#AskMargie: Dealing with loved ones who have bipolar disorder

MANILA, Philippines – How do you deal with a loved one with bipolar disorder?

After talking about bipolar disorder as it relates to the person who has it, clinical psychologist Dr. Margie Holmes now talks about how to say what you want to say to a person with BPD.

For the last 2 weeks, we’ve talked about bipolar disorder as it relates to the person who has it. This week, I asked my FB friends what they wished they could tell their loved ones who have BPD.

Their answers:
JP Fenix: Take your meds. Tendency is when things normalize you think you’re ok and stop taking your meds. Don’t stop.

Angelina Sparks Kanapi: Choose the people you share your disorder with. Remember: we are never to throw pearls to swine. This isn’t diabetes or gout or high blood pressure. This is mental. There’s a stigma. Always ask this question: Why should I let this person know?

Sheena Kristine Casas: I usually tell people, but I ask for wisdom through prayers. Para alam ko agad kung sino ang true friend. Lumalabas na true color nila. For five years takot ako. Ayaw kong malaman ng iba and then I just got tired of hiding it.

Ella Ola- Kintanar: My advice? I love you, but I cannot help you. Please, go see a doctor and make sure you keep your appointments and drink your meds religiously.

Anonymous: My brother, a brilliant young man, was diagnosed with BPD seven years ago. He refuses to medicate and my parents continue to deny he’s sick. He hasn’t been functional for years. I wish I could do something other than provide financial support, but I am thousands of miles away.

I’ve tried not sending any financial aid until my brother took his meds, with the result that he got worse. His condition has taken the light out of my life. My family’s reaction to it has broken my heart time and again. My despair is already affecting my marriage in some ways.

Anonymous’s story is one of the reasons why it is necessary to talk about not only the manic depressive, but also about the people who love him and her.

– Rappler.com

WATCH PREVIOUS EPISODES:

Bipolar disorder
Managing bipolar disorder