Standing Alone With Bi Polar Disorder

Bi Polar disease is a term that more and more people are beginning to recognize. It is a heart wrenching condition that not only affects the life of the individual afflicted with it but touches the hearts of their family and friends as well. So why is it becoming more familiar? Perhaps because it is being better diagnosed and the general public feel painfully aware and personally touched by its prevalence.
It is devastating in itself when this disease affects an individual with a support system of family and friends. It is almost impossible to comprehend what it must be like for those who stand alone in partnership with this awful disorder. One thing is for certain, neither the disease nor the loneliness is a condition of choice.
If those of us who are fortunate enough not to be touched or affected by Bipolar disorder were to reach out to those who are, then perhaps the suicide rate which is high amongst the patients of this disease, would drop. It is estimated that about 3 - 4% of US adults suffer from it, and that about half of the US suicide deaths are in patients with Bipolar disease. So, if we as individuals sit back and tell ourselves that it does not concern us, we are sadly mistaken.
Not only does it affect us from an emotional and moral point of view, it affects us in indirect ways as well. Aside from the healthcare and treatment costs, it has an impact on the afflicted persons job and professional life. Many of these individuals are not able to fend for themselves and function in normal daily routines. This means not being able to work, or provide for themselves and their families. In such cases the government needs to assume the total responsibility; i.e., millions of dollars required from the social services sector to supply food, housing, clothing, educational, and health care costs.
The hope on the horizon for these individuals may very well be lithium based drug treatment. This therapeutic modality is not new, (it was used in the late 1900s), and has been successfully used to treat a variety of mental disorders such as bi-polar and borderline personality disorder. However, they are not without side effects. And as technology progresses, so does the new drug treatment market. The question that comes to the fore is have these new medications achieved better treatment goals than their predecessors? The debate is still out and thus the statistical research continues.
The priority here is to determine if the pharmaceutical treatment has adequately contributed to reduce the suffering experienced by bipolar patients, and in turn their friends and families? Whether directly affected by the disease or not, whether the stricken person is alone or part of a family unit, it is something all of us need to stop and think about. This disease is everybody's problem because in some way, shape or form it most definitely does affect the community.
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