in that he isn’t talking to her about. So I think there needs to be some work done on their communication.

So it could be not just that his bipolar disorder is getting worse, but these issues that surround

his bipolar disorder that need attention. For example, if he is holding in negative feelings, and not talking to his wife or his therapist about them, they will build up inside him and eventually come out and “blow up” possibly into a bipolar episode.

Also, other things need to be looked at. For example, what are his sleep habits like? Is he sticking to a regular sleep schedule? Loss of sleep can be a trigger to a manic episode, for example, which can then make him crash into a later depression. Any one of these things can be making his bipolar disorder worse.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

Hi,

Did you ever notice that, given the same circumstances, two people can turn out totally differently? Like…Well, you’ve heard of cases where two people both raised in the ghetto of a city…Where one will turn to drugs and gangs…The other will rise above it and become a doctor? I wonder what makes the difference? Some people say it’s strength of character. I’m not sure. I do know that will has something to do with it, though. Meaning how much you WANT it. In other words, how bad you want something can determine whether you get it, at least to some degree. Like with bipolar disorder. I mean, you can want stability as bad as you want it, but without medication, it’s just not going to happen. But with medication…I think if you want it bad enough…Stability CAN happen for you.

So…two people faced with the same circumstances can have two different outcomes. I see this in the bipolar support groups I attend (I attend several). There are those people who are getting better, but then there are those people who don’t seem to be getting better at all. So what’s the difference? Both people can be on medication. Both people can even be in therapy. I think it’s that the person who isn’t getting better isn’t trying as hard as the person who is getting better.

There are things like medication and therapy that come as part of your loved one’s treatment regimen. That’s a given. Then there are things that you do for them as a bipolar supporter.

Like, for example: You try to provide a stress-free home environment for them (assuming they live with you). And…You try to be a good listener for them to be able to share their thoughts and feelings with you. You keep the lines of communication open for them so that things don’t build up. That’s something you do for them.

But then there are things they need to do for themselves that go toward their own stability with their bipolar disorder. Things that you can’t do for them. Like…They need to be productive and busy. They need to have a reason to get out of bed each morning, or else they run the risk of getting depressed, which can easily lead to a bipolar depressive episode if they’re not careful. This can mean working at a job if they’re able…Even if it’s only part-time. Or doing volunteer work…Or even just doing things around the house. But they need to stay busy. They need to have a source of self-esteem.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave