Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by alternating states of depression and mania that follow each other in a repeating cycle.

People with bipolar disorder may cycle through these states quickly or may experience long periods of depression or mania. Often one mood state predominates, while the other occurs only infrequently or briefly. The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown.

Symptoms of the elevated mood stage of bipolar disorder include an exaggerated sense of confidence and well-being, racing thoughts, excessive talking, distractibility, increased desire for pleasurable activity, decreased need for sleep, impulsivity, irritability, and impairment in judgment. The depressed phase includes symptoms of sadness, fatigue, pessimism, feelings of helplessness, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in life, possibly with thoughts of suicide.

Symptoms of the elevated mood stage of bipolar disorder include an exaggerated sense of confidence and well-being, racing thoughts, excessive talking, distractibility, increased desire for pleasurable activity, decreased need for sleep, impulsivity, irritability, and impairment in judgment. The depressed phase includes symptoms of sadness, fatigue, pessimism, feelings of helplessness, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in life, possibly with thoughts of suicide.

Lifestyle changes that may be helpful
exercise influences the production and use of neurotransmitters and hormones in the body, and its antidepressant effect is well known.1 a preliminary study of the effects of vigorous exercise on the body chemistry of patients with bipolar disorder found that exercise increased a specific chemical associated with better mood.2 however, exercise may adversely influence the effectiveness of some medications used for bipolar disorder. Many people with bipolar disorder take lithium, and because lithium is lost in sweat, exercise that involves significant sweating may change blood levels of lithium. Such a change has been reported in one person;3 therefore, people taking lithium who intend to start a vigorous exercise program should be monitored by their doctor.


Vitamins that may be helpful
people diagnosed with depression may have lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.4 5 a double-blind trial found that bipolar patients taking 9.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil per day in addition to their conventional medications had significant improvements compared with those taking placebo.6

i hope these tips could be useful.

I am 2 weeks into dating someone who is bipolar. I believe it was love at first sight and he feels the same.
He told me his condition before he ever kissed me~!
I am very strong and patient person who has anxiety myself. So I understand mental issues. I have been depressed and have learned to live so that I dont get depressed.
He has been completly honest and I have actually helped him keep a journal for his DR. of his symptoms.

He has wonderful. He says he thinks he is in a manic stage right now if not "norman". But can feel himself slipping into the depression.

He has a high sex drive and sleeps a little more than I. However, we go for walks and lay in the sun. He is always very greatful for me making him go. I say making its not that hard. He would rather take a nap.

I want advice on how to help.

I find that no matter who the relationship is with. Its hard, emotional, stressful and takes work.
I am willing to work as he makes me feel amazing.

The fact that he was honest about his condition up front is a good sign. I was "involved" with somebody this past summer (and I use the term "involved" loosely, because the entire relationship, if you will, lasted two months, during which time we only actually saw each other three times. In retrospect, it seems I was involved but he wasn't). I mean absolutely no disrepect to anybody here who has bipolar, but this was undoubtedly the most bizarre "relationship" I have ever experienced.

There were a number of red flags and little warning signals going off in my head throughout, but I dismissed them. As I look back, the entire relationship was on his terms and he was extremely manipulative, yet in a very charming and disarming way.

In the beginning, he presented himself as this wonderful, caring, loving man (and brilliantly smart) and I became hooked. During the first three weeks or so, we would chat endlessly on-line. But a couple of times, he would simply disappear, right in the middle of a discussion and then wouldn't reappear for one to two days. When I would ask him about it, he would fabricate outrageous stories about his "absence", which I would later learn were lies. After about the third time, I decided I had enough and wrote him that I got the impression he was no longer interested, so I was bowing out...and I wished him well. The next day, he used the guilt approach by apologizing and telling me that something terrible happened to his son (again, found out later it was just a lie), and that he was sorry I was bowing out because he really liked me and he would never just "end things by disappearing" because he's a good, caring person. Of course, I was sucked back into this cyclone, and the pattern continued and even got worse.

