Handling Relationship Issues When You Have Bipolar Disorder

There are many types of relationships, but when you add bipolar disorder to the mix you can have some additional and complicated problems. Let's define the types of relationships that we will discuss in this article. First there is immediate family living in the home (typically spouse and possibly children), 2)extended family not living in the home, 3) friends and acquaintances, and 4) work relationships. All healthy relationships have give and take. Unhealthy relationships are lop-sided in that one is usually doing all the taking and not very much giving. Toxic relationships are those that are destructive in some way. If you are always angry and lashing out at others, you are the one being toxic. Having bipolar disorder is not an excuse to be abusive in any kind of way. On the other hand, if someone is doing that to you, then you have some hard decisions to make, especially if this is in the immediate family.

If you are the one with bipolar disorder, and you want healthy relationships, you must learn how to give to the relationship in question. It's easy to have a life centered around us due to the illness. We're depressed so we can't lend a helping hand in the home, then we're manic and creating frantic energy that is going no where and usually draining everyone around us. The best thing you can do for your loved ones is to take your medication and get stable. From a place of stability you can give back to your spouse, children, friends, and work relationships.

Let's address toxic relationships in the immediate family. Violence should never be tolerated and you should seek help if you are in that situation. If there is a lot of anger, snapping, yelling, and frustration that goes along with those actions, I highly recommend counseling. You want your home to be a place of rest and restoration. This should be your sanctuary and place of refuge. However, you need to be in a healthy relationship to have that peaceful place to call home. Do whatever it takes to get that and that may mean counseling.

If you are in an unhealthy or toxic relationship with extended family outside the home you have some additional options. The most drastic option is to cut off all contact with that person. However, I propose that you are honest, but not abrasive with the offending party. Let them know that you care about them, want them in your life, but that there are certain things you will not tolerate. Verbal abuse should not be tolerated.

With friends, you should choose wisely. It is important to be a contributor to these relationships. Keep life fun and interesting with friendships, but monitor how much you are taking and how much you are giving. I would say that you should strive to be a giver in friendships, but make sure you are not being completely drained by them. Friendships should energize you and make life fun.

Work relationships are fraught with many pitfalls. Most work places have some degree of politics to them. Learn to play the game well. I have a free article that has 20 tips on being a happy, contributing, and highly respected employee with bipolar disorder available for download. My own boss has read this article, agrees with the tips, and I've been employed at the same place for 18.5 years. You can access it here: http://www.thrivingwithbipolardisorder.com/Free_Article.html

Every relationship has two sides. If you are the one with bipolar disorder strive to be stable so that you can be a giver. Also evaluate your relationships and determine which ones are healthy and invest more into those, and invest less into the ones that aren't. The exception is the immediate family living in the home. Issues there must be addressed so that you can have a happy home that you can call a sanctuary.

I hope you gained some useful insights, and I wish you the best in all your pursuits.