When a loved one suffers from bipolar disorder (also known as “bipolar disorder”), it’s inevitable that caregivers will experience negative emotions. Such as anger, sadness, fear, and being overprotective can also have a negative impact on the patient’s well-being.
So how can we help people with bipolar disorder? Many people don’t know how to treat people with bipolar disorder, let alone how to care for them.
If you are a caregiver or home caregiver for someone with bipolar disorder, there are four things to be aware of:
1. Make sure the patient is taking his or her medication on time and has regular outpatient follow-up.
2. If the patient has pre-onset symptoms such as mood swings, disorderly spending, decreasing sleep hours, excessive talking, and busyness, please seek medical attention in time.
3. Know whether the blood concentration of the patient taking mood stabilizer is maintained within the therapeutic concentration.
4. Pay attention to the absence of prolonged diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other conditions.
If the patient is not smooth in life, can find the appropriate emotional vent channels, such as talking to relatives and friends, more close to nature, engaging in favorite leisure activities, etc., are a good way to decompress, in addition, we must remember to regularly return to the doctor.
For patients with bipolar disorder, the physiological mechanism of the body to cope with the seasonal change has not been fully adjusted, and in the alternating seasons, the original emotional or physiological symptoms may become more serious.
If the patient is already taking drugs, should strictly follow the doctor’s prescription to take drugs on time and quantity, pay attention to the changes and reactions of the body after taking the drug, have questions can ask a professional doctor, do not change the way of medication.
At the same time, remind family members and friends to pay attention to their own emotional management, when understanding the characteristics of patients’ emotional ups and downs, the most important thing is the attitude of care and acceptance. Research evidence shows that if family members are hostile to patients, excessive criticism or interference attitude, because the relationship is close, so each other’s emotions will affect each other, easy to lead to disease recurrence or deterioration.
The most important thing is that as a caregiver (companion), we must pay attention to self-stress adjustment, and support and encourage each other with relatives, friends and other caregivers.
Because of the etiology of bipolar disorder, the “biological-psycho-social” model often referred to in psychiatry must be considered. Therefore, it is also important to consider these three aspects of how relatives and friends can help people with bipolar disorder:
1. Biological support:
· Accompanied the patient to participate in the treatment process, actively communicated with the doctor to understand the treatment status, and gave support during the treatment.
· Most people have symptoms that precede a manic or depressive episode. The best way to understand these “signs” is to talk to them and try to ask them if they need any kind of help and support.
Here are some ways to start:
Get involved in creative activities with them;
Before they commit to a commitment or project, you can try to provide your own opinions to prevent them from doing more than they are capable of.
Let them put their money in your hands if they want to.
Help them maintain a regular pace of life, including eating and sleeping.
2 Provide psychological support:
· When they hear or see voices, it may be difficult for you to understand their thoughts, but for them, the feelings are real.
You need to try to stay calm, not provoke or annoy them, and try to let them know that even if you can’t see or hear them, you can understand how they feel. It can be helpful to empathize by putting yourself in their shoes.
· When they are in a manic state, they may act abnormally, such as doing things that make you very embarrassed, strange, or upset.
When they calm down, try to share your feelings with them, try not to be judgmental or overly critical, and keep the narrative focused on how you feel about what they did, rather than making too many statements or accusations about the incident itself.
3. Be supportive socially:
By treating the person with a sense of normalness and avoiding over focusing or overreacting to their emotions and behaviors, you can reduce their stress and anxiety and make them feel accepted and understood.
Natural ways of interacting can help build and maintain stable, trusting relationships and make the sufferer more willing to share their feelings and troubles with relatives and friends.
Constant companionship and attention helps patients feel that they are not alone, which is especially critical when they are feeling down or going through difficult times. Make sure the patient knows that you are always willing to listen and support them, and that even simple companionship can have a positive impact on them.
When the patient has mood swings or symptoms, your calm and calm can effectively stabilize the situation and prevent the situation from getting worse. Not only does this attitude help the patient feel safe, it also helps them gradually learn how to better manage their emotions.
Help the person deal with the challenges of daily life and assist them in building confidence and self-efficacy. By gradually guiding them to take on more daily tasks, it promotes their independence while enhancing their ability to cope with life’s stresses.
Finally
As a caregiver, helping a person with bipolar disorder stabilize and recover is a long and complex process. During this process, you need to focus not only on the patient’s treatment and life, but also on your own emotions and stress management. Understanding how the patient is feeling, building a solid support system, and remaining calm when the patient is experiencing mood swings can significantly reduce the risk of a relapse.
Remember, patients also need to learn how to help themselves in their daily lives, such as maintaining mental balance through healthy lifestyle habits, regular work and rest, and active emotional management. By working together, patients and caregivers can work together to get through difficult times and move towards a better future.