The sweet, charming words that he used in the beginning to reel me in were eventually replaced by mean-spirited, cutting and accusatory remarks. When I would question him about his behavior or actions, he said I was being paranoid; when I would ask if he had a change of feelings and wanted out of the relationship, he said I was "projecting". Needless to say, I was completely confused and hurt by this extreme change in his personality.

The last time I saw him, he had invited me over and we had, what I thought, was a nice, enjoyable evening. The next night we spoke on the phone and he became beligerant with me for asking him a question, and he abruptly ended the conversation. That was the end of it. I tried several times after that to reach out to him, but to no avail. He would never respond, even though I saw him on-line (and very active on the various internet dating sites!). Finally, a couple of weeks ago I saw him on line again and decided to try one more time. He actually responded, and admitted to me that he was bipolar, and that he was very sorry for his behavior.

So, my point to this very long message is just to be careful. From what I've been reading on this and other related sites, is that if a bipolar person is not following their medication, they can be extremely erratic in their emotions and behavior. I would not have walked away from him in the beginning if he told me about his illness (he had admitted that he suffered from depression in the past but was "better now", and that didn't concern me). What really bothered me was that he withheld this information from me from the start, and also all of the lies he told along the way. If I had known about his medical condition, at least I would have had a much better understanding about his odd behaviors, rather than thinking that I was the one who was being paranoid. So just continue to do your research, and watch out for the warning signs if he is having an episode. At least he was honest with you about it from the start. Best of luck!

I have been reading through all the posts that everyone has put on here and I think it might even be helping me. I'm dating (I think) someone that, due to symptoms and characteristics talked about here, I think might have BiPolar Disorder and I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it.
I'm in love with this woman. We've been seeing each other for quite some time now and her behavior is indicative of someone that I think (my personal opinion) might be BiPolar. She's very erratic in her behavior. One minute she's very touchy-feely and the next she's real stand-offish. One day in particular she came out of the shower in a towel and latched right onto me, after about an hour or so she seemed real drawn-in and reclusive and wouldn't let me touch her or anything. She's real compulsive about things. She loves to go out and party, she's always going through mood-swings, she feels as though the world is against her. Those are just a few of the things that I'm dealing with. Right now we're separating, trying to see if it will work. But I still love her with all my heart and she knows this. I would appreciate anything that any of you could tell me that would help me help her overcome this or at least let her know that she's not alone when it comes to dealing with it!!

I failed to mention that she is on medication for depression, but I'm not sure if this is doing any good. She's the sweetest woman in the world and I want to help her in any possible way that I can, regardless as to the depth or expense of the matter. I keep telling her that I love her and that I'll do anything for her but she says that she doesn't believe me, is this normal or should I be concerned about something??
I can't tell you how frustrating this is, but she means the world to me! I must apologize for rambling on here, I just hope that you all can realize how much she means to me and how much I'm willing to help her, regardless as to what it takes!!

Hey,

I've been dating my boyfriend for about six months now, and from the beginning he has told me that he is Bipolar and that it is just something that I am going to have to get used to. Being a phsycologist patient and having to take medication for depression and anxiety, I understood that that was just who he is.

But the difference between us is that I have excepted the fact that I have a problem and take my medication. He on the other hand used to take medication before he met me, and something happened to make him stop taking it. So one moment he tells me he loves me and the next he's back to telling me that he is going to break up with me.

The only thing that gets me, is that he still doesn't trust me. I have told him so many times that I love him, have never lied to him and I never will. But he continues to believe that I am just like every other lying girl that he has dated.

Everytime that he get's angry or when he begins to worry he breaks up with me. We have broken up several times over little things that has nothing to do with me. And later that day or even the next day he'll feel bad for hurting me and cry to me for my forgiveness.

Each time I take him back and forgive him, because I know that sometimes it's not his fault and that he doesn't mean it. But in the end I still know that he hurt me. And I can still remember what the pain that he causes me when he breaks up with me feels like.

I'm writing this message to see what you guys have to say. My family, friends and sometimes I think that this might not be a very healthy relationship and I wanted to know your opinions.