Living with Bipolar Disorder - How Being Bipolar Affects Relationships?

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

David: I want to bring David in on this next question because many with manic depression go through a deep depressive phase, like you mentioned earlier. Do you actually feel that coming on and is there anything you can do to deal with it?

David W: Right now, I don't feel the depression coming on, but I am actually manic at the moment. It is varying between high and medium level. Luckily, right now, it's not high so I can do this. But I know that what goes up must come down, and the crash is coming. It worries me at times, but I don't think about it much when I feel euphoric.

David: But when it's coming, is there anything you can do to prepare for it or reduce the level of severity?

David W: Yes. First is the communication with my wife, so she can help me deal with a quickly changing mood. Another important thing is to try to force myself to sleep and rest. Finally, writing out my feelings and making sure that I am in a place where I feel safe sometimes helps keep the depression from being too great. I watch a lot of films as an escape from the darkness as well.

David: How does your wife help you deal with a quickly changing mood? What kinds of things does she do, specifically?

David W: When I quickly slip into depression from a high mania, it is very hard on me emotionally. She does several things to help me deal with that. She will stay with me and let me know that I'm not worthless or useless or hideous or a host of other things that I feel when that happens. A lot of time spent being held by her often helps. Also, when I need to just be left alone she is good about doing that. She also encourages me to spend time with my support group.

David: Do you go to a face-to-face manic depression support group or an online bipolar support group? And how does that help?

David W: I use a few online bipolar support groups. The closest face-to-face one to me is an hour away, and I am not really able to do that. It helps a lot because I can talk to people who really understand what I'm feeling because they have been there. They listen to me and encourage me with understanding and experience. Also, I can get on Instant Messenger and talk one-on-one with a friend who knows how I feel if I am in a bad place.

David: I have a few site notes, then we'll continue with the audience questions.

Here's the link to the HealthyPlace.com Bipolar Community. You can click on this link and sign up for the mail list at the top of the page so you can keep up with events like this.

We have several excellent sites that deal with many aspects of Bipolar Disorder / Manic Depression like "A Manic Depression Primer" and other sites.

Here is the next audience question:

tnm1133: David, have you ever attempted suicide, and if you did, can you relate to what you were feeling at the time now, in a higher state?

David W: I have attempted suicide more than once, I am afraid to say. The last time was in October of 1999. My father found me in the last minutes that I could still be helped. I can remember what I was feeling and know what was happening in my mind, but no, I cannot really look back and feel those emotions while I'm in a manic state. I could write an essay or poem about them describing the sensation, but not feel it.

Donna 1: Jean, do you see any signs of bipolar disorder in any of your children?

Jean Y:Yes Donna. I am afraid that my older autistic son, my fourth boy, may be bipolar underneath his autism, but we don't know yet because he is nonverbal. He gets very euphoric and abusive very rapidly.

David: Here's an audience member in a similar situation, Jean.

wwoosl: My 8 year old has bipolar and is very violent. We are considering placement.

Jean Y: I am so sorry. My heart goes out to you.

kayfa37: I'm really nervous about my 5 year old son who is showing signs of panic and anxiety. He also has full blown migraine attacks. This is how I started. I really want to know about David being bipolar at age 5.

David W: I can remember times of just sitting in the yard and crying for no reason, but most of the time I was up and just couldn't sleep. I had really vivid dreams and can remember some of them even today. I was never deeply depressed at the extreme young age, but I was already having a few hallucinations.

David: For parents with bipolar children, please read this transcript from our excellent conference on Mood Disorders in Children. On your previous comment on suicide:

tnm1133: David, thanks for sharing that. I have had several serious attempts and am really ashamed of it and can't relate to it at all. It's as if I were another person.

David: And, here's another comment on the possibility of passing bipolar onto your children:

rayandkat1: I work in a medical research clinic and I see bipolar patients all the time. A lot of parents that have bipolar are afraid their children may obtain it from them. It is very possible, if a family member has depression, bipolar can develop in the children as well.

David: I should mention here that we've had several "expert" guests talk about bipolar treatment and the genetics of bipolar disorder. The transcripts are here.